3D-modeling of die filling

Using three-dimensional meso-particle dynamics (MPD) simulations we investigate die filling processes. In contrast to continuum methods this approach automatically takes into account the rearrangements of the grains and predicts structural compositions. The particle code utilizes a soft-sphere model. Comples grain and cavity shapes can be represented. The numerical implementation is highly parallelizable by means of load balanced domain decomposition. Thus large systems containing 107 particles could be studied. Analyses of powder flow and density distributions reveal influences of cavity geometries and feeding shoe motion on the filling homogeneity.