Dry Vibrating mix is a product range commonly used as refractory lining of core induction furnaces in foundries. As indicated in their name, these products are installed dried, and the initial strength is only due to the densification by vibration. In this type of product, the shape of the grain, the granulometry curve and the type of vibration used have an impact on the densification. To determine the optimised parameters of our solutions, the Discrete Element Method seems the easier way to validate or optimise our products and is an alternative to the classic experimental process.

The first part of the study consists in the characterisation of two different DVM to define as precisely as possible the parameters of the model. This is the more complex part of the study. The granulometry curves, bulk density, E modulus, shapes of the grain are the simplest initial parameters. Some more tricky parameters like static response angle, dynamic response angle, rolling resistance or adherence need also to be characterised. These parameters are defined by simulating two different flow tests coming from Granutools.

When the model is defined, it is easy to simulate the densification process, and analyse the impact of several parameters in the densification of our products like type of vibration, initial loading, or shape of the grain.
This new method offers a new way to optimise our products and seems a promising way to improve several types of manufacturing processes in the refractories field.