April 26, 2006 -- Ashland Casting Solutions recently acquired licenses for MAGMA GmbH's MAGMASOFT software, and ESI-North America’s ProCAST and QuikCast software. These software programs are now in use by Ashland’s Casting Design Service Center team as another way to help metalcasting customers identify problems quickly, toward process and product quality.

Ashland Casting Solutions is a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc.

According to Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and general manager, Ashland Casting Solutions, “The addition of these software programs strengthens our concept of providing solutions for the entire sand casting process." He called these new capabilities, in combination with Ashland’s expertise, "the most comprehensive approach to metal solidification offered to metal casters.”

ESI's ProCAST provides a finite-element solution for predictive evaluations of the casting process, including mold filling, solidification, microstructure and thermo-mechanical simulations.

QuikCast simulates the casting from filling to solidification, including defect prediction via finite-difference technology.

MAGMASOFT software is a comprehensive simulation tool that displays mold filling, solidification, mechanical properties, thermal stresses and distortions, and more, for casting of steel, aluminum alloys, and compacted graphite iron (CGI).