Numerical Modeling of Fluid Flow in the Tape Casting Process

The flow behavior of the fluid in the tape casting process is analyzed. A simple geometry is assumed for running the numerical calculations in ANSYS Fluent and the main parameters are expressed in non-dimensional form. The effect of different values for substrate velocity and pressure force on the flow pattern as well as resultant tape thickness is evaluated. The analysis deals with the case of parallel blades and focuses on the ratio between the present hydrostatic pressure and the magnitude of the viscous force. A new non-dimensional height for the tape thickness is proposed and the effect of the substrate velocity is evaluated. The results of the modeling show that a relatively uniform tape thickness can be achieved. Moreover, the results are compared with selected experimental and analytical data from literature and good agreement is found.