<![CDATA[A356 aluminum alloy has been widely applied in the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries thanks to a combination of superior mechanical properties, namely lightweight, high corrosion resistance, and adequate mechanical strength. However, aluminum casting often produces defects such as porosity, misruns, and shrinkage, which significantly degrade the final product's quality and integrity. This study examines how variations in casting parameters and duct system design affect the quality of A356 aluminum tensile test specimens according to the JIS H 5202 standard, using Altair Inspire Cast simulation software. The simulation varied casting temperature, molten-metal flow rate, and duct-system geometry to observe mold filling, solidification, and defect formation. The simulation results show that optimizing these three parameters significantly reduces internal defects and produces a more even solidification distribution. The optimal configuration was a casting temperature of 720°C, a flow rate of 0.45 m/s, and a tapered ducted bottom gating system design, which Inspire Cast analysis predicted would yield the lowest porosity index (<0.5%). The tensile test specimens are printed using optimal parameters and physically tested according to the JIS H 5202 standard. The mechanical test results showed an average tensile strength of 215 MPa, yield strength of 165 MPa, and elongation of 5.8%. These values meet or exceed the minimum limits required by JIS H 5202: UTS = 195 MPa, yield strength = 130 MPa, and elongation = 4%. Metallographic observations using optical microscopy also confirmed the lack of porosity in the optimal specimen compared with the control specimen, with the specimen density reaching 2.67 g/cm³, close to the theoretical value for alloy A356.]]>
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