The application of data mining techniques in the design of modern foundry materials allows achieving higher product quality indicators. Designing of a new product always requires thorough knowledge of the effect of alloying elements on the microstructure and hence also on the properties of the examined material. The conducted experimental studies allow for a qualitative assessment of the indicated relationships, but it is the use of intelligent computational techniques that enables building an approximation model of the microstructure and, owing to this, make predictions with high precision. The developed model of prediction supports the technology-related decisions as early as at the stage of casting design and is considered the first step in selecting the type of material used.

The article presents the optimization of high-pressure die casting process technology for equestrian stirrups with the application of computer simulation. In the initial stage, the output technology was analyzed, and on the basis of a series of virtual experiments the cause of defects in the casting was highlighted. The optimization process includes different designs of a gating system. Additionally, the casting application properties were evaluated in an exploitation simulation, taking into account predicted defects resulting from the casting and solidification process. Based on the conducted analyses, technological changes were made to the casting technology design allowing the defects occurring in the original technological concept to be removed.

One way to ensure the required technical characteristics of castings is the strict control of production parameters affecting the quality of the finished products. If the production process is improperly configured, the resulting defects in castings lead to huge losses. Therefore, from the point of view of economics, it is advisable to use the methods of computational intelligence in the field of quality assurance and adjustment of parameters of future production. At the same time, the development of knowledge in the field of metallurgy, aimed to raise the technical level and efficiency of the manufacture of foundry products, should be followed by the development of information systems to support production processes in order to improve their effectiveness and compliance with the increasingly more stringent requirements of ergonomics, occupational safety, environmental protection and quality. This article is a presentation of artificial intelligence methods used in practical applications related to quality assurance. The problem of control of the production process involves the use of tools such as the induction of decision trees, fuzzy logic, rough set theory, artificial neural networks or case-based reasoning.

During the processes of copper production, post-reaction slags are formed and must be transported to storage sites as waste. The working conditions of the slag ladles are extreme, incl. due to the high reactivity of copper slag and the cyclicality of the operation of the slag ladles. The material of the vat walls is exposed to intense factors: chemical in the form of a liquid phase and temperature in the form of high gradients (thermal shocks). Which leads to a reduction in the campaign length of a single vat. The paper discusses the issues related to the operation of smelting slag pots depending on the insulating material. The aim of the work is to analyze the thermal interactions during the filling of the pots. The conclusions from the presented research are a proposal of actions aimed at extending the working time of the slag pots between repairs related to operation, as well as in terms of the total working time. The analyzes of thermal decomposition on the external and internal surfaces of slag pots with "artificially compressed" calcium milk Ca(OH)2 on the entire surface of the slag pots, which were carried out in the presented work, gave very similar results as during the modeling of steel slag pot. The use of a heat-resistant concrete layer at the bottom of the pots significantly reduces the damage zone and extends the working time.