## 1 Introduction  
The application of high-pressure die casting (HPDC) could enable mass production of cast alloy components with high dimensional accuracy and great efficiency. However, defects such as entrapped air, misrun and shrinkage cavity, etc. are commonly and randomly distributed in the HPDC components, which would deteriorate the mechanical properties [1, 2]. The design and layout of casting systems (sprue, ingate, overflow, cross trap and chill vent) as well as a suitable configuration of the process parameters are vital factors in influencing the melt flow characteristics and solidification process during HPDC process [3, 4, 5]. Properly configured casting systems plus optimal process parameters could lead to good die casting microstructures and high mechanical properties. [PERSON] et al. found that ADC12 die castings could have better mechanical properties with more even distribution and smaller porosity in conditions with the same level of gas entrapment [6]. [PERSON] et al. found that the slow-shot speed could significantly influence the distribution of primary silicon particles and porosity [7]. [PERSON] et al. studied the effects of process parameters on the injection chamber pre-crystallization and the flow of molten metal [8]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] studied the fluidity of alloys under HPDC conditions, and a large amount of pre-solidified dendrites were collected in the runner adjacent to the ingate [9].  
The application of numerical simulations has become a trend in casting industries due to its great efficiency and reliability. Based on numerical simulations, the influence of process parameters on melt flow, solidification and defect formation in an HPDC process,which cannot be easily observed during actual practice, could be obtained. [PERSON] et al. used thermomechanical simulations to predict the final dimensions of a component manufactured in an aluminum alloy by HPDC [10]. [PERSON] optimized the gate and runner design of an automobile part according to the filling simulation results using the software Any-Casting [11]. [PERSON] et al. predicted the grain structure of cast aluminum alloys in an HPDC process using an integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) approach [12].  
A comprehensive application of die-casting experiments and computer-aided engineering (CAE) would be helpful in studying the characteristics of die-casting processes. In this way, a direct link between the casting system design, the process conditions and the casting quality could be established, which is practical, economical and efficient for HPDC processes. [PERSON] et al. investigated the filling condition and the porosity formation in HPDC processes by direct observation and based on a numerical simulation [13]. [PERSON] et al. investigated the influence of in-cavity pressure on the porosity formation of A380 alloy during an HPDC process [14]. [PERSON] et al. studied the influence of piston slow-shot profiles on the mechanical properties of an A356 aluminum alloy based on a small number of experiments and numerical simulation [15]. [PERSON] et al. used 3D reconstruction methods to study the processing, microstructure and properties correlation of an HPDC AZ91D alloy [16]. [PERSON] et al. studied the macro porosity formation in an HPDC process by means of experiment and simulation, which could help avoid macro porosity-related quality issues in manufacturing [17].  
In this work, the influence of HPDC process parameters on melt filling and feeding capacity were investigated. It comprehensively adopted the numerical simulation and the orthogonal experiment methods without applying a large number of experiments. It would be beneficial for evaluating and optimizing the process parameters.