Simulation tools have improved significantly and are now capable of accurately predicting mould filling behavior. The quality of prediction is highly dependent on material properties and set-up of boundary conditions for the simulation. In this work material properties were measured and casting conditions were analyzed to accurately replicate the casting process in simulation. The sensitivity of the predictions to minor process variations commonly found in foundries was evaluated by comparing simulation and cast samples. The observed discrepancies between simulation and cast samples were evaluated and discussed in terms of their dependency on process variations. It was concluded that the simulation set-up was capable of reasonable predictions and could replicate the asymmetry of the filling however did not accurately predict the absolute value of the unfilled area. It was discovered that asymmetric flow due to variations in the orientation of the casting mould during filling could have greater influence on the predictions than the actual variation in fill time. The quality of simulation is dependent on equipment and techniques used in the foundry as well as the metallurgical model to simulate the process. © 2017, The Author(s).