Die Casting
Die castings are produced by injecting melted metal into a hardened metal mold, called a die. Die castings have the advantage of being able to rapidly create thin wall complex shapes with high accuracy. However, they are limited to low melting point allows as high melting point alloys would damage the die. Once removed from the die, die castings require only very little secondary operations and while the process is expensive, cost savings can be attained if a large number of castings are produced at once. Die cast parts are generally between 1 – 20 pounds but sometimes are as heavy as 50 lbs. Examples include door handles, hood ornaments, and lamp bases.
Materials that are predominantly used in die-casting include aluminum, zinc, and copper. Pure aluminum is rarely cast by itself, however when combined with silicon and copper, the result increases melt fluidity and hardness and reduces machinability and ductility. Due to its high melt fluidity, zinc can be made with thinner walls than aluminum. Aluminum of 4% is alloyed with zinc to add strength and hardness. Zinc alloys are mainly used for the production of parts such as gears, sprockets, and connector housings.
| ADVANTAGES |
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DISADVANTAGES |
•Complex Shapes Possible
•Thin Wall Section Possible
•High Production Rates
•High Dimensional Accuracy
•Minimum surface Treatment Prior to Plating
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•Castings Generally Limited to 20 lbs. or less
•Voids & Porosity is Possible in Complex Shapes
•Expensive Machinery & Dies
•Limited to Metals with Low Melting Points |
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