What Is Aluminum Die Casting? The process of aluminum die-casting involves liquefying an aluminum alloy and forcing the molten metal into a die at high pressure. The die is a steel mold in the shape of the part you are trying to make. Once the metal is solidified, we remove the casting shot from the mold and prepare it to make the next unit. One of the big advantages of this type of metal manufacturing process is the speed with which we can prepare the machine for the next unit, which can be under a minute. This allows us to generate very high production runs. What Are Permanent Mold Casting and Sand Casting? Permanent mold castings are very similar to sand castings, with the main difference being the type of material you use to make the mold. A permanent mold is made from steel or cast iron and you can have multiple cavities for making parts, which could be important since this mold is designed to be reusable. These molds can only be used with non-ferrous metals. Sand mold castings have a similar idea, except the mold is made from a sand mixture, which is broken away when the process is complete to reveal the cast part. The sand is then recycled and reused for more casting molds. While tooling costs for this type of casting are very low, it also takes a long time to set up again, so it is not ideal for short timeframes or large production runs. Should I Use Aluminum Die Casting or Permanent Mold Casting/Sand Casting? There are several advantages to using aluminum die casting over permanent mold casting or sand casting. With die casting, you get great dimensional tolerance and little post-machining. Aluminum dies casting is ideal for high volume production runs, as you can produce many parts very quickly with terrific part consistency. You can also make parts with thinner walls and smoother surfaces.
In most cases, companies that need a steady stream of very specific parts will opt for aluminum die casting. The greatest expense in aluminum die casting is the manufacture of the die itself. But once we have manufactured the die, producing many durable, complex parts in a short amount of time is relatively easy and low-cost as compared to sand or permanent mold processes. In summary, sand casting features to low too cost quick tool development, rough ad cast finish selective alloys, unlimited in size & weight, heat treatable and generally low volume. High tool cost, long tool development, best as-cast finish, few alloys, small/light part size & weight, not heat treatable and generally hight volume. These parts have a nice “shell” but have a porous center, which makes them brittle as compared to other casting methods. CASTING METHODS TO CONSIDER
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