What Is Aluminum Die Casting- How Is It Made

THE DEFITION OF ALUMINUM DIE CASTING

ALUMINUM DIE CASTING IS:

A good way to manufacture precise aluminum casting parts
Involves forcing molten aluminum into a hollow cavity under high pressure
High production capacity due to faster casting cycles
Very economical for large-volume production

ALUMINUM DIE CAST PARTS HAVE:

High corrosion resistance
Lightweight
High electrical and thermal conductivity
Good mechanical strength

Due to these alluring properties, it has become a widely adopted manufacturing process all over the world. This article is about the basic introduction to the aluminum die-cast process.

WHAT IS THE ALUMINUM DIE CAST PROCESS?

We have classified the aluminum die cast process into the following steps for your easier understanding.

6 STEPS IF ALUMINUM DIE CAST PROCESS:

1. Melting Alloy
2. Die Preparation
3. Injection
4. Solidification
5. Ejection
6. Trimming/Machining

Firstly, we melt the aluminum alloy in a crucible. During the process, we maintain a specific temperature depending on the type of alloy used. Additionally, we may use additives to improve raw material quality and reduce the chances of casting defects.

Then we thoroughly clean and lubricate the dies with a sprayer mechanism. After that, the die halves will form a cavity upon clamping. A ladle is then used to carry the molten metal from the crucible and poured into the die casting machine’s shot sleeve.

Then the molten aluminum is poured into the mold cavity under high pressure. The pressure is maintained until the casting has cooled down and solidified. When it is solid, the moving & fixed die will open and the ejecting system will eject the casting out.

However, there will be excess metal attached to the casting. We remove the extra portions using a trim die. The casting may also go through additional machining to incorporate features that were not possible or difficult with die casting.

ADVANTAGES OF ALUMINUM DIE CAST

Aluminum has many advantages. It is multiple times lighter than zinc and iron. Still, some aluminum alloy has a very good strength-to-weight ratio. Moreover, End-users always gives preference to portability and lightweight of products. So, aluminum has replaced the use of other heavier metals in many products.

Aluminum also has excellent material properties that are useful in many applications. The manufacturing process is faster and more economical than most other methods. So, suppliers all around the world have adopted the process.

Here are the main advantages of aluminum alloy die casting:

Rapid Production Rate
Good Strength-to-Weight Ratio
Excellent Dimensional Accuracy
Lightweight Parts
Excellent Corrosion Resistance
Great Electrical and Thermal Conductivity
Can Operate in High Temperatures
Easily form Intricate Details
Extended Tool Lifetime
Smooth Surface Finish
Can be recycled

DIE CASTING ALUMINUM ALLOYS

Aluminum is alloyed with other elements to modify its material properties to suit a specific application. But not every Al alloys is suitable for die casting. The following features can characterize casting aluminum alloys.

High Fluidity
Low Melting Temperature
Good Machinability
High Dimensional Stability
Relatively Low Solidification Shrinkage

There are multiple casting aluminum alloys in existence right now. But each has a different percentage of alloying ingredients, which makes it suitable for a specific application. For example, having a more significant percentage of magnesium will make the parts lighter. However, the alloying elements can also compromise certain features of aluminum.

Some of the popular metal aluminum alloys include,

A360
A380
A383
A413
K-Alloy

Here, A380 is the most commonly used aluminum alloy for diecast. Because it has a good balance of material properties. However, other alloys may excel in certain characteristics. For instance, A360 has better corrosion resistance, and A413 has better fluidity than other aluminum alloys.

ALUMINIUM DIE CAST APPLICATION

Almost all the major industries have applications for aluminum castings. The aerospace and automotive industry, in particular, has a special preference for aluminum parts due to their lightweight. Different industries have varying standards for the type of aluminum alloy used. Some noteworthy applications include, different aluminum die casting components

A typical industrial application of aluminum casting parts would be an engine component or appliance housing. Numerous end-user products such as cookware, phones, laptops, gadgets, etc.