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The Process and Advantages of Die Cast Metal Products
Die casting is a metal casting process that involves forcing molten metal under high pressure into a steel mold or die to form parts of a desired shape. The process is commonly used for mass production of metal parts with complex geometries and thin walls that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve with other casting methods.
Die casting offers several advantages over other manufacturing techniques:
Precision and Accuracy: Die cast parts can be produced to tight tolerances with very smooth surface finishes and sharp details. Complex geometries with fine features can be cast accurately and consistently.
High Production Rate: Die casting is highly efficient for high volume production. Once the initial die tooling cost is paid off, thousands of castings can be manufactured quickly and cheaply. Automatic machines make the process fast.
Variety of Alloys: Many alloys can be die cast including zinc, aluminum, magnesium, copper and lead alloys. Each has different properties suitable for specific applications. Aluminum is one of the most commonly die cast alloys.
Strength and Weight Savings: Die cast parts can be made with thinner wall sections than sand cast or machined parts. This provides maximum strength for minimal weight.
Dimensional Stability: Die casting maintains excellent dimensional stability and accuracy during subsequent processing and performance. Parts require little or no machining after the casting is ejected.
Die Casting Process
The basic die casting process involves just four main steps:
1. The alloy is melted in the holding furnace and transported to the cold-chamber machine or injected directly into the hot-chamber machine.
2. The two halves of the die tool, made of tool steel, are closed and locked together. The opening is called the parting line.
3. Molten metal is injected into the die under high pressures of around 10 to 175 megapascals (1,500 to 25,000 psi).
4. The casting solidifies rapidly in the water-cooled die. The die halves are opened and the casting is automatically ejected by pins.
The casting cycle lasts just seconds and produces near net shape parts that require little finishing work. High initial tooling costs are offset by the high production rates and low per part costs.
Types of Die Casting
There are two main types of die casting machines - hot-chamber and cold-chamber. They differ in the way molten metal is injected into the dies.
- Hot-chamber die casting uses a permanent molten bath of metal. The injection cylinder is submerged in the metal bath and a gooseneck channel delivers metal directly into the die. It is fast and suited for alloys with low melting points like zinc and magnesium.
- Cold-chamber die casting has an external melting furnace. The injection cylinder forces the metal into unheated shot chambers that inject into the die. It can use higher melting point alloys like aluminum and copper.
Aluminum Die Casting
Aluminum is one of the most commonly die cast alloys because of its strength, light weight, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, ease of machining, and excellent finishing characteristics. Parts can be cast thin and precise with a good surface finish right out of the die.
Aluminum die casting is ideal for:
- Automotive parts like transmission housings, engines, wheels, cylinder heads.
- Consumer electronics like mobile phone and laptop housings and components.
- Appliances like washing machines, driers, stove parts.
- Industrial parts like gear boxes, pumps, valves, and machinery components.
Aluminum die casting alloys include:
- Silicon added for high fluidity during casting.
- Copper added for high strength and hardness.
- Magnesium added for better corrosion resistance.
- Zinc added for higher ductility and impact strength.
Die Casting Applications
Major industries using die cast parts include:
Automotive - Engine blocks, chassis parts, wheels, gear boxes, steering columns.
Aerospace - Aircraft landing gear, turbine blades, flight control parts.
Consumer Products - Enclosures for electronics, appliances, hand tools, sports equipment.
Industrial - Hydraulic components, medical equipment, robot parts, machinery components.
Business Machines - Business equipment housings, computer hardware.
Die casting produces solid metal parts suitable for a huge range of products. Almost any application that needs high volumes of precision metal parts can benefit from the die casting process.
Popular Aluminum Die Casting Companies
Many companies specialize in aluminum die casting services. They offer full services from design and tooling to final precision part production. Some leading aluminum die casting companies include:
- Shiloh Industries (www.shiloh.com) - With locations around the world, Shiloh offers aluminum die casting for the automotive and other industries.
- Ryobi Die Casting (www.ryobidiecasting.com) - North American die caster providing aluminum die cast parts to appliance and industrial markets.
- Alcast Company (www.alcastco.com) - Minnesota based company producing aluminum die castings for a variety of OEM customers.
- Aluminum Die Casting Company (www.aluminumdiecasting.com) - Custom aluminum die caster with customers in the electronics, automotive, and other industries.
- Cascade Die Casting Group (www.cascadediecast.com) - Offers aluminum die casting, tooling, finishing, and assembly from five US plants.
- Premier Die Casting (www.premierdiecasting.com) - California aluminum die caster providing cast products for aerospace, military, medical, and more.
- MES, Inc. (www.mesinc.com) - Pennsylvania based full-service aluminum die caster for high-precision components.
- Alcast Technologies (www.alcasttech.com) - Canadian company specializing in tooling, die casting, and finishing of aluminum components.
These leading die casters use state-of-the-art equipment to produce high quality, precision aluminum parts suitable for the most demanding applications. Their expertise in tooling design, casting, and finishing ensures top quality finished die cast products.
Conclusion
Die casting provides an efficient automated process to produce strong, lightweight, and durable aluminum parts with high dimensional accuracy and fine details. Aluminum's excellent properties and wide range of alloys allow it to be die cast into an array of components for the automotive, aerospace, electronics, industrial, and consumer products industries. Working with a professional aluminum die casting company provides access to the latest technology and expertise to deliver high performance die cast aluminum components. CNC Milling CNC Machining