Overview

What Is Aluminum Die Casting?

Aluminum die casting is a manufacturing process for producing accurately dimensioned, sharply defined, smooth, or textured-surface aluminum parts through the use of reusable molds called dies. The aluminum die casting process involves the use of a furnace, aluminum alloy, die casting machine, and die. Dies that usually constructed with long-lasting, quality steel have at least two sections to permit removal of castings.

How are Aluminum Die Castings Made?

The aluminum casting dies that are created using hardened tool steel must be made in at least two sections so that castings can be removed. The aluminum die casting process is capable of producing tens of thousands of aluminum castings in quick succession. The dies are firmly mounted in the die casting machine. The fixed half die is stationary. The other one, injector die half, is movable. Aluminum casting dies can be simple or complicated, with movable slides, cores, or other parts, depending on the complexity of the casting.

To begin the die casting process, the two die halves are clamped together by casting machine. High-temperature liquid aluminum alloy is injected into the die cavity and rapidly solidified. Then the movable die half is opened and the aluminum casting is ejected.

To date, the complete cycle of aluminum die casting has been the fastest cycle to produce precision aluminum parts. This is in stark contrast to sand casting, which requires new sand molds for each casting. Although the permanent mold process uses iron or steel molds instead of sand, it is much slower and less precise than aluminum die castings.