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What is Die Casting

What is Die Casting

Die casting is the manufacturing process of choice when producing high volumes of relatively complex metal parts and is widely used due to its versatility, reliability, and accuracy. Die casting eliminates all or most secondary operations needed to make a metal part; however, post-machining is common to meet tighter critical-to-function tolerances. Die casted parts can also be post-processed in any finish their respective CNC machined counterparts can.

Like injection molding , die casting requires the fabrication of a mold tool–called a die–that can have one or multiple cavities. The process works for softer alloys, including aluminum and zinc alloys, due to their relatively lower melting temperature. Die casting works by injecting molten metal into a die cavity, which takes the shape of the part and hardens into place before removal. Depending on the project scope, die casting can be low- or high-pressure, using a ladle or plunger to deposit metal. Die casting can produce highly complex, tight-tolerance parts in a repeatable manner at very high production volumes. Modern die casting methods such as squeeze casting and semi-solid metal casting produce high-quality parts for nearly every industry. Die casting companies will often specialize in casting aluminum or zinc, with aluminum making up roughly 80% of die cast parts.

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Accuro Rapid Offers Die Casting Services

Accuro Rapid partners with die casters utilizing the latest die casting machines and technologies to provide high-quality, on-demand parts for a wide range of industries. Our products focus on two main types of die casting: hot chamber casting and cold chamber casting. Both types can produce parts with complex geometries, precise tolerances, and robust mechanical properties.

Hot Chamber Die Casting

Also known as gooseneck casting, hot chamber die casting is the most popular die casting process. It is best suited for low-melting-point alloys such as zinc, magnesium, and lead. A holding vessel is filled with metal and heated using hot chamber die casting until it melts in a connected or built-in furnace. A feature of the hot chamber system, known as the gooseneck tube, is the formation of a holding chamber within the vessel and a nozzle-like channel that connects to the injection cavity in the fixed half of the mold.

A plunger located above the chamber allows molten metal to be filled from the holding vessel. As the chamber is loaded, the plunger descends, forcing the molten material along the gooseneck tube into the mold cavity. As the metal cools and solidifies in the mold, the mold is held together under pressure. Once the metal has cooled sufficiently, the mold opens, and the casting is ejected by an ejector pin.

Accuro Rapid Offers Die Casting Services Accuro Rapid Offers Die Casting Services

Cold Chamber Die Casting

Cold chamber die casting employs a process where the chamber is maintained at room temperature, without a heat-insulating vessel for the molten metal. The metal is melted in a separate furnace and manually deposited into the shot-peening chamber through a gating hole using a ladle.

In cold chamber die casting, the mold is directly connected to the injection chamber, eliminating the use of a plunger system. Instead, a punch forces the molten metal into the mold and maintains high pressure as the metal solidifies. This type of die casting is suitable for materials with relatively high melting temperatures, such as aluminum.

Advantages of Die casting

Advantages of Die casting

Complex Geometry

Complex Geometry

Die casting can reliably produce custom die cast parts with thin walls and challenging geometry that is durable and dimensionally stable.

Strength

Strength

Metal die castings are typically stronger than plastic injection molded parts and more resistant to high temperatures. Metals such as aluminum offer exceptional strength-to-weight ratios.

Precision

Precision

Die casting offers typical tolerances ranging from +/-0.003″ – 0.005″ per inch but can go as tight as +/- .001” depending on your specifications, part geometry, and material.

Precision

Precision

Metal finishers can produce cast parts with smooth or textured surfaces, paints, and plating finishes. Finishes can protect from corrosion and improve cosmetic appearance.

Metal Materials for Die Cast Parts

Several different metal materials are available to choose from when manufacturing using die casting. The material you choose will depend on your intended use for the product. For instance, cast aluminum parts are common in aerospace or automotive applications where corrosion resistance and weight reduction are essential factors. You can learn more about the main types of die casting materials we offer in the sections below. If you have a specific material request, just let us know!

Die Casting Materials
Aluminum
Zinc

Aluminum

Aluminum alloys are the most widely used for die cast parts. Aluminum die casting suppliers benefit from the total recyclability of the material and its ease of use. Due to the comparatively higher melting point, aluminum die casting may require a cold chamber casting process. Engineers use cast aluminum parts primarily for their great strength to weight ratios, dimensional stability, and diverse finishing options.

Zinc

Zinc is the easiest to cast material among the die casting metals and is typically used in hot chamber processes. Molten zinc has exceptional casting fluidity and a lower melting point. Its strength and stiffness allow it to produce parts with thinner walls and highly detailed features and maintain tight tolerances. The low melting point of die casting zinc alloys means the zinc die cast components cool off and solidify more quickly, which results in the fastest production rates of the die casting materials.

Aluminum
Zinc
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