Precision die casting creates accurate metal parts. Molten metal is injected into reusable molds. This produces detailed and consistent parts. It offers tight tolerances and smooth finishes. It’s ideal for high-volume manufacturing. Precision die-casting services include creating pieces that are extremely close to the desired dimensions and quality with minimal deviation. The manufacturers use dies of specific shapes where they charge the molten metal, apply pressure force, and leave it to cool. Then, they open the die halves and remove the finished or semi-finished part.
Core Precision Die Casting Services
1. High-Pressure Die Casting (HPDC)
High-pressure die casting allows the diecaster to rapidly create large quantities of parts, adding qualitative features. They apply high pressure to inject the melted metal into a steel mold, which is called a die. If the mold is made from P20 tool steel, it means it offers tensile strength of 965–1,030 MPa. Basically, these molds are often 3 times stronger than those of die-cast aluminum alloys like A380. This alloy has 324 MPa tensile strength.
High-Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) Material Comparison
| Material | Draghållfasthet (MPa) | Densitet (g/cm³) |
|---|---|---|
| P20 Tool Steel | 965-1,030 | 7.8-8.0 |
| A380 Aluminiumlegering | 324 | 2.71 |
Process Details:
Den diecasters maintain mold temperatures between 185°C and 200°C. This temperature flows the metal in the mold appropriately and ensures optimal solidification. Then, they inject the molten metal swiftly within 10 to 100 milliseconds, forcing it with pressures ranging from 1,500 to 25,400 psi. You must maintain all the necessary parameters to fill the mold completely, preventing premature solidification. Also, this way, you will get high-quality casting with superior finishes and mechanical properties.
Design Guidelines
Good design is very important for die casting. It helps make strong and useful parts.
Fillets and Radii:
Sharp corners are weak spots. They can crack easily. Rounded corners, called fillets and radii, are much stronger. A small curve of at least 1mm is good. Bigger curves are even better. Curves help the melted metal flow smoothly. They also make the mold last longer. The parts also come out of the mold easier.
Väggens tjocklek:
The thickness of the walls of the part is important. It needs to be the same everywhere. If some parts are thick and others are thin, the metal cools unevenly. This can make holes inside the part. It can also make the part bend or change shape. Walls should be between 0.8mm and 5mm thick. This depends on what the part is made of and how big it is. Even thickness helps the metal flow well. It also makes the part strong.
Quality Improvement Techniques:
There are ways to make die-cast parts even better and last longer.
Heat Treatment and Die Coatings:
Heat treatment is like baking the metal. It makes it stronger and harder. Special coatings can be put on the mold. These coatings protect the mold from damage. They also stop the melted metal from sticking to the mold. This makes the mold last longer and makes better parts.
Common Challenges and Solutions:
Sometimes there are problems with die casting. There are ways to fix these problems.
Mold Maintenance:
The mold needs to be cleaned and taken care of. This is very important. Cleaning removes bits of metal and dirt. Special sprays help the parts come out easily. The mold needs to be checked for damage like scratches or cracks. If the mold is damaged, it needs to be fixed. Good vents and cooling inside the mold are important too. They help make parts quickly and without mistakes.
Design Guidelines for Precision Die Casting
| Hänsyn till design | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Fillet and Radius | ≥ 1 mm |
| Väggens tjocklek | 0.8-5 mm |
| Draft Angle | 1-5° |
Advantages of HPDC:
- HPDC really delivers the best results with rapid production rates.
- It can create complex parts without increasing the component’s weight.
- High-pressure applications contain optimal mechanical properties, which are important for demanding applications.
- You can make parts with thin wall capability with a possibility of 0.40 mm, contributing to weight reduction.
Aluminum Alloy Die Casting:
Aluminum alloys are rich in strength-to-weight ratio and can protect parts from rust or corrosion. This is why manufacturers prefer this metal to improve durability and meet the versatile demand across industries.
Läs också: High Strength Aluminum Die Casting Alloys
Aluminum Alloy Properties
| Legering | Draghållfasthet (MPa) | Densitet (g/cm³) | Smältpunkt (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A380 | 324 | 2.71 | 503-563 |
| A356 | 30,000-40,000 psi | 2.68 | 540-595 |
Why Aluminum Alloys Excel:
- Aluminum removes excessive heat in parts like engine blocks and electrical housings.
- The automotive and aerospace industries highly use aluminum because of its lower weight and sufficient strength with a density of 2.7 g/cm³.
- It produces a natural oxide layer shield when the part faces oxygen toxicity.
Common Aluminum Alloys:
- A380: This alloy offers a balance between durability in parts and lightweight attributes (2.71 g/cm³). It also perfectly controls temperature effects up to 250 °C. The material melts very well and flows in the mold smoothly, maintaining the pressure tightness. That is why companies use it to make their intricate designs and industrial parts.
- A356: The material has the mix attributes of 7% silicon and 0.3% magnesium as the manufacturers combine it with them. Due to this, the metal becomes stronger and bears harsh welding. It also handles significant mechanical stress during the intended use of parts with tensile strength ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 psi.
Other Metal Alloys:
Beside the prevalent aluminum material, manufacturers use other metals in die casting because of their unique properties for particular applications.
Other Metal Alloy Properties
| Legering | Draghållfasthet (MPa) | Densitet (g/cm³) | Smältpunkt (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium Alloy | 20,000-34,000 psi | 1.74 | 450-650 |
| Zinklegering | 25,000-40,000 psi | 6.6-7.0 | 380-420 |
| Copper-Based Alloy | 40,000-60,000 psi | 8.5-9.0 | 900-1,000 |
Magnesiumlegeringar
Speaking of magnesium alloys, it is surprisingly lighter than aluminum, maybe around 33%. The density of this metal is 1.74 g/cm³. The maximum amount of stress it can withhold is approximately 20,000 to 34,000 psi. Magnesium is also good at maintaining the structural sounders under stress for lightweight automotive and electronic parts.
Zinklegeringar
If you want to make parts that can retain their precise shapes and sizes over time, zinc alloys are an option. You can make intricate designs that are usually not precise but function appropriately. This material can achieve tight tolerances suitable for CNC, such as ±0.001 inches (±0.025 mm). It is utilized in items like gears, connectors, and precision components.
Copper-Based Alloys
Copper-based alloys like brass have a good ability to transfer heat from one part to another (up to 401 W/m·K). It can easily pass electricity through a substance as it has electrical conductivity (approximately 56% of the International Annealed Copper Standard). So this is why this material can be used for making plumbing fixtures and overall electrical connectors.
2. Precision CNC Machining
Computer numerical control CNC machines are the most popular setups. In which the operator pre programmed the settings and installs software. This programming and software tell the machine what to do at the right step to complete the manufacturing task.
Role in Die Casting:
You can combine your die casting process with CNC machining after initial steps. It can help you with making products consisting of many interconnected parts. This integration adds tight tolerance features in parts typically ±0.005 inches (±0.127 mm) in metals and ±0.01 inches (±0.254 mm) in plastic. Plus, it makes smooth surfaces in parts with the probability of Ra 1–2 micrometers.
How CNC Works:
Let’s see how it works. Operators usually set software-controlled operations like milling, drilling, and tapping.
For instance, milling removes material in order to produce flat surfaces, slots, or tough 3D designs neatly. The speed of milling ranges from 500 to 20,000 RPM but can totally depend on material too.
If your part design includes holes, then CNC tools drill them with diameters as small as 0.1 mm. They use controlled feed rates of 50 and up to 3000 mm/min.
Make threads into those drill holes via the tapping step in CNC. It accommodates fasteners or bolts with thread pitches as fine as 0.5 mm.
3. Custom Metal Fabrication
Custom metal fabrication includes various steps to further increase the part’s capabilities. These processes, like welding and bending, assemble different parts of products, making them workable.
The technician usually sets temperatures ranging from 1,500°C to 2,500°C to weld the metal parts. This is a perfect solution for making joints of several parts, reliably increasing strength by up to 70,000 psi.
During the bending process, press brakes and bend the parts, applying forces of up to 200 tons. This process can convert the flat metal into different shapes, and the handle material thickens from 0.5 mm to 20 mm.
Key Aspects of Precision Die Casting
1. Tool Design
Tooling systems in die casting totally lie on their design basis. They are a vital part of the die and can affect product profiles. Proper selection of tool design allows you to make the product more functional and into exact shapes and features.
Tool Design Considerations
| Hänsyn till design | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Val av material | H13 Tool Steel or equivalent |
| Cooling Channel Design | Even distribution, 200°C temperature |
| Gate and Runner Design | 0.5-2 mm thickness, optimized flow control |
Key Considerations:
Materialval:
The manufacturer uses high-quality and more robust material to make dies for metal so that they can resist heat up to 700 °C and pressures over 20,000 psi without deforming. Their preferred option generally ends at steel H13 or other heat-resistant alloys.
Cooling Channel Design:
Cooling channels spread away the heat from the dies in case the part becomes solid. Distribute these channels evenly around the mold and maintain a temperature of around 200°C. This will prevent your part from breaking and cracking during ejection.
Gate and Runner Design:
The diecasters use gate and runner systems in dies to flow the molten better as they control their movement. Adding needed features to the design will cause any trouble during the flow process and reduce defects. For accurate flow control, you can begin with gate dimensions that range from 0.5 mm to 2 mm in thickness.
Ejection System Design:
During the removal process, the ejection mechanism and ejector pins are useful tools. They help you in removing the finished part securely. You can place them inside dies in spare or extra areas without messing with design features.
Technology in Tool Design
You can make 3D models of dies to see how they will work and detect early effects of their failures or several turbulences like metal flow, cooling, and stress. In particular, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools are most popular. CAD software will give an accuracy of up to ±0.01 mm, while CAE offers a success rate of over 95% and will let you know the design flaws in advance.
2. Quality Assurance
Every industry demands quality from its manufacturers to maintain its reputation or consistency in products. In precision die casting services, from raw materials to final inspections, this cannot be neglected.
Common Methods:
- Check the dimensions of the finished parts. For this, several measuring tools come on the market to inspect tolerances within ±0.01 mm.
- By properly doing the visual inspection process, check the surface of the parts and see if there are any cracks, breakage, or scratches to fix them.
- Destructive types of testing include the samples checking if they work under demanded conditions or not, like their mechanical attributes such as tensile strength.
Standards and Certifications:
Following the proper manufacturing regulations and providing the right and consistent quality product is important. Adopt industry standards like ISO 9001 in your processing to ensure quality management systems.
3. Client Collaboration
Close collaboration between manufacturers and clients ensures successful outcomes. Discuss your design ideas and preferred dimensions of parts and their services for further clarity.
Also, this collaboration will allow the manufacturers to employ Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for casting, reducing costs and improving efficiency.
You can also ask them for later changes and customization offers, as Aludiecasting provides. As a result, all your efforts to do this have led to successful production and timely delivery.
Applications of Precision Die Casting Services
There are many industries where manufacturers use die-casting processes to make their exceptional parts. This process allows workers to get satisfactory results with remarkable consistency and precise parts in a cost-effective way.
Fordon:
You often see engine blocks, transmission cases, and alloy wheels in automotive vehicles or applications. These parts are the most highlighted places. They need to be designed with precision casting for durability and lightweight designs, reducing vehicle weight by up to 20%.
Aerospace:
With precision die-casting services, aircraft connectors and brackets benefit from tight tolerances (±0.05 mm) and high-strength features. The manufacturers can make parts with more or 40% higher fatigue resistance compared to alternatives.
Elektronik:
In electronic parts, heat sinks and several enclosures use die casting procedures to get thermal efficiency and conductivity up to 150 W/m·K. They use conductive or magnetic materials to shield gadgets and people from electromagnetic interference.
Konsumentvaror:
The handles and frames in consumer goods provide ease of use as well as intricate designs. Die-casting technologies make them strong and add the ability to resist any kind of rust that occurs over time. Their corrosion resistance exceeded 500 hours in salt spray tests.
Medicintekniska produkter:
The manufacturers use biocompatibility material to make surgical tool housings and imaging devices in die casting. That makes the parts sterilize and provides enough features for reliable performance.
Telecommunications:
Base station parts and antenna enclosure-like parts often remain or are exposed to outdoor environments. They constantly encounter harsh elements and stress. So tough materials make them stable and optimize their connectivity.
Slutsats:
Precision die casting services are necessary in all kinds of industries to give features in part that really enhance their ability and functional performances. Using advanced tools and assuring the demanded quality in parts prevents various part defects and custom problems. By wrapping, we ask you: Have you ever had to deal with application precision in your die casting projects? What was your experience?