subject: Die Casting Process - History And Advantages [print this page] Aluminium die casting came into being in the 18th Century. It was originally created to produce movable parts for the printing industry. An automated type casting device called the Linotype machine was created by a man named Otto Mergenthaler in 1885. This became popular equipment used in the printing and publishing industry. Die casting led to the creation of other designs and applications used to create products of different kinds to ease the growth and demand of consumer goods. This gave way to the mass production of aluminium goods. The year 1892 saw the mass production of phonographs and cash registers. These parts were mainly made out of tin and lead.
Developments and newer applications gave way to using metals like aluminium, zinc, magnesium and copper. Today, one can find a number of aluminium die casting companies the die casting process can be used to accommodate products of various shapes and sizes.
Aluminium die casting are made by injecting molten metal with considerable force into a steel mould called a die. The sizes of the die casting machines can be anywhere between 400 and 4000 tonnes. There are two methods used to inject the molten metal. The methods are the hot and cold chambers. Hot chamber machines are also known as goosenecks. A pool of molten metal is used fill the gooseneck and then the metal is injected into the die using a hydraulic piston.
Cold Chambers are used when it comes to die casting metals like aluminium, magnesium, zinc and copper. Then a certain amount of molten metal is poured into a cold chamber and is injected into the die. This process is slower than the hot chamber process.
There are reasons why aluminium is preferred than other metals when it comes to the process of die casting.
It is lightweight, and at the same time has the appropriate amount of weight and stability
It has good resistance against corrosion
It has thermal and electrical conductivity
It can maintain its strength even at high temperatures
There are many reasons why aluminium die casting products and companies are popular.
Fast production: Die casting provides complex shapes with dimensional accuracy and stability. Little or no machining is required to create dozens of identical castings. The products are durable, resistant to heat and long lasting.
Strength and weight: Plastic moulded products do not have the same weight and strength that die cast parts do. Thin wall castings made from aluminium are stronger and lighter than those possible with other casting methods.
Easy Surface preparation: Die cast parts are plated quite easily and they require minimum surface preparation. They can also be produced with smooth or textured surfaces.
Aluminium die casting companies have to follow strict quality control procedures to make sure their products reach popular standards of excellence. Thanks to these reasons, companies can make more than 500 million in producing and selling aluminium products.
