subject: What Makes Superior Aluminum Castings? [print this page] You may have considered using aluminum castings for a tool or part of your latest project. While it is possible to perform this process at home, there are some advantages that are commonly offered by the professionals. If you are intending to fully rely on this part for something important like medical equipment, food processing or the safety of your auto or aircraft depends on it, please consider these common differences between the DIY product and the professional.
More Control of Heating and Cooling
Aluminum is a popular metal for many types of casting due to its low melting point and density. If you are intending to work with metal at home, you will need the proper tools to heat metal to its melting point as well as to move and pour that hot liquid from the container it was melted in into the mold you have created. A lab is more likely to have these tools as well as the ability to fine tune the heating and cooling of the mixture.
Quality of Mold
Sand molds are known for their rough edges, but professional casters will be able to create a mold with such a smooth finish it will look like it is die cast. Besides being able to produce a clean finish, they can also create molds quickly and efficiently, saving you money in the long run. If you want a more permanent type of mold, the professionals will be able to provide such a mold and probably already have a wide variety of molds to choose from.
Certification
If you are creating aluminum castings for your personal or home use, or just for your latest Rube Goldberg machine, go ahead and see what you can come up with through experimenting on your own. But if you are looking for something official, you will need to meet certain specifications. Professionals can guarantee their work and are familiar with the certification process in order to produce high quality materials for food processing, medical equipment, air craft parts and other things. You can gain peace of mind by letting them handle the weightier matters.
In the end of course, the choice is up to you. Creating molds and working with melted metal can be an exciting experience. But it will take a lot of experience and experimenting in order to be able to do things as quickly and efficiently as those who dedicate their careers to such endeavors.
