Intro to manufacturing.

Section: 101
Project:

Die Casting

Mohammed M Alkhaldi 201801652

 Outline:

1. Introduction

2. Definition

3. Types

4. Process

5. Advantages and disadvantages

6. Conclusion

7. References
 Introduction

Development has been a continuous and spontaneous process that humanity will always rely
on to move to the next step in the stairs of life. We will always improve and aim higher in our
lives and hope for the best going forward, life has been much easier than it was hundreds of
years ago and even much different than how we used to live 20 years earlier in history.
Nowadays we can easily reach and buy your own customize products online where you can
choose the shape, size, and colors of whatever your mind desire as long as you are willing to pay
for it. You can contact many companies to build your own sit of tools to use for general
maintenance around your household, you can also buy improved replacement parts for your car.
Such as: pistons, control rods, crank shaft, cam shaft, even a whole new block for the engine and
you will find many different and countless offers that have huge price gaps even though they
might look identical. What makes one part more expensive than the other?

Production in general developed massively in resent decades new technology and scientific
research and discoveries allowed companies to have wider variety of ways to produce their
products that developed into its own system in the industry where it is called “ Manufacturing”.
That consists of many processes followed in the production lines figure-1 . Our main focus in
this report is about one of the processes called “Casting” specifically “Die-Casting”. What is it,
how it is done and why it is a preference in the production of many items? These will all be
answered and explained in this humble report.

figure-1 production line for engines following processes of manufacturing.

 Definition

To understand ”Die-Casting” we must understand “Casting” first. Casting is a manufacturing

process where molds play the majority of the process that is used to form the desirable shape and
dimensions of the product that we seek to produce. Molds have many types that differentiate in
their contribution and effects to the process. Then we choose the suitable and required material
that the product is made out of throughout a selection of many different elements and mixtures
that is suits the nature of the product to achieve reliability and efficiency. The chosen material is
then proceeded to be melted to a point that exceed the melting point of our material to achieve a
flow of poured material that will cool down after it took the shape of the mold to avoid lose of
material during the process, the temperature and the pouring rate are pre-calculated by
specializes engineers to fit the process. Solidification will be achieved forming the rough shape
of the product. Casting has many main types including “Sand Casting“ which is the most
common type of casting figure-2. and our topic “Die Casting” is another type of “casting.

figure-2 general step-by-step overview of “sand casting” process

 Die Casting

Although die casting and sand casting are from the same manufacturing process, but they are
different in their own process. Die casting operates using a permanent mold that inject the molten
material under high pressure to insure better finishing and detailed product figure-3. The name
die is referred to the permanent molds used in the process which is identified as “dies”. The high
quantity of applied pressure in this process 1,450-30,500 psi is what distinguish die casting from
any other casting processes as other processes use permanent molds.

Figure-3 the injection of molten material into the die mold with pressure applied from the piston.
 Die Casting Process

1- Creation of the mold:

The first step of die casting, molds in die casting are usually made of aluminum or steel where
it cavities is formed using a specialized pattern to form the shape and the dimensions of the
cavities to form the desired shape of the product. Layer of thin heat resistance material such as
clay or sodium silicate. To prevent and damage of the mold and also ensure better surface finish
to the poured molten metals that fill up the dies. Figure-4

Figure-4 diagram of the inside of die casting mold.

 2- Injection of material:

In this step our selected material is melted and prepared to be injected into the mold, then
coats of lubricants must be sprayed covering the cavities to prevent sticking. then the molten
metal is poured into the shot sleeve to ensure direct and equal shot of the material into the
cavities to apply higher amount of pressure. Figure-5

Figure-5 animated process of injection molten metals in die casting

 3- Solidification of product:

The die cast machine continues to hold the die halves together at its rated tonnage during
the solidification phase. Die cast dies are water or oil cooled to remove heat from the molten
aluminum during solidification. The machine also maintains intensification pressure to
minimize shrink porosity as the aluminum solidifies. After a prescribed amount of time
(where the casting has sufficiently solidified and cooled), the die opens the ejector or moving
half of the die.

Once the machine is fully open, the die cast ejection is triggered. Die cast dies have ejector
pins through the part cavity. These pins are mounted in an ejector plate on the back of the die
cast tool. This plate is actuated by hydraulics on the die cast machine.
Once ejection has moved fully forward, castings are removed by an automated machine or 6
axis robots. This device then takes the die casting to cooling equipment where the part is
taken to a temperature suitable for subsequent operations.
This cooling can be achieved with fan driven air cooling or the parts can be water quenched.
Quenching reduces casting temperature more rapidly, but the process must be controlled to
prevent part distortion.

Advantages of die casting

As any other process, die casting have advantages and disadvantages. Which characterizes the
process and give it unique approach in the industry.

The main advantages in die casting are:

1) Good accuracy and surface finish, products produced by die casting process tend to
have higher accuracy and detailed finish with higher dimensional accuracy caused by
the strong permanent molds and the higher amount of pressure involved in the
process.
2) Strong casting, die casting cools its products in the solidification phase in a rapid rate
which create smaller grain size which increase the strength meaning die casting
products have better mechanical proprieties than other casting processes.
 Disadvantages of die casting

As die casting have unique and special pros there is also cons to die casting process which make
it not suitable for producing all kinds of products.

The main disadvantages of die casting are:

1) Restricted, die casting is a restricted process that can only preformed on low melting
point material as the mold is made of steel and aluminum which cannot resist high
temperatures because it will affect the shape of the mold.
2) Expensive, die casting is expensive process because it required steel and aluminum to
produce the mold which consist of detailed parts. This makes die casting only suitable for
mass production which will make the process cheap as it will produces hundreds and
thousands of products with the same mold.

Conclusion

Die casting is part of casting process that is a main part of manufacturing processes. Die
casting process require steel permanent mold that rely on heavy pressured injection to form its
product. Which gives its product strength and accurate dimensions that makes die casting a go to
option for mass production companies that are looking for a cost efficient and a product line
process which they can rely on to achieve the highest amount of profit and high-quality products.
 References

 Solidification processes and fundamentals of metal casting chapter, (2019) Dr. Fraj

Alshamiri.

 Sand Casting - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (2012). ScienceDirect.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/sand-casting

 Die Casting. (2021). Efunda.

https://www.efunda.com/processes/metal_processing/die_casting.cfm

 Silbitz Group: Ausbildung erfolgreich abgeschlossen – Berufsstart geglückt. (2021,

March 23). Youcast. https://www.powerguss.de/was-ist-giessen/druckguss/

 The Basic Aluminum Casting Company. (2021). High Pressure Die Casting | Basic

Aluminum Die Casting Process. https://basicaluminum.com/die-casting-process/process-

description/#:%7E:text=Solidification%20Phase&text=Die%20cast%20dies%20are

%20water,porosity%20as%20the%20aluminum%20solidifies.