Aluminum is a versatile metal that you can cast using any of the casting processes available. Casting aluminum well depends on the aluminum alloys, what your goal is, and which technique you use.
The casting technique you choose, such as die casting or sand casting, depends on the dimensions and design of the aluminum part you want to create. Other factors that determine which technique you use are cost, feasibility, and quality.
We’ve listed five different techniques for casting aluminum. Use this information to help you determine which is the best option for your machines.
Die Casting
Die casting is one of the most common types of aluminum casting technique. That’s because we can use this technique to make a high volume of uniform aluminum parts. It involves injecting the molten aluminum into a metal mold under high pressure.
By using quick injection and solidification, die-cast aluminum is dense with a fine grain surface. Die casting is an excellent technique if you need many aluminum parts with the same wall thickness.
Sand Casting
While sand casting is slower than die casting, it’s the most versatile casting technique. You can create almost any pattern you need with different kinds of sands. This is the reason sand casting is ideal for making small quantities of intricately designed parts. If you or your worker notices a complicated part has broken, sand casting is the way to go.
If you need to create a cavity in your aluminum cast, sand casting is the best option for you. You can create a sand core to give your cavity the shape you need.
Plaster Casting
Plaster is the most insulating material used in casting aluminum. This means the cooling time for a cast is longer than other techniques. However, you can use the plaster to create thin walls for your cast.
Plaster molds are also highly reproducible, which is excellent if you need several casts with exact details.
Investment Casting
Investment casting is a mix of plaster casting and patterns of wax. It’s useful for getting the thinnest walls on your cast, which can be as little as 0.40 mm.
Because internal porosity is a problem with investment casting, it’s often used to create precision instruments or jewelry parts.
Permanent Mold Casting
Permanent mold casting is also known as gravity die casting. The molten aluminum is gravity-fed and undergoes rapid solidification. Sometimes we apply a vacuum to the permanent mold, instead of pouring the aluminum in.
Permanent mold casting is useful for producing a high number of parts. Plus aluminum made with gravity die casting can be stronger than die cast aluminum or sand cast aluminum.
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