Die casting is a versatile process for producing engineered metal parts by forcing molten metal under high pressure into reusable steel molds. These molds, called dies, can be designed to produce complex shapes with a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. Parts can be sharply defined, with smooth or textured surfaces, and are suitable for a wide variety of attractive and serviceable finishes.

Aluminum Die Casting Materials

• A380, A360, and A356

Aluminum Die Casting Design Criteria

• As cast tolerances as tight as +/- .005”, post machining available for tighter tolerance applications.
• Standard tolerance of +/- .010” for the first inch and +/-.002” each additional inch.
• Typical surface finish of Ra 63-125 micro-inch as cast, post machining available for higher quality finishes.
• Minimum draft = .5 degrees
• Minimum wall thickness = .030” (Thinner wall thickness possible with alternative processes)

Production Aluminum Die Casting

Hard tool or H-13 aluminum die cast tooling is an excellent process for higher quantity casting requirements. A larger upfront tooling investment yields a significant reduction in re-occurring casting costs. Production die castings have highly repeatable properties and tolerances.

Prototype High Pressure Die Cast Soft Tooling

The term “Soft Tool” is used to describe an aluminum die casting tool made out of P-20 steel. The P-20 steel is softer than H-13 steel and thus yields aluminum die castings in less time with a decrease in tooling cost. This is attributed to the ability to run faster feed rates when CNC machining the tool. Typically a P-20 tool can yield 10,000-40,000 castings before showing any significant wear.

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