What Is Hot Chamber Die Casting?

Hot chamber casting is a die casting method only suitable for alloys that have low melting points such as lead, tin, zinc, and a few magnesium alloys. Besides this method, another one is the cold chamber method which is suitable for alloys that have high melting points.

A hot chamber casting machine is also known as a gooseneck machine due to its structure. It has many components including,

• Furnace
• Burner
• Cylinder
• Plunger/Piston
• Nozzle
• Gooseneck
• Dies
• Ejector Pin

The fixed die in the machine also goes by the name “cover die” and the movable one is called the “ejector die”. The gooseneck machine is a feed system made of metal and the furnace of the machine is linked to it. From melting the metal to solidifying it in the die, the whole process is carried out in this single machine.

Process of Hot Chamber Casting

A typical hot chamber casting process consists of the following steps:

• Melting the metal
• Pressing with plunger
• Solidifying
• Ejecting the part

Here is the step-by-step process of hot chamber casting:

• At first, you have to put the metal or metal alloy on the pot inside the furnace.
• Then apply sufficient heat to the furnace using the burner to melt the metal.
• After that, the machine lifts the piston or plunger so that the molten metal can enter the cylinder through the intake port.
• Next, it pushes the plunger down so the melted metal can reach the nozzle through the cavity.
• Keep applying pressure on the piston/plunger until the die cavity fills up with the liquid metal.
• After that, wait for the liquid metal to solidify inside the cavity.
• Finally, use the ejector pin to eject the solid part and begin post-processing if necessary.

Sunrise Metal – One Stop Hot Chamber Die Casting Manufacturer

Are you searching for a one-stop hot chamber die casting manufacturing solution? Then contact Sunrise Metal. Our target is to provide the best quality products and services to our clients and achieve their satisfaction.

We use hot chamber casting to produce parts with zinc and its alloys and our casting facility has the following features and services:

Large Tonnage Capacity Equipment

We have a large range of tonnage capacity (from 60T to 250T) for hot chamber casting. For this reason, we are able to produce hot chamber products of different sizes and shapes.

Versatile Selection of Alloys

We mostly use Zamak 5 and Zamak 3 in our hot chamber casting process as they have excellent mechanical properties and easy to die cast. However, we also take orders of other zinc alloys from our customers as well.

Additional Services with Hot Chamber Casting

In Sunrise Metal, we not only stop at die casting, but we also provide other services such as CNC machining, surface finishing, rapid prototyping, tooling, etc. For this reason, we can ensure faster turnaround and better quality.

Our prototyping service helps to inspect zinc die-cast parts before going into mass production. Moreover, our machining services make the zinc parts more precise and free of defects.

Finally, Polishing, chromating, and plating of zinc alloys are also of our expertise. We can provide a high-quality and durable surface finish to ensure that hot chamber die casting products last longer than ever.

What Are the Benefits of Hot Chamber Die Casting?

Hot chamber process has a lot of benefits. But its only drawback is that die casting alloys that have high melting points are not compatible with this method. However, the benefits of this process are:

Faster Production Cycle

In this casting process, the metal melts inside the pot of the machine furnace rather than melting in a pot that is detached from the machine. This reduces the delivery time of the liquid metal from the cylinder to the cavity. For this reason, the production cycle speeds up.

Less Waste and Defects

This process produces minimal waste as in this casting process because of the liquid metal’s quick transfer. This process also reduces the chance of having defects such as blisters and porosity in the final part.

Longer Die Life

Manufacturers use metal alloys with a low melting point in this casting method and so the dies and other components of the machine achieve a longer life.

Why Aluminum Alloys Are Not Suitable for Hot Chamber Die Casting?

Aluminum alloys have a higher melting point than certain casting metals such as zinc or lead. For this reason, the furnace of the machine of the hot chamber method cannot withstand the heat to melt aluminum alloys.

If aluminum die-casting was done by hot chamber casting, it would damage the furnace or the pot where the metal melts. It would also damage other components of the machine, for example, the gooseneck, the nozzle, the cylinder, etc.

This is why manufacturers produce aluminum alloy parts using the cold chamber method rather than the hot chamber. Here, manufacturers melt aluminum alloys in a separate furnace and then pour them into the shot chamber using a ladle.

What Are the Differences and Similarities between Hot and Cold Chamber Casting?

Hot and cold chamber casting has both similarities and differences in the process. The main differences between the two methods are:

• The metal melts inside the pot of the furnace of the machine in the hot chamber. But in the cold chamber, the metal melts in a furnace separate from the machine.
• There is no need for any ladle in the hot chamber casting process. But in order to put the liquid metal in the shot chamber, a ladle is necessary for cold chamber casting.
• The liquid metal goes into the cavity via the gooseneck in the hot chamber process. But the liquid metal goes through the shot chamber in the cold chamber method.
• The overall parts’ production time cycle is less in the hot chamber process than in the cold chamber.
• The hot chamber process doesn’t allow the cast of metal alloys that have high melting points. But the cold chamber method allows it.

The similarities between the two casting processes are as follows:

• There are some similar components in both processes. For example, both machines have one fixed and one movable die.
• An external force is necessary for both processes to push the molten metal into the cavity.