Die Casting Vs Sand Casting
Die casting and sand casting are both metal casting processes where manufacturers use molten metal to make different metal casting parts. The primary difference between die casting and sand casting is in the mold. The process of die casting is also different from the sand casting process.
In die casting –
- Firstly, the molten metal is poured into a shot chamber.
- Then a plunger is used to apply pressure to the metal.
- The pressure helps the liquidus metal to reach the cavity.
- Finally, after solidification, the part is ejected from the cavity.
But in sand casting –
- At first, the molten metal is directly poured into the cavity.
- After that, the metal solidifies inside the cavity.
- Finally, the solid part is taken out and cooled.
In sand casting, manufacturers use a “matchplate” to make the mold. A “matchplate” is a plastic or wooden replica of the original part. As the sand mold breaks during the ejection of the solid part so manufacturers use this matchplate to remake the mold again if necessary.
Comparison between Die Casting and Sand Casting
In diecast the mold or die is usually made of steel. So, materials and alloys with an equal or higher melting point than steel cannot be cast using the diecast process.
But in sand casting, the mold is made with special reusable sand. It can withstand very high temperatures and can be easily machined to the desired dimensions. For this reason, you can cast both ferrous and nonferrous metals using the sand casting process.
The table below contains some more key comparisons between die cast and sand cast:
| Key Points | Die Casting | Sand Casting |
| Precision | Higher | Lower |
| Wall Thickness | Thinner | Ticker |
| Production Volume | High | Low |
| Surface Finish | Excellent | Not as good |
| Cost of Mold | Higher | Lower |
| Reusability of Mold | Possible | Not Possible |
| Complex Parts | Possible and mostly easy to make | Difficult and mostly not possible |
Sunrise Metal – One of the Top Die Casting Manufacturers in China
Many industries worldwide need die casting manufacturing services, and Sunrise Metal is one of the best in this field. You can get aluminum and zinc die casting manufacturing services from us.
Our factories have advanced hot chamber and cold chamber machines for zinc and aluminum. We mostly provide high-pressure die casting services for these metals. We also provide other manufacturing services for die casting applications, such as
Prototyping is very important for testing die-casting parts before mass production. We have great machining capabilities and advanced rapid prototyping technologies to match our client’s requirements for die casting.
In Sunrise Metal, we have an in-house mold fabrication and mold maintenance facility. From grinding and milling to EDM machines, we have every tooling equipment for die casting.
Sunrise metal also provides CNC machining services for die-cast parts such as
- Turning
- Drilling
- Milling
- Tapping
Moreover, we have advanced high-quality measuring instruments to reserve the accuracy of the die-cast parts we manufacture. We also provide a wide range of surface finishing to the die casting products such as painting, chromating, electroplating, powder coating, anodizing, etc.
Sunrise Metal has everything you need for die-casting manufacturing, from advanced machining and tooling to on-time delivery and strict quality assurance. You can contact our support team here for more details.
When Should I Prefer Sand Casting Over Die Casting?
Die casting is more advanced, faster, and a better process than sand cast. It is a much older casting method than die cast. But sometimes sand cast can be better and so the list below shows when you should prefer sand cast over die casting:
- If the part you are making is simple and there is no need for mass production, then sand cast is a better choice.
- Choose the sand cast process if there is no hurry to make the parts because that way you can save a lot of costs as sand cast tools are cheaper.
- When you need to make a prototype of a simple part, you should choose sand cast rather than die cast.
- Ferrous metals are generally not possible or practical to cast using die cast. In this case, sand cast is a very viable option.
Is Aluminum Sand Casting Parts Better Than Aluminum Die Casting Parts?
Manufacturers mostly use aluminum to make casting parts using different casting methods such as sand casting and die cast. But the quality of aluminum sand casting parts is not the same as aluminum die casting parts.
You can manufacture simple parts like gears, cylindrical metal bars, pipes, etc. easily using sand casting aluminum alloys. However, you can produce these parts with die cast as well. But if the parts are not made in bulk then die casting of aluminum will cost a lot more than sand casting.
On the other hand, many complex aluminum parts such as air valves, engine blocks, complex gears, etc. require to die cast. These parts are too difficult, and in some cases impossible, to make with sand casting.
However, sand cast aluminum parts tend to have more defects and poor surface finish compared to die cast parts. So, they need more secondary machining after casting. But if such a defect is not a big deal, then sand casting aluminum parts are better because of the low cost.
Otherwise, aluminum die casting parts are better because of having a good surface finish, fewer defects, and being more precise.
Which Process Should I Choose for Mass Production, Die Cast, or Sand Cast?
Sand casting is a manual process but the modern die-cast process is automatic. Sand casting takes a lot of time in order to produce a bulk amount of parts. But you can manufacture the same volume of parts much faster using die-cast.
Die casting mold and equipment are much costlier compared to sand casting. However, in mass production, the overall cost of die-cast is less than sand cast. Moreover, many complex parts are impossible to produce with the sand casting process and die-cast is the only way in this case.
But the die cast molds are usually made with steel. So it is not possible to produce steel parts using the die cast method. But it is better to use die cast for the mass production of non-ferrous parts such as aluminum, magnesium, zinc, etc.