The die-casting process is mainly leveraged by most manufacturers because of its ability to produce a complete metal part that doesn’t need further assembly.
However, there are minimal chances that the metal is produced as a finished product. In some cases, only a few surface finishing options have to be made, but more often than not, the majority of the metal parts consist of excessive material that must be removed to attain a finished product.
Die casting runner vs sprue – have you heard of this term before? Well, both runner and sprue are essential parts of gating systems and serve important functions in improving the cast quality. Let’s have a look at the difference between the two.
What is a Runner in Die Casting
A runner is a horizontal pathway through which molten metal from the sprue passes through. A gating system can have several runners guiding the molten metal to the individual cavities within the die-casting mold.
What is a Sprue in Die Casting
A sprue is one of the vital components found in the gating system in gravity die casting. It has a vertical shape with a wide top and a narrow bottom. When molten metal is poured, it passes through the wide top and flows down to the little bottom, leading to the runners.
The sprue being the first channel through which the liquid metal flows, its size significantly affects the flow speed and the filling time of the molten metal. Therefore, tapering has to be done. It ensures that there is a consistent, smooth, and controlled flow of the molten metal into the runner. If a sprue is not well-designed, you will likely experience issues like an incomplete filling, trapped gas, and, even worse, mold erosion.
Difference Between Sprue and Runner – Die Casting Mold
Die-casting runner vs. sprue shares a huge difference when it comes to where they are located, their shape, and their role in ensuring the flow of the molten metal.
Location
In terms of location, the sprue is usually the first pathway through which the molten metal enters through the casting mold. It comes with a large diameter on the top and a smaller diameter on the bottom.
Runners, conversely, are the second pathway after the sprue. The molten metal flows from the sprue through the small diameter opening that directs the molten metal into the runners.
Shape
There is a big difference in shape. Sprues are vertically shaped, while runners have horizontal shapes. Both designs affect the flow of the metal. Sprues control the speed and the filling time, while runners are responsible for controlling the temperature. Additionally, a gating system only has one sprue, but the runners can be multiple.
Die casting runner vs sprue – which mainly affects the quality of the product? Well, both components can affect the product quality.
Like the sprue, runners ensure a smooth and even flow of the molten metal by maintaining the right temperature. Again, if your runners are not well-designed, air and gas may come into contact with the metal, causing premature solidification.
We hope now you are able to understand the difference between the two – their design can significantly affect the quality of the finished products. If you don’t want your metals to have excessive materials to remove, it is important to invest in specialists who can get the job done right.
At Sunrise Metal, we understand that sprues and runners are critical components; thus, we take our time and only employ the latest state-of-the-art techniques to design the components. Contact us today, and let us help you produce quality products.