Ever wondered why most industrial companies opt to use casting aluminum alloys? Before diving into common casting aluminum alloys, It’s best to understand what cast aluminum is. Typically, Cast aluminum is the end process of melting aluminum metal under high temperatures. The molten metal acquired from the process is then molded into a shape resembling the desired part.
Without a doubt, this precious metal attracts most aircraft and automotive industries. There are several casting aluminum alloys available, each serving a different purpose. Our article today aims to familiarize you with common casting Aluminum alloys and their benefits. So, let’s get started.
Characteristics of Casting Aluminum Alloys
As mentioned above, casting aluminum alloys attracts most industries because of their unique characteristics:
- Excellent Strength and hardness
- End products have precise and polished surfaces.
- Highly corrosive resistance
- Highly durable
- Good electrical conductivity.
Common Casting Aluminum Alloys
Choosing the best-casting aluminum alloy for your industry can be a hassle. We have simplified a list of common casting aluminum alloys to use based on your preferences.
Aluminum Alloy 383 (ADC12)
ADC12 casting aluminum alloy is commonly used to create die-casting components produced internationally. Its high resistance to cracking under high temperatures makes it more suitable for features that enhance die-filling characteristics.
If you have thin parts for designing, ADC12 casting aluminum alloy is ideal. Its lightweight characteristic makes it perfect for designing light and durable parts.
Even though ADC12 has different surface treatment methods, the heat treatment process is not one of them. Heat treatment causes scorching on the surface of the product. To avoid this, use die-casting methods with less porosity, like gravity die-casting and low-pressure die-casting.
Mechanical properties
- Tensile Strength- 310 Mpa
- Yield Strength-150 Mpa
- Shear Strength-199 Mpa
- Fatigue Strength- 140 Mpa
- Elongation break- 3.5%
Benefits of Using ADC12 Casting Aluminum Alloy
- The casting aluminum alloy has a small density and high Strength, making it perfect for working in low and high temperatures.
- It has a less shrinkage of 100.5 hence a good filling performance.
- The higher levels of Silicon and the lower levels of Copper make it suitable for good machinability.
- It is a cost-effective alloy that produces highly corrosive-resistant complex parts in high volumes.
Casting Aluminum Alloy 380
Cast aluminum alloy is another precious metal most industries have taken advantage of. Most industries widely used casting aluminum alloy 380 to create competitive products like gear cases, automotive components, electronics, furniture components, etc.
The most suitable method for casting aluminum alloy 380 is pressure die casting. A380 has excellent thermal properties, pressure bearing, and mechanical properties.
Mechanical Properties
- Tensile Strength(Ksi)- 47
- Yield strength(ksi)- 23
- Elongation break(%2 G.L)-3.5
- Hardness Brinell- 80
- Shear strength(Ksi)-27
- Fatigue strength(Ksi)-20
Physical Properties
- Silicon- 7.5%-9.5%
- 1ron- 1.3%
- Copper- 3% to 4%
- Magnesium- 0.1%
- Manganese- 0.5%
- Zinc- 3%
- Nickel- 0.5%
Benefits of Casting Aluminum Alloy 380
- It is used in designing lighter parts with various finish surfaces.
- It has excellent thermal conductivity, pressure bearing, and good resistance to intense temperatures making it machinable.
- It’s used to produce competitive products at lower costs.
- It can maintain dimensional stability because of the thin walls.
- Its less shrinkage offers a good filling performance during the casting process.
- It’s the third most available element in the whole world.
- The surface finish makes the products highly corrosive resistant.
Casting Aluminum Alloy A360
Unlike other alloys used in die casting, A360 aluminum alloy has a high percentage of Silicon, making it highly corrosive resistant. This common-casting aluminum is also easy to flow and has a high strength to help hold high pressures during the casting process.
Chemical Composition of A360
Mechanical Properties
- Tensile Strength- 13000 Psi
- Yielding Strength- 5000 Psi
- Bearing Yield Strength- 231000 Psi
- Elongation- 15%-28%
- Sheer Strength- 9000 Psi
- Elasticity to tension- 10000 Ksi
- Fatigue Strength- 5000 Psi
Benefits of A360 Cast Aluminum
- It is very flexible since it’s easy to regain its original shape after being stretched, bent, or compressed.
- It contains a high percentage of Silicon, making it highly corrosive-resistant.
- It exhibits high Strength that helps hold high pressures under high temperatures.
A356 Cast Aluminum
This commonly used casting aluminum alloy is known for the excellent results it exhibits after bypassing the heat treatment method. Due to its high Strength and excellent mechanical properties, this casting aluminum alloy is widely used in the automotive and aircraft industries to make machines, impellers, pump components, housing covers, etc.
Chemical Properties
A356 Mechanical Properties
- Tensile Strength-34000 Psi
- Elongation-3.5%
- Yield strength-24000 Psi
- Sheer strength-20700 Psi
- Hardness Brinell-70-105
Benefits of using A356 Casting Aluminum Alloy
- Its mechanical properties help produce high-quality and durable parts.
- It is lightweight, strong and highly corrosion-resistant.
- It is used to produce high-volume parts at lower rates.
6 Cast Aluminum Alloy Surface finishing methods
- Anodizing surface finishing method
- Mechanical finishing method
- Powder coating
- Bright dip anodizing
- Liquid paint coating
- Sublimation
Advantages of Using Casting Aluminum Alloys
- Unlike other alloys, casting aluminum alloys are used by most industries to manufacture parts in high volumes and faster.
- Casting aluminum alloys is used in designing simple and complex parts depending on the manufacturer’s preferences.
- Casting aluminum alloys are cost-effective because they are readily available and can be reused to produce similar parts.
- Aluminum die-casting parts are cheaper, high quality, and durable.
Now that you have learned about casting aluminum alloys. It’s time to help you choose the most suitable casting aluminum alloy for your industry. With Sunrise Metal, we guide you through the entire process, from selecting the suitable aluminum alloys to use during the casting method to producing high-quality parts based on the preferences of your shape. Contact us today!