Casting aluminum is a process by which complex machinery replicas are formed but with much better specifications like lightweight, easy to transport, and cost-efficient. These replicas are created either with aluminum metals or with some other metal but the process that they adopt for this is called aluminum casting. Aluminum casting has various processes involved which possess different techniques and ideas. In this article, we will be focussing on the casting process which uses cast aluminum in the process more. We will also be showing a table of comparison of different casting processes to help the customer choose the best method for their products.
Types of casting aluminum
There are multiple types of casting methods available but we will be focussing on the most used and reliable ones.
- Die casting
- Sand casting
- Permanent mold casting
Furthermore, we will be discussing their rules, customs, and peculiarities. They are :
Die casting
The most vintage and widely used method after sand casting is Die casting. This casting is done with cast aluminum. There are different types of casting processes, one is low-pressure casting and the other one is high-pressure casting. High-pressure casting is the most practices one out of all. Molten metal is pushed into the hollow cavity that has been formed in the shape of the desired tool to get the exact copy . Once the metal got cooled and settled done after leaving it till midnight. The cooled structure is then removed from the mold. The molten liquid is injected with high pressure so that no air gets trapped in the cavity thus, reduces the chance of porosity.
The advantage of using this process of casting aluminum is that they have amazing thermal and electrical conductivity. These properties make them strong to heat and wear, they are also corrosion resistant.
They are used to make medical instruments, culinary, and aerospace.
Sand casting
After die casting, it is the sand casting that got much recognition. This method is said to be the traditional method where the mold is formed of sand and this process is said to be not so professional as an unprofessional method is used like sand mold. In the process, the aluminum gets heated and then poured into the sand mold and kept the whole night to settle and cool down. Once, it gets cool down, the desired product is extracted. This process is used most of the time for trimming and for making gears, aluminum tanks, oil, and gas. They are very cost-efficient as one has to hardly spend on making the mold but their finishing isn’t the best.
The permanent mold-casting process
This process is also called the centrifugal process. The process of permanent die casting and die casting have similarity but the only difference is in their method of injecting the metal into the mold. In the case of die casting, it uses two different types of pressure whereas in the case of permanent mold casting, the molten aluminum metal is pushed into the mold through gravity, which causes less disturbance in the process.
The mold formed for this process is quite strong and has more stability than any other mold in other processes. This process is not very cost-efficient but the cast aluminum that forms out of the process has a high surface finish.
Advantages and disadvantages of methods for casting aluminum
The most vital thing in these methods is the consideration of aluminum casting in the production volume. Each casting method has its pros and cons. They have their separate rules and specifications. Getting the desired product with the right amount of aluminum casting to find the dimensional accuracy, thermal and electrical conductivity, surface quality, mechanical strength, transportation cost, cost of cooling and extraction, and the finishing of the products. By looking at the advantages as well as disadvantages, we can decipher which process is the best out of all the aluminum casting processes available.
Die casting
Low pressure and high pressure are the two types of die casting methods by which it occurs. The latter is the most effective casting method but the former gives more solidarity, strength, and less porosity to the finished product. Here, the product finishing is much higher than any other casting process, however, this process is used only for less volume production of metal. Its production range varies from 100 – 10,000 units per year. The mold in this process costs much higher than what it costs in sand casting. Let’s look into the advantages and disadvantages of low pressure die casting.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| ● The solidity of the produced cast is much higher | ● The cost is higher than sand casting |
| ● The porosity of the cast is quite less. | ● Not fit for high production volumes. |
| ● High surface finish | |
| ● The mold lasts much larger than any other process | |
| ● The mechanical property of the product gets improved by heat treatment. |
High-pressure die casting is best for mass production. It can produce goods ranging from (1000 to 100000 units per year). Here, the molten aluminum metal is injected into a steel mold with high pressure. Let’s look into the advantages and disadvantages of the method.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| ● High surface quality | ● Tooling cost is high |
| ● High dimensional accuracy | ● Not fit for the production of complex tools or materials. |
| ● Low porosity | |
| ● Fast production of products | |
| ● The mold lasts long |
Sand casting method
This method has a low production value (1-5000 units per year) and is also used for prototyping. The mold used in this method is resin sand mold and the transportation of the metals also takes time. Let’s get into the advantages and disadvantages of using this aluminum casting method:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| ● Good for the production of small quantity products, and good for prototyping as well. | ● Has very low dimensional accuracy.
|
| ● Cost efficient because of very minimal tooling cost | ● Cannot work for complex products |
| ● Good for the casting of all sizes | ● Unable to take huge orders because of lengthy delivery time |
Permanent mold casting
We will be looking at some of the advantages and disadvantages of permanent mold casting.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| ● High-quality surface finish | ● Cost is higher than sand casting |
| ● The surface has high dimensional accuracy | |
| ● Good for pressure die-cast components | |
| ● Good for the formation of thin-walled products |
Summary
So, in all of the above methods, aluminum is the cast metal that has been used because of its lightweight, cost efficiency, and recycling properties. I hope the reader has got an idea to choose the process for the formation of their products. Sunrise metal has a feature where consumers get every detail by which their tool is getting prepared. They can also advise the manufacturer if they find any discrepancies in the formation. This helps less confusion and time as well.