Die Casting Case Studies

Quality up, Costs down

Cold-chamber die casting is the preferred process for high volume production of light alloy castings. Currently, half of the world’s production is manufactured using this technology, while continuous improvements in quality are broadening its application for automotive components.

Casting Distortions During Solution Treatment

Aluminum castings are often heat-treated to increase mechanical properties and simultaneously decrease thermal stresses induced by the casting process. The heat treatment process consists of 3 steps.

Solving Casting Surface Defects

The wall thickness of this speaker housing was very thin at about 1.35 mm over most of the surface. There were several problems experienced in production. Blisters would occasionally develop on the exterior surface leading to casting rejection. Cold shuts formed in the side walls, and the filling was incomplete or had cold shuts on the top side.

Analysis of Transmission Case Shrinkage Defects

In a high pressure die casting for a transmission case, a shrinkage defect was revealed after drilling of the boss. Due to the current die design, it was not possible to insert a pin into the die, making drilling of the boss the only option for this casting.

Extending Die Life by Eliminating Cavitation

The cover and ejector halves of a high pressure die casting die showed severe cavitation erosion. An evaluation of the filling process using MAGMASOFT® immediately showed an undesirable cavity filling pattern and extremely high gate velocities in combination with air pockets above and below the melt stream.