Introduction to Die Casting

Alloys and Fundamentals

Introduction to Die Casting Series

Part 2 of 3
January 2015
 Die Casting Alloys

• Mechanical and
Physical Properties
• Aluminum Alloy
• Magnesium Alloy
• Zinc Alloy
• ZA Alloy
• Alloy Selection
 Mechanical and Physical Properties

• Material Density:
– Mg = .066 lb/in3 (1.81 g/cm3)
– Zn = 0.24 lb/in3 (6.65 g/cm3)
• Ultimate Tensile:
– Mg = 31 ksi (210 MPa)
– ZA-27 = 60 ksi (414 MPa)
• Modulus of Elasticity
• Mg = 6,500 psi (45 GPa)
• Al = 11,800 psi (81.3 GPa)
Aluminum Alloys
Aluminum Product Application
380 383 360

413 390 518

Aluminum Heat Treatment & Welding
Silicon in Aluminum

As silicon content approaches 11.7%:

1. Fluidity increases
2. Solidification shrinkage decreases
3. Pressure tightness improves
4. Hot shortness reduces
5. Stiffness increases
6. Specific gravity decreases
7. Thermal expansion decreases
8. Corrosion resistance improves
Copper in Aluminum

• 2-3% copper:
• Increases tensile strength
• Increases hardness
• Improves mechanical properties at
elevated temperatures
• Copper content inversely effects corrosion
resistance
Magnesium in Aluminum

Advantages:
• Enhance chip formation and removal in
machining operations
• Improves strength and hardness

Disadvantages:
• Reduce ductility
• Embrittlement
Iron in Aluminum

0.6-1.2% iron content:

• Reduce erosion
• Reduce soldering
Manganese & Zinc in Aluminum

• Modify iron-aluminum • Provide solution-

inter-metallic phase to strengthening effects
more benign state • Improve machinability
• Excessive amounts can
cause cracking
 Zinc Alloys
Zinc 3 Zinc 5

Zinc 7
ZA-8
ZA-12
ZA-27
 Magnesium Alloys

Primary Alloy Element

Secondary Alloy Element Variation
Secondary Alloy Content
Primary Alloy Content
 Alloy Designation

Magnesium elements:
• A – Aluminum
• E – Rare Earth
• M – Manganese
• S – Silicon
• Z - Zinc
Alloy Cost
 Process Cost

1. Hot chamber = smaller machines that run at faster rates

2. Die maintenance and replacement costs:
• Zinc <= Lowest
• Magnesium
• ZA
• Aluminum <= Highest
3. Magnesium, zinc and ZA may reduce or eliminate machining
4. Zinc and ZA-8 for very small die castings
Structural Properties
 Dent Resistance

Dent resistance = Ys2/(2E)

• Ys = yield stress
• E = modulus of elasticity

Design guide for comparative purposes only:

• Tabulated stress data are generated at low strain rates
• All other factors are rarely equal
 Alloy Selection
Magnesium:
• Minimum weight
Aluminum:
• Weight considerations
• Cost
• Mechanical properties
Zinc:
• Impact strength [reduced below 32°F (0°C)]
• Dent resistance
ZA:
• Dent resistance
 Surface Finish
Typical As-Cast Surface Roughness Guide
Typical Surface Roughness [μ-inches (microns)]
Alloy Family / Alloy Expected in a New Die Over the Life of a Die

Aluminum, ZA-12, ZA-27 63 (1.6) or better 100-125 (2.5-3.2)

Magnesium 63 (1.6) or better 63 (1.6) should be

maintainable
Zinc, ZA-8 32 (0.8) or better 63 (1.6) should be
maintainable
Corrosion Resistance
Bearing Properties & Wear Resistance

Shaft
Spinning
Machinability
 Die Casting Fundamentals
Standard equipment
•Die Casting Machine or DCM
•Holding furnace
•Ladle
•Die sprayer
•Plunger tip lubricator, for cold
chamber

Optional equipment
•An extractor/robot
•A quench
•Conveyors
•Die heaters
•A trim press/die
 Holding Furnace

• Provides liquid metal to

process
• Maintains metal at a
preselected temperature
• Keeps the alloy free of
contamination
• Receives metal
• For cold chamber or hot
chamber processes
• Located adjacent to the DCM
• May be used to melt the
metal
Holding Furnace: Cold Chamber

• Has 3 distinct chambers:

– Charge well - metal enters
– Bath - holds bulk of metal
– Dip well - metal ladled from
here to cold chamber
• Chambers are connected
below the metal level with
an arched passage
Holding Furnace: Hot Chamber

• Located adjacent to
the stationary platen
• Simpler than a
cold chamber furnace
• Typically are open
crucibles, or pots
• Can be fossil fuel-fired
or electrically-heated
• Temperature control
thermocouple
is located near the gooseneck
 Ladling
• Manual ladling or auto
ladling
– Ensure dross is not
allowed in ladle
– Advantages and
disadvantages to both
• Ladling time is
important due to
temperature loss
resulting in filling
defects
Hand Ladling
Automatic Ladling
 Die Spray
• Applies a protective coating
of release material on the
die face
• Provides cooling in areas
that cannot be cooled
internally
• Can be applied through
different appliances
• Variables
– Spray pattern
– Spray time
– Spray applied
 Types of Die Sprayers
• Manual
• Fixed: mounted to the
die or machine platens
• Reciprocator
 Plunger Lubricator
• Some older methods of application
include:
– Brushing heavy petroleum lubes into
grooves in the plunger tip.
– Dripping the lube on the tip every
cycle.
– Mounting a fixed nozzle above the
cold chamber pour hole and spraying
a water-based lube into the cold
chamber.
– Drilling the plunger rod with spray
holes behind the tip, connecting this
line to a spray nozzle, and spraying
lube into the sleeve during the return
stroke.

• Some newer methods include

– Dropping dry lubricants into the pour
hole.
– Spraying powdered lubricant inside
the sleeve.
 Casting Removal
• Manual removal
• Mechanized
removal
• Drop-through
 Quenching

• Forced cooling of the

die casting
• Achieves rapid
cooling/dimensional
stability
• Cold water
quenching
• Forced air quenching
 Material Handling

• Conveyors, chutes, and

slides
– Move the castings to the
next operation, or to
move scrap back to the
reverb furnaces
• Baskets or pallets
– Stack castings for
subsequent operations
• Other containers
– Accumulating scrap
 Die Heaters

• Preheat the casting die Hand-held

prior to startup Gas Heater
• Maintain the die
temperature during
production
• Goal: to get die to
minimum temperature of Hot
350F (175C) before
subjecting it to the thermal Oil
shock of first shot Die
• Some used exclusively to Heater
preheat the die prior to
production
Trim Press

Usable
Casting
Trim Press
 Workcell Environment

• Utilities
– Hoses and wires
must be damage-
free
• Housekeeping
– Area must be
maintained to assure
safety
• Workstation set-up
Fundamental Machine Cycle Elements

– Die spray/die inspection

– Die closing
– Ladling (cold chamber)
– Injection
– Dwell/casting inspection
– Die opening
– Ejection
– Casting removal/inspection
 Step 1: Inspection

• After casting is
removed, it is quickly
inspected for
completeness and
obvious visual
defects
• Kept short in order to
maintain the rhythm
of the casting cycle
 Step 2: Die Spray

• An opportunity to inspect
the die for:
– Flash on parting line, in
vents, in slide pockets
– Soldering and lube build-
up
• Puts protective barrier on
die
• Removes heat from areas
• After spraying:
– Blow off die with high-
pressure air
– Cleaned die parting line
to remove any flash
 Step 3: Machine Closing

• Several acceptable
methods
– Double palm buttons (most
common cycle start
mechanism)
– Safety door closure
– Combination of door
closures
and palm buttons
• Safety conditions must
be satisfied
– After all conditions are
satisfied, the safety pawl is
withdrawn and the
machine can begin closing
 Step 4: Ladling/Injection

• Before injection
can occur,
process and
safety
conditions must
be met
• The injection
sequence
begins when
metal is poured
into the cold
chamber

7-48
 Step 5: Machine Dwell/Hold
• After the shot made, the
metal must be allowed to
freeze and gain strength
– During dwell, casting is
cooling in the die
– Internal stress occurs
 Step 6: Machine Opening

• Requires high pressure

to relieve tie bars
• Needs to open slowly
initially
• Plunger must push out
biscuit and keep it in
contact with ejector die
until it is fully out of the
shot sleeve
• Casting needs to be in
ejector half cavity of the
die
 Step 7: Ejection

• Several methods
– Bump method
– Fixed plate
– Hydraulically-operated
bump plate
 Step 8: Casting Removal

• After ejection,
casting is removed
• Must be done with care,
otherwise the die and
casting can be damaged
• Use of a tool is recommended
• Must be pulled straight off ejector pins
• Follow safety precautions
 Summary
• Designers consider range of issues when
creating a die casting
• Each alloy has different mechanical
properties: tensile strength, yield strength,
elongation, and MOE
• The alloy chosen must be appropriate to
the die casting’s application
• Alloy selection is based on characteristics
and properties of the alloys in 9 categories
 Summary

• Fundamental steps include:

– Die spray/die inspection
– Die closing
– Ladling (cold chamber)
– Injection
– Dwell/casting inspection
– Die opening
– Ejection
– Casting removal/inspection
Questions
Name: Beau Glim
Phone: 847-808-3164
E-mail: glim@diecasting.org