One of the quickest and most economical forming processes is die casting. By utilizing this process, the production of hundreds of thousands of castings becomes relatively fast. This is true even when only using one mold.
All components produced through die casting involve relatively low unit costs and have a uniform quality. Two of the modern die casting processes today are low pressure and high pressure die casting. In this post, you’ll learn more about low pressure die casting and how it’s used in the auto industry.
How Does It Work?
Low Pressure Die Casting (LPDC) is an extremely fast, efficient, and cost-effective manufacturing procedure for fabrication of extremely low volume, single-shot metal parts with extremely tight tolerance. Basically, the low-pressure die casting procedure consists of injecting the molten metal through a pressurized metal nozzle (or the tools) to a high temperature steel mold (for large-scale production). Once the part is cooled, it’s removed from the mold and cut into desired shapes. This method of forming metal parts has proven itself time again as a highly accurate, repeatable and cost-efficient manufacturing technique, especially in the automotive sector.
Advantages of Low Pressure Die Casting
Die casting offers both direct and indirect advantages to the manufacturers. The direct advantage is that the manufacturer only has to pay for the initial materials that they use in the die forming process, which enables them to invest less in their manufacturing capacity. The indirect advantage is that the manufacturer is able to obtain lower overhead costs by avoiding the need to buy high-tech dies. They also don’t have to buy any expensive dies that may not fit into the production schedule.
Another major advantage die casting has is that it’s quick and easy to complete. Many die-casting machines are capable of running at extremely high speeds, making them ideal for rapid fabrication in the auto industry. Unlike other industrial tools, die-casting equipment is capable of producing high-quality products in short periods of time.
Two Types of Low Pressure Die Casting
The two common types of low pressure die castings are hot and cold chamber die castings:
- Hot Chamber Die Casting – It’s usually a fast, efficient, and relatively low-cost manufacturing method for mass production of net-shape metallic parts. In essence, the hot chamber die casting process consists of inserting molten metal into a cold chamber which is filled with water. As the metal cools, it solidifies and forms a thin layer of metal called a dielectric. The dielectric layer acts as a barrier against the flow of electrical current while allowing hot gases and liquids into the chamber. When the temperature of the metal reaches a certain point, it hardens into a metal form, such as iron or aluminum. Evans manufacturing company provides Metal services like welding, sheet metal cutting, metal fabrication.
- Cold Chamber Die Casting – On the other hand, cold chamber die casting is used in the production of thin sheets of metal. Because these dies have a much longer cooling time than hot die castings, the process involves using much less energy and produces a much higher yield. The cold chamber diecasting is typically employed in conjunction with the hot die castings to produce a more cost-effective and reliable product. The reason why this is the case is that hot die castings are used to form thicker and more durable components and low-pressure dies are used to produce thinner and less durable ones. The result is a product that’s more flexible and robust in design.
Application In The Auto Industry
Die casting has become so popular that it’s now used extensively in the auto industry. For example, dies used in dies for injection molding are commonly used in the auto body industry. Also, dies used in injection molding can be used in the automotive industry for injection molding of air filters, clutch packs, clutches, brakes, and belts. Injection molding can also be used in other industries like computer chip design.
Final Thoughts
The concept of low pressure die casting (LPDC) has actually been around for many years. With the advent of precision machining techniques and computer-aided manufacturing, it has become a practical choice for rapid fabrication of small-scale, intricate parts that require extremely low levels of tolerances and precision. It applies not only in the auto industry but all industries that carry out any manufacturing processes. They also go hand in hand with packaging machines to deliver the final product.
With the availability of the Internet, it has become much easier and inexpensive to find a wide range of manufacturers offering low pressure die casting service. The Internet is a huge database that has a host of manufacturers selling die cast metals in every conceivable form and size. The best online sources of this product tend to be the more established ones who have a good reputation and who are willing to offer competitive pricing.