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High pressure casting(also known as die casting) has become an indispensable part of modern manufacturing with its unique process advantages and wide range of applications. The core of this casting method is to use high pressure and high speed to inject liquid or semi-liquid metal into the mold cavity and solidify it under pressure to form high precision metal parts. High pressure casting is widely used in machinery, automobiles, aerospace, electronics and other industries because of its efficient and high-quality production characteristics.
If you are looking for the right process for your die casting project, the question “What is high pressure casting” may require some insight. Therefore, this article aims to deeply explore the basic principles, technical characteristics,application fields of high pressure castingand its importance to modern industry.

What is High Pressure Casting？

High pressure casting is an advanced metal forming processthat uses high pressure to inject molten or semi-molten metal into a precision-designed mold cavity and rapidly cools and solidifies under pressure to create high-precision, Metal parts with high density and good surface finish. This process is usually completed in a dedicateddie-casting machinethat can precisely control the injection speed, pressure and temperature of the molten metal to ensure that the quality and performance of the final product meet the design requirements.

How Does the High Pressure Casting Process Work?

Thehigh pressure casting processis a delicate and systematic process, and its step-by-step steps are as follows:

• Preparation stage:select appropriate metal alloys, perform proportioning and pretreatment to ensure material quality. At the same time, high-precision molds are designed and manufactured according to product requirements.
• Heating and melting:Put the metal alloy into the heating equipment, heat it to a completely molten state, and control the temperature and composition of the melt.
• Mold preheating and preparation:Preheat the mold to reduce the temperature difference between the molten metal and the mold and prevent mold damage caused by thermal stress. Also, check the integrity of the mold to make sure there are no damaged or blocked gates and vents.
• Pressure injection:Under high pressure,molten metal is quickly injected into the mold cavity. This process requires precise control of injection speed, pressure and temperature to ensure that the molten metal can fill the mold evenly and quickly and form a good casting.
• Cooling and solidification:The molten metal cools and solidifies in the mold. Depending on the type andthickness of the metal, the appropriate cooling method and time are selected to ensure that the casting achieves the required mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy.
• Mold opening and parts removal:After the casting is completely cooled, open the mold and carefully remove the casting. This process requires avoiding damage to the casting, while checking the status of the mold and preparing for the next casting.
• Post-processing:Perform subsequent processing on castings as needed, such as deburring, heat treatment or surface treatment, etc., to improve the quality and performance of castings.

What Metals are Commonly Used in High Pressure Casting?

Commonly usedmetals for high pressure castingmainly include the following:

1. Aluminum alloy: Aluminum alloy is the most commonly used materialin high pressure casting and has the advantages of low density, high strength, and good corrosion resistance. It is widely used in automobiles, electronics, communications and other fields. Especially in automobile manufacturing,aluminum alloy is used to manufacture key componentssuch as engine blocks, cylinder heads, steering gear housings, etc., which helps to reduce the weight of automobiles and improve fuel efficiency. Economical and environmental performance.
2. Zinc alloy:Zinc alloy has good casting properties and mechanical properties, and is suitable for manufacturing parts with complex shapes. At the same time, zinc alloy also has good surface treatment properties and can meet various decorative and functional needs. Zinc alloy has good fluidity in the molten state and is easy to process, soit is widely used in high pressure casting.
3. Magnesium alloy:Magnesium alloy has the characteristics of low density, high strength and good heat dissipation performance, and is especially suitable for manufacturing lightweight components. In fields such as aerospace, automobiles and electronic products, magnesium alloys are increasingly used.Magnesium alloy has a greater ability to withstand impact load than aluminum alloy, and has good resistance to organic matter and alkali corrosion, so it has unique advantages in high pressure casting.
4. Copper alloy:Copper alloy has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, and is suitable for manufacturing parts with high precision and high electrical conductivity. In the fields of electronics, communications and electricity, high-pressure casting of copper alloys is very common.High pressure castings of copper alloyshave high precision and good surface quality, which can meet the demand for high-performance parts in these fields.

What Types of Products Are Made with High Pressure Casting?

Thetypes of products produced by high pressure castingare very wide, mainly including the following categories:

1.Auto Parts:

• Key components such as engine blocks and cylinder headsrequire high precision and good mechanical properties.
• Gearbox housings, transmission system components, etc. These components have high requirements for strength and wear resistance.
• Car wheels, radiators, etc. These components require lightweight and good heat dissipation performance.

2.Industrial components:

• Various mechanical casings and brackets, these components usually require high strength and corrosion resistance.
• Fluid control components such as pump bodies and valves are required to have good sealing performance and be able to withstand a certain pressure.
• Precision mechanical parts, such as turbine blades, gears, etc., have strict requirements on dimensional accuracy and surface quality.

3.Consumer goods:

• Electrical components, such as electronic casings, heat conductors, etc., require good heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding properties.
• The housings and brackets of lighting fixtures are required to be beautiful and durable.
• Other consumer product parts, such asfurniture accessories, toy parts, etc., these parts usually require lightweight and good molding properties.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of high pressure casting?

Theadvantages and disadvantages of high pressure castingare as follows:

Advantage

1. High production efficiency:High-pressure casting adopts high-speed filling and high-pressure molding. The filling time is extremely short. It usually only takes 0.01~0.2 seconds to fill the cavity, so the production efficiency is extremely high.
2. High precision of castings:Since the molten metal is formed under high pressure, the castings have stable dimensions, high precision, and small machining allowance, which reduces the cost and time of subsequent processing.
3. Good surface quality of castings:Castings obtained by high pressure castinghave high surface finish and good mechanical properties and aesthetics.
4. Can produce thin-walled complex parts:High pressure casting can produce thin-walled and complex-shaped castings. For example, aluminum die-casting has a wall thickness as thin as 0.5mm, which is suitable for manufacturing precision parts.
5. The manufacturing process can be simplified by using the insert casting method:In high-pressure casting, the insert casting method can be used to die-cast parts of different materials at the same time, eliminating the assembly process and simplifying the manufacturing process.

Disadvantages

1. Porosity problem:Due to the extremely fast filling speed of molten metal, the gas in the mold cavity is difficult to remove and easily remains in the casting in the form of pores. Therefore, castings cast by ordinary die-casting methods cannot be heat treated or welded, and are not suitable for relatively deep machining to prevent pores from appearing on the surface of the castings.
2. Material limitations:High pressure casting is mainly suitable for non-ferrous metalswith low melting points, such as aluminum, zinc, magnesium and other alloys. For copper alloys or ferrous metals with higher melting points, the material life problem of the pressure chamber and mold cavity is more prominent during die casting.
3. Large investment in equipment:The investment in die-casting equipment is relatively large, and the manufacturing of die-casting molds is complex, takes a long time, and is expensive. Therefore, high pressure casting is generally not suitable for small batch production.
4. Sand cores cannot be used:Due to the strong impact of the molten metal when filling the mold cavity, sand cores are generally not allowed in high pressure casting, so castings with complex inner cavity structures cannot be die-cast.

What Equipment is Used in High Pressure Casting?

Themain equipment used in high pressure castingis the die-casting machine, which is specially used for pressure casting.Die-casting machinesmainly include hot-pressure chamber die-casting machines and cold-pressure chamber die-casting machines. The following is a detailed explanation of these two types of die-casting machines:

1. The casting machine

(1)Hot pressure chamber die casting machine

• Structural features:The pressure chamber of the hot pressure chamber die casting machine and the furnace are closely connected as a whole. Somehot-pressure chamber die-casting machinesuse compressed air to directly hydraulically press metal into the mold without the need for a piston mechanism.
• Working principle:The metal is melted in the machine, and then the piston mechanism that hydraulically presses the metal into the mold is installed in the crucible. Before the machine works, the molten metal is poured into the furnace, and the pouring kettle and injection punch with the pressure chamber and gooseneck channel are soaked in the molten metal. The opening and closing action of the mold moves horizontally. After the mold is opened, the die-casting parts remain in the movable mold.
• Scope of application:Mainly used for die-casting zinc, tin and other alloys with lower melting points.

2.Cold pressure chamber die casting machine

• Structural features:The pressure chamber and the furnace of thecold pressure chamber die casting machineare separated. According to the structure and layout of the pressure chamber, it can be divided into two types: horizontal and vertical.
• Vertical cold pressure chamber die casting machine:The molten metal is taken out of the furnace and poured into the compression chamber. The compression piston hydraulically pushes the metal into the mold, and the excess metal is pushed out by another piston.
• Horizontal cold pressure chamber die casting machine:The same as the vertical type, except that the movement direction of the piston is horizontal. Most modern die-casting machines are horizontal.
• Working principle:The metal is melted outside the machine, and then the molten metal is added into the compression chamber with a spoon.

According to the direction of compression piston movement, it can be divided into vertical cold pressure chamber die casting machine and horizontal cold pressure chamber die casting machine.

2. Molds and Tooling

Inhigh pressure casting, molds are indispensable equipment. A mold is a reusable tool used for mass production that determines the shape and size of the casting. Tooling refers to auxiliary equipment designed to ensure the correct installation and use of the mold, including mold fixing devices, positioning devices, etc.

3. Cooling system
Thecooling system is also one of the important equipment in high pressure casting. Its main function is to ensure that the molten metal solidifies quickly in the mold to obtain high-quality castings. The cooling system usually includes cooling water channels, cooling fans and other components, which take away the heat in the mold by circulating cooling medium (such as water).

What are the Key Differences Between High and Low Pressure Casting?

High pressure casting and low pressure casting are two common casting processeswith significant differences between them, mainly in terms of pressure levels, production speeds and applications. Below is a table showing the main differences between high pressure casting and low pressure casting:

	High pressure casting	Low pressure casting
Stress levels	High, usually between 100~200MPa	Low, generally between 0.05~0.3MPa
Molten metal filling method	High-speed, high-pressure filling, molten metal is pressed into the mold at a high speed	Smooth, low-speed filling, the molten metal is slowly injected into the mold under the action of gas pressure
Productivity	High, suitable for large-scale production, able to produce a large number of castings in a short time	Relatively low, suitable for the production of castings with a small number of models
Casting quality	High dimensional accuracy, good surface finish, high strength and hardness	There are few internal defects, less gas and debris involvement, and the casting structure is dense
Mold requirements	The strength and heat resistance of the mold are required to be high, and the cost of the mold is high	The requirements for molds are also higher, but they may be more flexible in mold making than high-pressure casting
Scope of application	It is suitable for the production of complex and thin-walled castings, such as home appliances, hardware products, etc	It is often used to produce high-quality, high-precision castings, such as automotive parts, aerospace parts, etc
Degree of automation	It is easy to realize mechanization and automatic production, and reduce labor intensity	Automated production can also be achieved, but may vary depending on the process characteristics
Equipment costs	Usually higher because of the need for equipment that can withstand high pressures and high-speed filling	The equipment is also more expensive, but the equipment may be simpler than that of high-pressure casting

Choose LS as your trustworthy partner

LS Steelis certainly one of China’s high aluminum and zincdie casting manufacturing service suppliers. Along with casting, we additionally present prototyping, tooling, machining, and floor ending providers. We use essentially the most superior expertise for die-casting manufacturing. OurCNC machining serviceruns with one of the best expertise and a decade-long skilled engineers and employees. We provide one of the best cost-saving and technical machining design and manufacturing solutions you may ask for. Here’s a record of ourCNC machining capabilities:

• Our CNC milling store incorporates5-axis CNC machinesthat are extremely exact. These machines are able to offering tolerance as much as 0.005mm.
• We now have speedy CNC fixture expertise that ensures quicker machining and on-time supply for our purchasers.
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FAQs

1.What is high pressure casting?

High pressure casting, also known as pressure casting or die casting, is a specialty casting technology. It fills the die-casting mold cavity with liquid or semi-liquid metal at a high speed under high pressure and solidifies it under pressure, thereby obtaining a near-net shape casting.High pressure casting is widely used in industrial productiondue to its high efficiency, high precision and high quality.

2.How does high pressure casting work?

Theworking principle of high pressure castingis based on the high-pressure and high-speed molten metal filling process. Specifically, when the die-casting mold is closed, the injection punch is reset to the port of the pressure chamber, and the scoop injects a sufficient amount of superheated liquid metal into the pressure chamber. Subsequently, the injection punch starts the slow injection process, pushing the molten metal slowly and steadily to the inner gate. Then, the injection punch starts the rapid injection process under the action of the injection piston in the injection cylinder, pushing the liquid metal through the runner and ingate of the die-casting mold into the cavity of the die-casting mold at high speed. After the molten metal fills the mold cavity, the injection punch exerts pressure on the material cake, causing the molten metal to cool and solidify under high pressure. Finally, the mold is opened, and the ejection mechanism ejects the die-casting part to complete a die-casting cycle.

3.What are the advantages of high pressure casting? What are the challenges?

The advantages of high pressure casting are mainly reflected in high efficiency, high precision and high quality. However,high pressure casting also faces some challenges, such as high mold costs, large equipment investment, and high technical requirements for operators. Additionally, high-pressure casting can be limited when casting parts with complex internal cavities because high pressure and high-speed filling can lead to gas entrainment and casting defects.

4.In what fields is high pressure casting used?

High pressure casting is widely used in industrial production fields, including but not limited to: Aerospace: High pressure casting can manufacture lightweight, high-strength aerospace parts and meet the demand for high-performance materials in the aerospace field. Automobile manufacturing: High-pressure casting is used in automobile manufacturing to produce engine and transmission housings, oil pans and other auto parts to improve the efficiency and quality of parts production. Machinery manufacturing: High-pressure casting can manufacture various mechanical parts, such as motor end covers, compressor casings, etc., to improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs.

Summary

As an efficient,high precision and high-quality casting technology, high pressure casting has broad application prospects in the field of industrial production. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous optimization of processes, high pressure casting will play an important role in more fields, providing strong support for companies to improve production efficiency, reduce manufacturing costs, and improve product quality.

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