Aluminium Gravity Die Casting
NovaCast’s gravity die casting facility is located at the Melksham foundry and is ideally suited to producing medium-run components from Aluminium and other non-ferrous alloys. Aluminium Gravity Die Casting is a permanent mould casting process that produces very high quality surface finishes with thin walls and cast-in inserts so intricate shapes can be cast rapidly and little subsequent machining is required.
Why use NovaCast Aluminium gravity die casting?
Gravity die casting delivers many benefits including:
- Excellent dimensional accuracy
- Smooth cast surfaces
- Thinner walls can be cast allowing intricate shapes
- Inserts, such as threads, heating elements and high-strength surfaces can be cast-in
- Secondary machining is reduced or eliminated
- Production rates can be rapid making longer production runs possible
- Tensile strength is higher than with sand casting
Gravity Die Casting Process
- A metal die is manufactured, usually in 2 parts, to form a mould.
- The mould is heated and a lubricant is sprayed into it to assist in controlling temperature and in removal of the casting.
- Molten metal is poured into the mould.
- Once solidified, the die is opened and the casting removed either by hand or with the use of pins in automated processes.
- Excess material including the gate, runners, sprues and flash can be removed using a trim die in a power press or by hand.
- Scrap metal is then re-used in the production cycle by re-melting.
Limitations of the process:
There are some disadvantages to this process including:
- The initial tooling cost can be high
- Longer production runs are needed to keep unit costs down and make gravity die casting competitive with other processes
To discuss your requirements, call a member of NovaCast’s team on +44 (0) 1225 707466, send us a message here or email sales@novacast.co.uk.