Pressure die casting is a quick, reliable and cost-effective manufacturing process for production of high volume, metal components that are net-shaped have tight tolerances. Basically, the pressure die casting process consists of injecting under high pressure a molten metal alloy into a steel mold (or tool). This gets solidified rapidly (from milliseconds to a few seconds) to form a net shaped component. It is then automatically extracted.
Die casting process is preferred for nonferrous metal parts of intricate shapes. Examples of products are automobiles appliances, hand tools, computer peripherals, toys, optical and photographic equipment etc.
Advantages of Pressure Die Casting:
· Lower costs compared to other processes.
· Economical - typically production of any number of components from thousands to millions before requiring replacement is possible.
· Castings with close dimensional control and good surface finish
· Castings with thin walls, and therefore are lighter in weight
Depending upon the pressure used, there are two types of pressure die casting namely High Pressure Die Casting and Low Pressure Die Casting. While high pressure die casting has wider application encompassing nearly 50% of all light alloy casting production. Currently low pressure die casting accounts for about 20% of the total production but its use is increasing. High pressure castings are must for castings requiring tight tolerance and detailed geometry. As the extra pressure is able to push the metal into more detailed features in the mold. Low pressure die casting is commonly used for larger and non-critical parts.