Optimising your die casting mould

A high-quality die cast component starts with high-quality tooling. The quality of your die casting tool not only determines the tolerances you can hold and how many shots you can obtain from a single mould, but also the repeatability, strength and complexity you can achieve throughout the life of your project.

We have covered what drives the cost of your die casting tool, as well as the top three reasons Dynacast tooling is more precise. Now, we would like to cover our tooling manufacturing process, capabilities and factors to consider when purchasing a die casting tool. Discover why optimising tool design and partnering with an experienced tooling supplier are critical to the success of your component production and achieving the greatest ROI from your project.

What is die casting tooling?

Tooling, or the die casting mould, contains a cavity into which molten metal is injected and formed. Once hardened, the tooling separates into multiple pieces, allowing the castings to be removed. Dynacast offers both our proprietary Multi-Slide die casting tooling and conventional die casting tooling. Each method offers distinct strengths depending on the project specifications and scale.

The tool design process

At Dynacast, all our die casting moulds are manufactured from high-quality steel at our tooling division in Germantown, Wisconsin. This facility has twenty toolmakers and three design engineers with more than 40 years of tooling experience.

When designing tooling, our team of engineers considers every aspect of the mould and the end part itself—from material selection, potential runner locations and tolerance stack-ups to more. State-of-the-art magma flow software helps analyse the castability of specific design features and identify the best locations for runner systems and cooling ports before the tool is manufactured. Features such as cooling ports limit tool wear, extending the life of your die casting tool and ensuring uniform porosity and high strength in the final casting.

Designing for optimal manufacturability

All the value engineering involved in designing a tool for success and longevity before the mould itself is cut forms part of the Dynacast core concept, designing for manufacturing (or DFM). For die casting tooling, designing for optimal manufacturability is what makes a truly high-quality die casting tool. DFM not only expedites the tool design process by delivering a successful tool that will last the life of the project, but also produces a more consistent, high-performing component than lower-quality tools.

Tooling care and maintenance

In addition to engineering a high-quality die casting tool, tooling care and maintenance should always be a priority for your die casting supplier. While our tooling is designed for longevity, repeated heating (to over 1200 °F) and cooling cycles will inevitably degrade the tool over time. Tools experience gate erosion and core wear, requiring occasional light maintenance during their service life. As with most machinery, adherence to a rigorous maintenance programme extends the lifespan of the tool and ensures the consistent, timely production of high-quality parts. Depending on your alloy selection and process, some tools require more maintenance than others.

For example, with proper design and maintenance, Multi-Slide tooling for zinc components can withstand approximately one million shots before requiring replacement, while conventional tooling for aluminium components can withstand roughly 200,000 shots.

The average number of shots a tool can withstand varies depending on project requirements, selected materials and component complexity, among other variables. To obtain an accurate assessment of your project's tool life, please consult one of our engineers.

When tool wear is considered before the mould is cut, your tooling maintenance requirements and likelihood of total tool replacement are greatly reduced. At Dynacast, all tools are kept in "like new" condition throughout the life of your project. When a tool requires maintenance to retain its "like new" condition, your maintenance is covered. All our tooling maintenance programmes are incorporated into the cost of your tool up front—so when you invest in your die casting tool, you are making a one-time investment for the entire life of your tool.

Getting the most ROI from your die casting tool

When choosing a die casting supplier, manufacturers want to know they are getting the most ROI from every step of their production process—including tooling. Some manufacturers may be tempted to cut corners by purchasing a cheaper, lower-quality tool. While these tools may have a lower upfront purchase price, they virtually guarantee greater investment later in the form of costly, unnecessary maintenance, tool replacement and part defects. By investing in higher-quality tooling, manufacturers can achieve greater ROI through longer tool life, lower scrap yield throughout the project life and improved part performance.

In addition to being wary of lower purchase prices, manufacturers can take several steps to engineer value into their die casting tools. When designing your component, consider the following to ensure a robust, long-lasting tool that produces high-quality parts:

• Plan for flexibility in draft angles. Increasing the draft angles of non-critical design elements enables easier part extraction, extending the tool's service life
• Allow more generous tolerance zones on non-critical design elements
• Involve your supplier as early as possible. Collaborate with our team of engineers early in the design phase to make adjustments specific to your part and avoid costly redesigns.

Every part is different, but we are here to help. Contact our team of engineers today to begin optimising your tool design and engineering value into every step of your manufacturing process.

To learn more about what makes a high-quality die casting tool and how to extend your tool life, register for our free on-demand webinar, Tools for Die Casting: Quality, Maintenance, Replacement.