Aluminum is one of the most commonly used materials in die casting. It’s lightweight, strong, rigid, and can withstand high temperatures, which makes it common across many industries. Some other qualities of aluminum include:

• Good stiffness and strength to weight ratio
• Corrosion resistance
• Heat dissipating
• Fully recyclable
• Ideal for harsh environments
• Excellent EMI shielding properties
• Excellent thermal conductivity
• Good finishing characteristics
• Good machining characteristics

At Dynacast, the aluminum alloys that are most commonly used in North America are A380, 383 and 413 with their equivalent Asian and European alloys being used in other regions. However, a number of other alloys are available depending on customer requirements and product design needs. Unlike primary aluminum alloys that have to be mined and extracted from ore, these secondary alloys are derived from primary aluminum scrap, which means they are more environmentally friendly. Dynacast has aluminum plants all over the world, which means your aluminum parts can be manufactured in a location that’s best for you.

Below are two industry examples of how aluminum can be used:

Automotive

Die casting in aluminum significantly contributes to the weight saving requirements needed to improve fuel economy in vehicles. One of Dynacast’s strengths in the automobile industry is in electronic applications, where customers are looking for proven quality, part-to-part consistency, and high volume. Dynacast is a leading supplier in automotive parts such as airbag housings, retractor spools, shields for telematics equipment and housings for sensors. 

Handheld Devices

Aluminum die cast shields and housings give EMI shielding, rigidity, and durability with minimal additional weight for handheld devices. This becomes an important quality when emission and interference suppression requirements are high.

What are some parts you’ve die casted using aluminum? Did you feel like it was the correct metal for your parts?