<p>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:</p><ul><li>Good stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio</li><li>Corrosion resistance</li><li>Heat dissipating</li><li>Fully recyclable</li><li>Ideal for harsh environments</li><li>Excellent EMI shielding properties</li><li>Excellent thermal conductivity</li><li>Good finishing characteristics</li><li>Good machining characteristics</li></ul><h2><strong>Aluminum Alloys</strong></h2><p>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. </p><p>Below are two industry examples of how aluminum can be used:</p><h3>Automotive</h3><p>Unlike conventional hot-chamber die casting, which utilizes a two-part tool, multi-slide employs four perpendicular slides in the tool, allowing for the creation of intricate and precise castings. This technology provides design freedom, enabling the production of complex geometries with unmatched accuracy.</p><h3><strong>Handheld Devices</strong></h3><p>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.</p><p></p>

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Explore the benefits of aluminum die casting—lightweight, strong, and corrosion-resistant. Discover Dynacast's expertise in aluminum components.

Aluminum Die Casting Spotlight | Dynacast Article

Aluminum die has benefits and applications in various industries. Key applications include automotive and handheld devices.

Aluminum Die Casting Spotlight

<h1>Cast Aluminum with Thin Walls</h1><p>When designing components and selecting the right material, most engineers focus heavily on the weight of the material, which is why zinc is often overlooked when it comes to lightweight die casting applications. Many applications require parts to be lighter—especially in automotive and handheld device applications—so engineers choose aluminum or magnesium when really, zinc could be a more economical choice. At a quick glance one would assume that there is no place for zinc in lightweight applications, but if we look at the entire die casting process as a whole, can the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to lightweight zinc components?</p><h2>Castability</h2><p>Zinc is the most fluid of all alloys; it is no wonder die cast manufacturers like working with it. What most engineers don’t realize is that because of zinc’s greater fluidity, die castings can be made thinner, more intricate, and more complex, eliminating the need for secondary operations that are almost always necessary for aluminum and magnesium alloys. With less material being used in thin-wall applications, parts automatically become lighter, creating savings in material cost and energy—when melting and recycling.</p><h2>Extended Die Life</h2><p>One of the biggest upfront costs in die casting is the investment in quality tooling. The tools used in the die casting process are usually heat-treated steel. The cost of tooling varies depending on the size and complexity of the component as well as the tooling type—conventional or multi-slide. Due to the low melting temperature of zinc die casting alloy, dies for zinc parts can last up to 10 times longer than dies used for aluminum and about five times longer than dies used for magnesium. When designing high-volume, complex components, zinc</p><h2>Cycle Time</h2><p>During the die casting process, molten metal is injected into the die to create the part. When the metal is solidified, the component is then ejected from the tool. Cooling time in the tool varies depending on the alloy and the size of the part and is often dictated by the size of the runner system. Zinc utilizes the hot chamber die casting process, which yields four to five shots per minute. Aluminum is a cold chamber die casting alloy only yielding two to three shots per minute. Since cycle time can determine up to 60 percent of the final part cost, using a zinc die casting alloy could offer added savings.</p><p><strong>Did you know that our proprietary multi-slide zinc die casting process can achieve upwards of 45 shots per minute?</strong></p><h2>Mechanical Properties</h2><p>Standard zinc alloys are stronger than aluminum and magnesium alloys at room temperature. Strength is inherent in the alloy itself and does not require secondary processing like most aluminum alloys—this saves on the overall cost per part.</p><p>EZAC is an alloy offered by Dynacast that is stronger and harder than any other die casting alloy. It is approximately 2.5 times stronger (yield strength) and 1.5 times harder (Brinell) than the most common aluminum die casting alloy, A380. With its zinc characteristics, EZAC is a great option for those seeking a high-strength, creep resistant alloy.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Material</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Alloy</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Yield Strength (0.2%)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Hardness</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p>PSI X 10^3</p></td><td><p>Brinell (HB)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Zinc</p></td><td><p>Zamak 3</p></td><td><p>32</p></td><td><p>82</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Zinc</p></td><td><p>EZAC</p></td><td><p>57</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aluminum</p></td><td><p>A380</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>80</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Magnesium</p></td><td><p>AZ91D</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>63</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Try our interactive metal selector tool to compare physical and mechanical properties of other die cast alloys.</p><p>Dynacast has over 80 years of experience in the die casting industry. Year after year our team of engineers improve and optimize our zinc die casting machines and our processes to provide the best, quality service to our customers all over the world. Contact our team today to learn more about our die casting capabilities and let us help you determine if zinc is the right fit for your next project.  </p><br /><p></p>

Explore the key benefits of zinc die casting including strength, detail, and cost efficiency for high-volume part production.

Benefits of Zinc Die Casting | Dynacast

Zinc die casting offers several advantages over aluminum and magnesium, including faster cycle times, longer die life, and comparable mechanical properties. 

Benefits of Zinc Die Casting

<p><strong>When considering a viable production process for a project, companies across all industries ask the same question:</strong></p><h2>How can we cut cost without sacrificing part quality or performance?</h2><p>Some manufacturers will choose the lesser of the two evils and produce their parts with a discount supplier at the expense of part quality and production longevity. Others will choose a supplier who simply produces the part design as-is without regard to efficiency or repeatability, which can lead to costly secondary manufacturing and longer lead times.</p><p>Fortunately, these aren’t your only options. You can adopt a practice dedicated to identifying hidden costs that can be eliminated to make manufacturing more efficient—without compromising performance.</p><h2>Balancing design with cost-effective production</h2><p>In order to avoid the cost and quality paradox, companies have to relentlessly pursue innovation all the way through their production supply chain—from the drawing board to the delivery of the complete part.</p><p>Companies that have not successfully balanced design with cost-effective production get caught in an innovative “two-step,” where they concentrate their innovation solely in product design and sourcing stages.</p><p>In the first stage, companies will pour innovation into their new product designs. They try new technologies, new materials, and new ideas, in an effort to make groundbreaking advancements and a big ripple in the perceived market.</p><p>Then, once the product’s been in production for one or more generations, with its design continually proving itself in the marketplace and supplier processes and relationships firmly in place, the second stage of the cycle begins. This is when sourcing teams take over with a desire to procure less expensive parts, and global supply managers scrutinize the bill of materials with an eye toward line-item reductions. It’s the design procurement two-step.</p><p>While innovation in any form is advantageous, these are not the only stages of the production process that can benefit from a little extra ingenuity. In order to break out of the two-step rut, companies must learn to engineer value into their part through the entire production cycle. Here are six key approaches to finding and incorporating hidden value into your production processes:</p><h3>Material selection</h3><p>Exploring material options for parts can return great value, as various alloys with equivalent strength attributes can be employed in manufacturing given the appropriate testing. By exploring alternative alloys that you may not have considered, you can significantly lower the overall cost of your production.</p><h3>Choosing the optimal process</h3><p>Sometimes, taking a different manufacturing path is the answer to realizing major results. Even if your current manufacturing process is functional, there could be a more effective process that reduces or eliminates secondary operations, increases your speed-to-market, or can produce more shots per minute.</p><h3>Extending die life</h3><p>An area of impact during mass production is the durability of the die. If the part is designed such that the die wears easily, it would need to be replaced more often, adding both cost and delays to your project.</p><h3>Eliminating secondary operations</h3><p>If components have been designed with geometric features that are toleranced in ways that are impossible to mass-produce traditionally, they require multiple operations. In certain manufacturing processes, these secondary operations can account for huge waste, representing as much as 80% of the component cost. Casting a net-shape or near-net shape part would reduce the need for these costly secondary operations.</p><h3>Part consolidation</h3><p>Taking multiple components that are adjacent to one another in an assembly and combining them into one piece is a cost saving that can be easily accomplished. Advancements in manufacturing methods like die casting eliminate the need for assembly—providing savings by consolidating those two fixed parts.</p><h3>Preventative maintenance reduction</h3><p>Certainly, the most tangible result you can realize from value engineering is that there’s no longer a compromise of quality for cost. Value engineering is purely cost reduction, not a discount: <strong>value is engineered in, expense is engineered out.</strong></p><p>The difference that value engineering can make ranges from changing material on the smallest of parts to optimizing entire tooling setups and part consolidation—resulting in ROI that you can realize in a year, and that can last the life of a product. In truth, the only way you won’t see benefits in your business is by not implementing the practice of engineering value at all.</p><h2>Preventative maintenance reduction</h2><p><strong>6 Key Approaches to Engineering Hidden Value is just a snippet of our Value Engineering whitepaper. </strong></p>

Discover 6 engineering approaches that add value to your die cast parts through smarter design and advanced manufacturing. 

Die Cast Engineering Design | Dynacast

Six key strategies—focusing on material selection, optimal processes, extending die life, eliminating secondary operations, part consolidation, and reducing preventative maintenance—to cut costs without sacrificing quality or performance.

6 Key Approaches to Engineering Hidden Value

<p>A high-quality die cast component starts with high-quality tooling. The quality of your die cast tool not only determines the tolerances you’re able to hold and how many shots you can get out of a single mold, but also the repeatability, strength, and complexity you’re able to achieve throughout the life of your project.</p><p>We’ve covered what drives the cost of your die cast tool as well as the top three reasons Dynacast tooling is more precise, but now we’d like to cover our tooling manufacturing process, capabilities, and what to take into consideration when purchasing a die cast tool. Discover why optimizing tool design and partnering with an experienced tooling supplier is critical to the success of your component’s production and gaining the most ROI from your project.</p><h2>What is die cast tooling?</h2><p>Tooling, or the die cast mold, contains a cavity in which molten metal is injected and formed. Once hardened, the tooling is separated into multiple pieces, allowing for the removal of the castings. Dynacast offers both our proprietary multi-slide die cast tooling, as well as conventional die cast tooling. Each method offers unique strengths depending on the specifications and scale of the project.</p><h2>The tool design process</h2><p>At Dynacast, all of our die cast molds are manufactured and produced with high-quality steel at our tooling division in Germantown, Wisconsin. There are twenty toolmakers and three design engineers at this facility with over 40 years of tooling experience.</p><p>When designing the tooling, our team of engineers takes into consideration all aspects of the mold and the end-part itself—from material selection, potential runner sites, tolerance stackups, and more. State-of-the-art magma flow software helps to analyze the castability of certain design features and the best sites for runner systems and cooling ports before the tool is manufactured. Features like cooling ports limit the amount of tool wear, prolonging the life of your die cast tool and ensuring an even porosity and high strength in the final casting.</p><h2>Designing for optimal manufacturability</h2><p>All of the value engineering that goes into designing the tool for success and longevity before the mold itself is cut is part of the Dynacast core concept, designing for manufacturing (or, DFM). When it comes to die cast tooling, designing for optimal manufacturability is what makes a true high-quality die cast tool. Not only does DFM expediate the tool design process by delivering a successful tool that will last the life of the project, but also makes for a more consistent, high-performing component than lower-quality tools.</p><h2>Tooling care and maintenance</h2><p>Aside from engineering a high-quality die cast tool, tooling care and maintenance should always be top of mind for your die cast supplier. While our tooling is designed for longevity, repeated cycles of heating (to over 1200 °F) and cooling 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 rigid maintenance program extends the lifespan of the tool and ensures the consistent and timely production of high-quality parts. And depending on your alloy selection and process, some tools require more maintenance than others.</p><p>For example, with proper design and maintenance, multi-slide tooling for zinc components can withstand approximately one million shots before needing replacement, while conventional tooling for aluminum components can withstand roughly 200,000 shots.</p><p><strong>The average number of shots a tool can withstand varies depending upon project requirements, selected materials, and component complexity, among other variables. To get an accurate assessment of your project’s tool life, please consult with one of our engineers.</strong></p><p>With tool wear taken into consideration before the mold is cut, your tooling maintenance and likelihood of total tool replacement is greatly reduced. At Dynacast, all tools are kept in “like new” condition throughout the life of your project. And when the tool requires maintenance to retain its “like new” condition, your maintenance is covered. All of our tooling maintenance programs are incorporated into the cost of your tool up-front—so when you invest in your die cast tool, you’re making a one-time investment over the entire life of your tool.</p><h2>Getting the most ROI from your die cast tool</h2><p>When choosing a die cast supplier, manufacturers want to know they’re getting the most ROI out of 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 incur a lower up-front ticket price, they virtually guarantee greater investment down the line in the form of costly, unnecessary maintenance, tool replacement, and part defects. By investing in higher quality tooling, manufacturers are able to recoup greater ROI with prolonged tool life, lower scrap yield through the life of the project, and improved part performance.</p><p>In addition to being weary of a lower ticket prices, there are a few things manufacturers can do to engineer value into their die cast tools. When designing your component, the following should be considered to ensure a robust and long-lasting tool that produces high-quality parts:</p><ul><li>Be mindful and <strong>plan for flexibility when it comes to draft angles</strong>. Increasing draft angles of non-critical design elements allows for easier part extraction, which extends the service life of the tool</li><li>Allow for&nbsp;<strong>lenient tolerance zones</strong> on non-critical design elements</li><li><strong>Get involved with your supplier as early as possible!</strong> Collaborate with our team of engineers to make adjustments unique to your specific part early on in the design phase to avoid costly re-designs.</li></ul><p>Every part is different, but we are here to help. Get in contact with our team of engineers to get started on optimizing your tool design and engineering value into every step of your manufacturing process today.</p><p>To learn more about what makes a high-quality die cast tool and how to prolong the life of your tool, register for our free on-demand webinar, <strong>Tools for Die Casting: Quality, Maintenance, Replacement.</strong></p>

Learn how to optimize your die casting mold design to improve cycle time, reduce costs, and ensure high-quality part production.

Die Casting Mold Optimizations | Improve Efficiency

Optimizing your die casting mold is crucial for producing high-quality components.

Aluminum Die Casting Spotlight

Aluminum Alloys

Automotive

Handheld Devices

Interested in starting your die casting journey?