<h1>Design Tips for Improved Die Casting</h1><p>Die casting is a versatile manufacturing process capable of producing a wide range of parts from various metals. To optimize part design and achieve optimal results, consider these essential tips.</p><h2>Die Casting Variables</h2><p><strong>Draft:</strong>&nbsp;Incorporating draft, a slight taper on part walls, is crucial for easy casting removal and to compensate for shrinkage. Aim for a draft angle of ¼ to 1 degree per side, adjusting as needed based on alloy and process.</p><p><strong>Fillets and Radii:</strong>&nbsp;Generous fillets and radii enhance part strength, improve metal flow, and simplify finishing. Implement them whenever possible.</p><p><strong>Ribs and Bosses:</strong>&nbsp;While ribs and bosses increase part strength, ensure they blend seamlessly with fillets and radii to avoid sharp corners. Apply draft to non-critical surfaces.</p><p><strong>Pockets:</strong>&nbsp;Reduce part weight and cycle time by incorporating pockets into solid sections. Maintain proper draft and radii for optimal results.</p><p><strong>Optimizing Material Flow:</strong>&nbsp;Facilitate metal flow by designing parts with smooth corners and uniform sections. While challenging in some cases, minimize restrictions like long slots and maximize flow with round holes.</p><h3><strong>Additional Considerations</strong></h3><p>Explore the full potential of the die casting process by incorporating features like logos, textures, integrated fasteners, and embossed part numbers. Dynacast’s 4-slide die casting process offers even greater flexibility.</p><p>Dynacast provides a comprehensive design for manufacturing&nbsp;(DFM)&nbsp;service to help optimize your part design for die casting and cost-effectiveness.</p>

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Enhance die casting efficiency and part quality with Dynacast's expert design tips, focusing on manufacturability and cost-effective production.

Design Tips for Improved Die Casting | Dynacast Article

See essential design tips for optimizing die casting parts.

Design Tips for Improved Die Casting

<p>Whether you spell it “aluminum” or “aluminium,” you know that this ductile, non-magnetic metal is the one of the most versatile, plentiful materials on Earth. By mass, aluminum is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon, and is notable for its low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, and corrosion resistant properties. But did you know that aluminum is also 100% recyclable?</p><p>Aluminum recycling&nbsp;is the process of re-melting metal scraps and extracting the aluminum from the rest. Today, about 75% of all aluminum produced in history, nearly a billion tons, is still in use.</p><p>When selecting a material to meet your project requirements, part performance is essential. We know that the material capabilities play a big role in the success or failure of a component. Since aluminum can be recycled again and again with no deterioration in its mechanical or physical properties, it can serve the same applications with the same level of performance as primary aluminum extracted directly from bauxite ore—all while having a positive impact on the environment and your bottom line.</p><h2>Maintain same performance and physical properties with recycled aluminum</h2><p>In some cases, the word “recycled” implies that you’re compromising strength and performance. For instance, you may be saving the sea turtles with your recycled paper straw, but it’s soggy within 10 minutes of being in your drink. The same cannot be said about using recycled aluminum.</p><p>Aluminum is infinitely recyclable and retains its properties indefinitely. While a few select industries—aerospace, for instance—require the exact properties of virgin aluminum, most industries can achieve the exact level of performance, lightweight durability, strength, and corrosion resistance with recycled secondary aluminum. If your component requires a die casting material that maintains high strength and durability at high temperatures, has excellent thermal conductivity, and high dimensional stability with thin walls, recycled aluminum is the material for you.</p><h2>Saving cost by using recycled aluminum</h2><p>Extracting aluminum from ore is a highly expensive, inefficient process. The process transforms raw bauxite into pure aluminum using electrolysis, which requires a lot of raw material and energy for very little yield. Producing one kilogram of aluminum requires approximately four kilograms of raw bauxite ore and uses between 190 and 230 megajoules of energy.</p><p>Recycling aluminum, on the other hand, uses about 5% of the energy used to produce primary aluminum. In manufacturing, the burden of cost of producing raw materials is transferred onto the customer. Even when the cost of collection, separation, and recycling are taken into account, manufacturing your component with recycled aluminum eliminates up to 95% of raw material and energy cost that would otherwise drive up the piece part price of your component.</p><h2>Lessen environmental impact with recycled aluminum</h2><p>The environmental benefits of using recycled aluminum are extensive—including reducing energy use, mining pollution, shipping pollution and emissions, and carbon dioxide emissions. Most of the energy consumption in aluminum die casting is used to heat and remelt the metal during fabrication. For this reason, Dynacast is able to save more time, energy, and money by remelting in-house.</p><p>Additionally, major aluminum recyclers have shifted to using greener sources of power to melt aluminum scraps, such as geothermal, nuclear, solar, or hydroelectric power.</p><h2>Corporate social responsibility</h2><p>In recent years, there has been mounting pressure from the global community for companies to operate responsibly and minimize their environmental footprint. In response, many manufacturing companies are taking steps to establish initiatives that more positively impact their local communities and the environment. An easy way to achieve this is to manufacture with recycled aluminum alloys.</p><p>For instance, industry-leading companies such as&nbsp;Apple use recycled aluminum to achieve their aggressive, sustainable manufacturing goals while maintaining the lightweight performance that has come to be standard for their end-products.</p><p>At Dynacast, we send off all industrial scrap metal, including aluminum, that was produced as a by-product of our operations to be recycled and used for future projects. The closed loop cycle prevents waste from going to landfills and reduces the raw material cost for our customers. Our aluminum is good for the environment, and good for our customers.</p><h2>Take advantage of the benefits of recycled aluminum</h2><p>Apart from the high performance that the material itself offers, choosing to manufacture your components with recycled aluminum allows you to take advantage of energy savings, cost savings, and more robust corporate social responsibility initiatives.</p>

Advantages of recycled aluminum, including its high performance, cost efficiency, and environmental benefits. Learn how using recycled aluminum can enhance your sustainability efforts and reduce manufacturing costs. 

Benefits of Recycled Aluminum 

See how recycled aluminum not only maintains high performance and durability but also offers significant cost savings and environmental benefits, making it a smart choice for sustainable manufacturing. 

Benefits of Recycled Aluminum

<h2>Choosing the right process for your metal component</h2><p>If you’re considering screw machining or die casting for your next part, your project probably requires exact tolerances, quick turnaround times, and is high in production volume. These characteristics make a part a viable candidate for each process.</p><p>Although precision metal components are achievable through both production processes, the choice often comes down to efficiency and cost—which production process will add more value to your project? In this blog, we’ll cover the different benefits of screw machining and die casting and what you stand to gain by converting your precision component from screw machining to die casting.</p><h2>Benefits of screw machining</h2><p>When it comes to screw machining, there are two main benefits.</p><p>The first is the screw machining allows you to manufacture steel alloys that cannot be die cast. Die cast tools are made of hardened steel to withstand the high pressure and heat of the die casting process. Since aluminum and zinc have significantly lower melt temperatures than steel, the metals don’t fuse with the steel tool. Attempting to die cast a steel component, on the other hand, would yield one large block of compounded steel.</p><p>The second benefit is that screw machining holds exact tolerances at a lower initial tooling expense. CNC machining of any kind is sometimes thought to hold the tightest tolerances of any manufacturing process.</p><p>While it is true that machining produces tight tolerances and precise parts, Dynacast engineers argue that die casting can produce parts of nearly equal precision and increased complexity at a lower part price, faster. And when efficiency and cost are factors in your decision, the benefits of die casting will outweigh the benefits of screw machining every time.</p><h2>Benefits of die casting</h2><p>The benefits of die casting are largely associated with production speed and part price savings.</p><p>Dynacast’s multi-slide machines can be designed with multiple cavities and enable our engineers to cast extremely complex parts, quickly. Our multi-slide die casting machines cycle at speeds of up to 75 cycles per minute, delivering 4,500 shots per hour. In a two-cavity tool, this means 9,000 parts per hour.</p><p>A faster cycle time contributes to lowered overall cost per piece. Additionally, die cast tools ensure unmatched complexity of internal and external geometries, so there are fewer secondary operations associated with die casting. With multi-slide die casting, you can cast complex geometries that would otherwise need to be manufactured from two or more pieces and assembled using any other processes.</p><p>While screw machining offers a lower up-front tooling cost, die casting more than makes up for that in the overall part price savings. On an ideal part (one that is small, high volume, and can be cast in zinc), the tool is paid back in full somewhere between 10-14 months of production. Every part made after that is an earning towards your bottom line.</p><p><strong>Do you want to know if your current chosen alloy can be converted into a zinc alloy with similar properties? Consult our interactive metal selector tool, or ask one of our engineers.</strong></p><h2>What do you gain from converting from screw machining to die casting?</h2><p>So maybe you’re currently screw machining your precision metal component. While this effectively produces a complex part, our engineers recognize the drawbacks of screw machining as compared to die casting. In addition to offering higher efficiency at a lower overall piece part price, die casting also offers greater design freedom, exacting tolerances, and material waste reduction.</p><h3>Open capacity for parts that can’t be screw machined</h3><p>One of the biggest advantages of converting to die casting from screw machining is that die casting allows you to produce shapes that are impossible to achieve with screw machining. When utilizing screw machining as a manufacturing process, you are limited to parts that can be machined from bar or tubular stock on a rotating axis. Parts that require complex inner geometries or dissimilar features are virtually impossible to screw machine.</p><h3>Exact tolerances, faster</h3><p>When converting to die casting, design engineers are often concerned that die casting won’t be able to hold as tight a tolerance as screw machined parts. Generally speaking, if you screw machine slow enough, the tolerances are unmatched. With that said, taking the time to do so slows down the entire production process, and often, the tolerance that a project requires can be accommodated by multi-slide die casting.</p><p>The concessions for tight tolerances, while there may be some, are not great. Multi-slide die casting produces precision components with tolerances of +/-0.02mm. And with Dynacast, design engineers are able to work together with customers to tweak the design of the part for optimal manufacturability, delivering faster cycle times and increased part performance.</p><p></p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NjduJayWpL0" width="560" height="315" title="Multi-Slide Die Casting Process | Dynacast Die Casting" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><h3><br />Reduce scrap/raw material waste</h3><p>Finally, converting from screw machining to die casting drastically cuts down on wasted material.</p><p>Screw machining works by cutting away from a solid piece of metal, or tubular stock. That means, as the customer, you’re paying for <em>all</em> the raw material that goes into the tubular stock, not just the material in the final part. You’re paying for the wasted metal that hits the floor.</p><p>In contrast, in a four-cavity die casting tool, the gating system only produces waste roughly the size of the tab of a pen cap. By utilizing die casting, you’re cutting down on waste and additional cost while improving your overall yield.</p><p><strong>Die casting is an ideal match for high volume projects that require tight tolerances and speedy delivery. Want to learn how to design for optimal manufacturability in die casting? Download our free design guide to learn more.</strong></p>

Compare die casting and screw machining to determine the most cost-effective and efficient solution for your manufacturing needs.

Die Casting vs. Screw Machining | Choosing the Best

Explore the key differences between die casting and screw machining to determine which process offers superior efficiency, cost savings, and design flexibility for your precision metal components, and discover the benefits of converting from screw machining to die casting. 

Die Casting vs. Screw Machining

<p>The solar industry is booming, and with it comes a renewed focus on domestic production. Federal incentives are pushing manufacturers to bring their operations back to the US, creating both opportunities and significant challenges. One solar panel mounting manufacturer found themselves facing a tight deadline to relocate their production, and they needed a partner who could help them navigate this complex transition.</p><h2><strong>A Race Against Time</strong></h2><p>To capitalize on federal incentives and substantial cost reductions, prioritizing US production relocation was essential. The challenge was not just about relocating tools and parts, but also about establishing a robust, high-quality manufacturing process that would be sustainable in the future. The manufacturer needed to meet demanding quality standards, significantly expand their capacity, and do it all while minimizing disruption to their existing operations.</p><h2><strong>A Seamless Tooling Transition</strong></h2><p>The Dynacast team partnered with the solar mounting manufacturer to rapidly onshore their production, streamline their supply chain, and ensure a high-quality output. Scalable capacity was a key factor, allowing them to meet both their current production needs and anticipate their future growth. Quick turnaround times meant they could get their new production line up and running fast. Their in-house assembly expertise further provided a crucial value-added service, simplifying their operations.</p><p>A smooth tooling transfer was essential to minimizing production disruptions. The Lake Forest engineering team played a critical role in this process, ensuring a seamless transition and minimizing any downtime. This expertise was invaluable in keeping the project on track.</p><h2><strong>Successful Solar Onshoring</strong></h2><p>Dynacast enabled the rapid onshoring of the solar manufacturer's production, leading to several key benefits:</p><ul><li>Improvement in part quality</li><li>Access to valuable tax incentives associated with domestic production</li><li>Value-added operations</li></ul><p>Dynacast effectively managed the onshoring challenges for the solar manufacturer, delivering optimized results within a limited timeframe. As the solar industry continues to innovate and push the boundaries of technology, efficient manufacturing is crucial. The drive for domestic solar production is a major trend, reflecting a shift towards energy independence and sustainable practices.</p>

See how onshore manufacturing enhances supply chain stability, quality, and cost-effectiveness for solar industry components.

Onshore Manufacturing Benefits for Solar Parts

The solar industry is booming, and with it comes a renewed focus on domestic production. Federal incentives are pushing manufacturers to bring their operations back to the US, creating both opportunities and significant challenges. One solar panel mounting manufacturer found themselves facing a tight deadline to relocate their production, and they needed a partner who could help them navigate this complex transition. This articles explains how Dynacast was able to help.

Design Tips for Improved Die Casting

Design Tips for Improved Die Casting

Die Casting Variables

Additional Considerations

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