Aluminum is amongst those metals which can be ‘cast’ by every process used in metal casting. These processes, in descending order of quantity of aluminum casting are: die casting, permanent mold Metal Casting , sand casting, plaster casting, investment casting, and continuous casting. The Casting process is selected on the basis of factors such as cost, feasibility, quality, etc.
One should not be concerned about these methods as they are all very simple and feasible. However, the most suitable casting method can be decided according to the design features or dimensions. For instance-Large products are made using sand casting. The quality factor is also important in selecting the casting process. Quality refers to both, mechanical properties (ductility and strength) and soundness (surface imperfections, cracking, and porosity freedom).
The methods most commonly used can be described as follows:
Die Metal Casting : As per the statistics, around $2.5m worth of die-castings of aluminum alloys are produced in the US alone every year. The process of die casting utilizes almost two times the tonnage of aluminum alloys as the combination of other casting processes. Die casting is best suited for large quantity production of relatively tiny parts. Aluminum die castings upto 50 Kg of weight can be produced if casting-machine costs and high tooling are justified.
Some common applications of die cast aluminum alloys are inclusive of alloy 380.0 for Lawnmower housings, Alloy A380.0 for streetlamps housings, dental equipment, typewriter frames, Alloy 360.0 for frying skillets, instrument cases, cover plates, parts needing corrosion resistance, Alloy 413.0 for outboard parts of motor like connecting rods, pistons, housing, and Alloy 518.1 for conveyor components, escalator parts, aircraft, marine hardware.
Die castings cannot be easily heated or welded due to entrapped gases. Efforts are being on the war footing to overcome this obstacle. The die castings of aluminum alloys are generally produced using aluminum -silicon-copper alloys. This alloy family gives an excellent combination of corrosion resistance, strength, and cost, along with respite from ‘hot shortness’ and high fluidity which are mandatory for easy casting. Alloys with a lower content of copper will really help to avoid corrosion and should be used for corrosion to be avoided.
‘Permanent Mold’ casting: ‘Permanent mold’ casting is best suited for high-volume production. Their size is larger than ‘die castings’. These castings have a very low pouring rate. They are gravity-fed. Outstanding mechanical properties are exhibited by ‘permanent mold’ castings. There is a lot of scope for further improvement if they are given heat treatment.
Some of the most common alloys of ‘aluminum permanent mold casting’ include Alloy 366.0 for automotive pistons, Alloys 355.0, A357.0, C355.0 for impellers, timing gears, compressors, missile and aircraft components, Alloys A356.0, 356.0 for aircraft wheels, parts of machine tools, pump parts, valve bodies, marine hardware, and 296.0, 333.0, 319.0.
Sand casting: This type of casting involves formation of casting mold (with sand). It is inclusive of conservative sand casting & lost-foam casting. The first thing we are looking at involes the process of making a pattern of sand and then pouring the hot metal into it and then allowing it to form and then breaking it. The foam that goes into the mold in the lost foam pattern process should be assumed that the foam is dispensable. The rest of the procedure is the same as conservative sand casting.
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