Aluminum is amongst those metals which can be cast byevery process used in metal casting. These processes, in descending order ofquantity of aluminum casting are: diecasting, permanent mold casting, sand casting, plaster casting, investmentcasting, and continuous casting. The casting process is selected on the basisof factors such as cost, feasibility, quality, etc. Feasibility is not a problem, as all the above methods arequite practicable.
However, the most suitable casting method can be decidedaccording to the design features or dimensions. For instance-Large products are made using sand casting. The qualityfactor is also important in selecting aluminum die casting coffee machine parts for sale the casting process. Quality refers toboth, mechanical properties ductility and strength and soundness surfaceimperfections, cracking, and porosity freedom. The methods most commonly used can be described as follows: Die Casting: Asper the statistics, around $2.5m worth of die-castings of aluminum alloys are produced in the US alone everyyear. The process of die casting utilizes almost two times the tonnage ofaluminum alloys as the combination ofother casting processes. Die casting is best suited for large quantityproduction of relatively tiny parts. Aluminum die castings upto 50 Kg of weightcan 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 forLawnmower housings, Alloy A380.0 for streetlamps housings, dental equipment,typewriter frames, Alloy 360.0 for frying skillets, instrument cases, coverplates, parts needing corrosion resistance, Alloy 413.0 for outboard parts ofmotor 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 toentrapped gases. Efforts are being on the war footing to overcome thisobstacle. 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 fluiditywhich are mandatory for easy casting. If one desires a better resistance tocorrosion, he should make use of alloys having a lower copper content. Permanent Moldcasting: Permanent mold casting is best suited for high-volumeproduction. Their size is larger than die castings. These castings have avery low pouring rate.
They are gravity-fed. Outstanding mechanical propertiesare exhibited by permanent mold castings. There is a lot of scope for furtherimprovement if they are given heat treatment. Some of the most common alloys of aluminum permanent mold casting include Alloy 366.0for 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: Thistype of casting involves formation of casting mold (with sand). It is inclusiveof conservative sand casting & lost-foam casting. The first one involvesforming a pattern of sand, pouring the molten metal into it and breaking itonce the product is formed. Lost-foam pattern involves putting a dispensablepattern of polystyrene in the mold. The rest of the procedure is the same asconservative sand casting.
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