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Die casting is a process that is essential to many industries, especially in the computer, electronics, automotive, and telecommunications industries. The use of die cast parts in many products and appliances has provided manufacturers the opportunity to produce high-integrity and quality products used by the public over the years. Advancements in the die casting process has allowed many die casting companies to use various metals and other materials when producing parts and components. Die cast parts manufacturers follow a certain die cast design guide to be able to produce parts based on the required specifications, and you may want to learn more of this before choosing a die cast provider.
Die Cast Draft and Fillet Designs
Simply put, the term "draft" in a die cast design guide refers to the way the parts and core of a die is sloped or tapered. A draft allows the die caster to remove the finished component more efficiently than a die with straight cores and cavities. When using a die, the inner walls require more draft than the outer walls because the casting injected into the mold shrinks when it begins to cool and is subjected to great pressure. The right amount of draft that is given to the die results in die cast parts with higher surface quality.
A fillet on the other hand is used for dies that have sharp edges or corners. If you take a look at a die cast design guide, you will notice that fillets are almost always used when casting parts with sharp edges or corners. This is because a fillet strengthens the die and eliminates the possibility of coming up with inferior components. Sharp edges in die cast parts can mean instability and therefore are damaged easily when used, while sharp corners on the die casting weaken the die itself, which of course also results in inferior dies. However, there are edges on die cast parts that need to be maintained as they are. In a die cast design guide, these are more commonly called as the parting lines.
Parting Lines and Bosses
In essence, parting lines define the outer surface from the inner surface of the die part that is to be manufactured. Parting lines are usually drawn up using an advanced analysis tool based on a die cast design guide. The analysis tool calculates the geometric design of the die and provides a detailed outline of both the inner and outer surfaces of the die parts. This allows for better parts manufacturing and reduces waste of the metal alloys injected into the mold.
Bosses, according to a die cast design guide, are added onto parts and components to serve as stand offs and mounting points, such as knobs that need to be attached to another surface. During the casting process, die cast parts manufacturers often add a hole in the middle of the boss to ensure a uniform thickness in the walls of the die and to let the metal or alloy flow easily into the die mold. A draft is also applied to the bosses to make sure that the parts have high surface quality when the metal has cooled down.
Die Cast Mold Components and Post Machining
Although most die cast parts are fixed into position, there are some parts that can be inserted and incorporated into the die to add the necessary design elements needed for the parts being manufactured. Mold components such as cores and inserts are often added before the die casting process so as to come up with more intricate and complex die cast components based on the required specifications. A core or an insert is often pre-fabricated and used in almost all die cast parts that need to have the complex features when finished.
In a die cast design guide, you will find that there is sometimes a need for post machining processes before the parts or components are actually considered finished and ready to be shipped. Post machining is generally done on parts that require additional features that would otherwise be too complex when incorporated during the die casting process. In some cases for example, drilling small holes into the parts is more practical than coming up with a whole new mold with a threaded hole for the parts that need to be manufactured, especially if the mold will only be used sparingly. Many die casting companies rely on these processes and procedures for manufacturing die cast parts, and it would be best that you take the time to understand these before ordering the parts or components you need.