There are many different ways of casting metal to make components, but two of the most popular are die casting and sand casting. If you are learning about these and need a quick way to discover what differentiates them from one another then you are in the right place. Today we are going to look at each of these types of casting and find out what makes them desirable for different purposes. We are also going to take a closer look at what applications they are best suited for versus which situations you should avoid their use in. Without further adieu, let's look deeper into these two popular types of casting.
What Does Die Casting Involve?
Conventional die casting involves the use of a die which is composed of two different parts. One goes across the right and the other goes across the left, but both feature half of the cavity which serves as the mold. This cavity is sometimes called tooling because it has been tooled out so that it will produce the proper shape and dimensions required by the manufacturer. After the die has been secured, liquid metal alloy is poured into it. This can be aluminum, zinc or other metals, but aluminum is one of the most durable and popular choices. After all of the molten metal is in the die, it is left to cool and then then die is opened to reveal the finished part.
When is Die Casting a Solid Choice for Manufacturing?
Die casting is a great choice when labor costs need to be reduced because once a die is created, it can be used hundreds of thousands of times and some instances even a million times. Die casting is desirable when there will be a large quantity of parts produced because over the long run it will help to keep quality high while reducing the amount of costs that have to be covered since there is very little labor involved in this kind of casting today. When a smoother finish is desired, however, few choices will beat die casting for a better looking part.
What Weaknesses Does Die Casting Have That You Should Consider?
One of the main issues with die casting is that it does have limits. It cannot produce an aluminum part that weighs more than 70 lbs, for instance, without issues. This is not true of all kinds of casting. It is also somewhat expensive to get started because the dies cost a lot to make. While this gets offset with a large enough run, it could be a drawback for the entrepreneur that is looking to save money up front. Die casting often takes several weeks to get started which is a hindrance to certain types of projects.
What is Sand Casting and How Does It Work?
With sand casting, sand is mixed with clay and water is added to bond the two. This stock is then shaped so that when liquid metal is poured into it, it will fit the form the way it should. There are many different types of sand casting ranging from green sand method to cold box, vacuum molding, no bake molds and many more. While the basic process is, of course, quite simple it does take skilled workers to get these castings to turn out well.
When is Sand Casting a Good Choice for Your Needs?
When prototypes or small runs are being created, sand casting can be a good choice. Sand molds are destroyed with each cast and so a pattern must be designed, but once this is done the mold can be used over and over again for very high volume runs. Sand molding can be set up quickly and at a lower cost which makes it a very attractive proposition for a variety of different applications.
What Are the Weak Points of Sand Casting?
Often, tooling will be needed with sand casting and this often adds incredible expense because it is manual labor that must be paid for and it means that components will not be as precise as they would be if they had been die cast. This is a major weak point in today's world where exacting standards are the norm. Wall thickness is also typically higher with sand casting and the finish is considered rougher in appearance.