Metal Casters have the luxury of choosing between several casting methods to accomplish their goals. Often times the metal caster chooses one method and sticks with it for several years until need directs him to another. Of course, there are those adventurous few who like to sample each casting method to find the best fit. Sure, sand casting might be the most popular but what about Lost Foam or Investment?

What about Die casting?

Die casting is used by industrial foundries and manufacturers to create practically anything and everything, such as die cast cars. Many small foundries, like the one in your garage, backyard, of workshop may find that die casting is really just not economical. But who said that having fun and trying new things was ever economical? The process of Die Casting involves a simple concept. The molten metal is injected with high pressure into the mold or mold cavities. The mold used in die casting can have several small civilities of either the same pattern or different pattern.

The name Die Casting comes from the molds which are called dies. These molds are reusable and are often made from steel but other alloys can be used as long as they can withstand high pressure. The reason dies must be created from metal and not from sand or other material is due to the high amount of pressure used to get the molten metal into the mold. If sand molds were used in a Die casting procedure then the mold would crumble. There are plenty of advantages of using dies in a casting procedure which makes this method desirable for anyone wishing to create a high volume of similar castings.

Die casting is perfect for anyone that needs to make a lot of the same thing without any quality or pattern deviation. This is especially helpful in certain industries where quantity and quality count. Many hobbyists may have no use for die casting on a practical basis but will often try at least one Die casting for the sake of trying.

There are two types of machines used in the Die Cast procedure. These machines are essentially the same and are called the Hot-chamber and the Cold-chamber.

The Hot-chamber machine melts the alloy and feeds it into a section of the machine referred to as the gooseneck. A piston then forces the alloy into the mold. A separate furnace is not needed but the draw back of this is that metals with higher melting points can not be used.

The Cold-chamber is used for metals that can not be used by the Hot-chamber such as aluminum and copper. A separate furnace is needed to melt the alloy which is then poured into the injection cylinder and then shot into the mold.

The advantages of using Die casting vary but the most noticeable advantages are the repeated quality, smooth casting surface, and the quick production of casts. While the initial cost of Die Casting exceeds several of the other casting procedures, those that need a high number of casts in the shortest amount of time possibly will benefit greatly from the investment.

Die casting is commonly used to create commercial goods as it yields a high volume. The molds, or dies, used vary in life cycle depending upon the material used to create the die. The die can have one cavity or several cavities depending upon the need.

Everyone should try die casting at least once if they can afford the initial cost. Besides, who knows when you'll need a small battalion of metal soldiers which can be made quickly and easily with die casting.