Tooling Answers: What is Die Casting

Tooling Answers: What is Die Casting? Die casting is a process where reusable steel molds are produced by facing molten metal under high pressure into mold cavities. The produced molds are called dies.

The process of die casting has four big steps. The process begins by spraying the mold with lubricant. Then the mold is closed. The lubricant not only serves to control the dies’ temperature but also helps in the removal of the casting. Molten metals under high pressure are forced into the die. After filling the die, high pressure must continue until casting solidifies. Then the die is opened and the shot is forced out by the ejector pins. Finally, the scraps are separated from the castings. Grinding is done to smooth the scrap marks. The scraps are re-melted for recycling.

Aluminum Parts made from Die casting molds can be designed to produce shapes with accuracy and repeatability. The parts are sharply defined. Surfaces are either smooth or textured.

The die casts parts are components of many products like automobiles, sink faucet, toys, connector housings and many more. Die cast tooling, sometimes called insert die or zinc die casting molds, have many styles, sizes and values. Die cast tooling comes in several forms. The Die Cast Tooling Inserts, the Prototype Die Cast Tooling Inserts, the Trim Dies for Die Cast Tools and Parts, the Complete Class “A” Die Cast Die or Mold Tooling, the Unit Die Tooling and Die Cast Family Mold Tooling.

Costs of die cast tooling vary from a few hundred dollars for trim dies, a few thousand dollars for cavity inserts and more thousand dollars for large complete die cast tools package.