CHOOSING BETWEEN PERMANENT MOLD AND DIECASTING
The metal molds used in diecasting and permanent mold casting help drive cost, material choice and casting soundness, but each process offers unique advantages.
SHANNON WETZEL, SENIOR EDITOR T
he permanent mold and diecasting processes share a common ground. While the molds used in sand molding, investment casting and lost foam casting are expendable, metal diecasting and permanent molds are used repeatedly. T e material and manufacture of the metal molds make initial tooling costs more expensive than the other processes, but if the volume of production is high enough, this cost diff erence
can be overcome. Permanent mold and some types of di- ecasting also off er superior mechanical properties because the metal mold acts as a chill. Despite the similarities, each process may better suit
a particular application, depending on the property requirements, casting size, production rate and design complexity.
Why Diecasting? Diecasting part size ranges from a few ounces
to more than 100 lbs., but most parts fall on the lighter side of the range. Diecasting’s minimum size is smaller than most other casting methods, so the process usually is associ- ated with small parts with thin sections. T e demand for larger, more complex
die castings with improved quality and lower cost has led to the development of high precision equipment and the extension of
Fig. 1. Rapid tooling technology was used to diecast this aluminum enclosure. The customer saw a return on investment with 400 pieces.
40 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Nov/Dec 2014
casting technologies to larger pieces with heavier wall thicknesses. Still, unusually large parts cannot be diecast.
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