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Die casting of aluminium, zinc and magnesium

We cast housings, covers, radiators, brackets and impellers in aluminium, zinc and magnesium alloys. Accuracy ±0.1–0.3 mm, wall thickness from 0.5 mm. We design and build the die in-house, then take the casting through to an assembly-ready part: machining, heat treatment, coating.

Opened die-casting die with aluminium housing castings

Technology

Die casting methods

Molten metal fills a steel die under high pressure and solidifies within seconds. This gives accurate, thin-walled parts in large batches. We choose the method by alloy and batch size.

Cold-chamber aluminium die castings: filter head and threaded blocks

Cold-chamber die casting

Aluminium and magnesium alloys with a high melting point

Higher injection pressure gives a denser structure and lower porosity

Housings, brackets, heat sinks, transmission components

Hot-chamber die casting

Zinc and other low-melting-point alloys

The shortest cycle, hence large runs of small and medium parts

Fittings, covers, instrument housings, electrical components

High-pressure die casting (HPDC) – the standard method for thin-walled housings: the metal fills the die in a fraction of a second

Vacuum die casting – air is evacuated from the die cavity before injection, leaving almost no gas porosity

Multi-slide dies – parts with undercuts come out in one cycle, no need to assemble them from separate pieces

Materials

Alloys and product range

Alloy choice depends on the part's duty: weight, heat dissipation or corrosion resistance. We work from a drawing or a 3D model, and handle everything from a trial batch to a full production run.

Aluminium alloys – ADC12, A380 and equivalents: low weight with good strength and corrosion resistance

Zinc alloys – thin walls and a clean surface finish, high thermal and electrical conductivity

Magnesium alloys – AZ91D, the best strength-to-weight ratio

Typical parts – gearbox and electronics housings, radiators and heat sinks, impellers, discs, brackets, covers

Accuracy – ±0.1–0.3 mm, Ra 1.6–6.3 µm surface roughness

Wall thickness – minimum 0.5 mm for zinc and 1–1.5 mm for aluminium, cycle from 30 s to 2 min

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Full cycle

Dies, machining and coatings

We design and build the die ourselves, so we are responsible for the casting geometry from the first batch. From there, the part goes for deflashing, machining and finishing to drawing.

Dies – design in CAD/CAM, H13 / P20 tool steels, CNC machining, cooling channels and ejection system

Deflashing and trimming – removal of flash and runners

CNC machining – mating surfaces, threads and precision holes

Heat treatment – T6 to increase the strength of aluminium castings

Coatings – anodising, powder coating, painting, electroplating

Assembly – press-fitting inserts, installing fasteners

Inspection – geometry on a CMM, surface roughness, alloy composition; X-ray inspection for internal defects on request

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Why die casting

Advantages of die casting

The die produces nearly finished geometry, so the part goes to the machine only for a few critical dimensions. For series parts of complex shape in light alloys, this is usually the cheapest route. Typical uses: automotive components, electronics and electrical housings, heat sinks, industrial equipment, instrumentation, fittings.

01Accuracy and repeatability

The steel die sets the dimensions, so parts from different batches match. Tolerances down to ±0.1 mm.

02Complex geometry

Ribs, bosses and internal cavities are cast in one go. No welding, no assembling the part from pieces.

03Productivity

Cycle time from 30 seconds. A multi-cavity die gives several castings per shot.

04Cost-effective in series

The die pays for itself over a run: the larger the batch, the cheaper each part. Runners go back into the melt.

05Material properties

An aluminium part weighs about a third of a steel one and dissipates heat well.

06Minimal machining

The as-cast surface usually needs no machining and goes straight to painting.

Have a drawing?

Send us your drawing – we will quote your casting

DXF, STEP, PDF or a photo with dimensions. Reply within 1 working day.

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