High Pressure Die Casting

A volume casting process used to produce castings with very good surface quality, at high production rates and low wall thicknesses are readily achieved. The dies and equipment used in the process are expensive but the dies may be re-used to produce hundreds of thousands of identical components.

High pressure diecasting (HPDC) takes place suing steel dies which are loaded into hydraulically operated machines which exert high pressure onto the dies. Metal, mostly aluminium but also zinc and magnesium is forced into the die under high pressure to rapidly fill the cavity within. The metal chills off and once solid the casting is removed from the die. This can be done by hand but in large volume facilities tends to be done using automated equipment such as robots. Complex castings weighing in the region of 15kg (30lb), for the automotive industry are produced.

Typical markets are for car engine, body panels, steering and suspension

Medical – Monitor housings and control joy sticks for MRI scanners

Technology – cases and frames for computers, mobile communication devices