Cold Chamber and Hot Chamber Die Castings. Die casting process basically consists of injecting molten metal under high pressure into a mold or die. It is a versatile process of creating reusable steel molds. The molds are designed to produce complex shapes with high degree of accuracy and repeatability. There are two fundamental methods in die casting, hot chamber and cold chamber.
Hot chamber die castings are used for alloys with low melting pot that do not readily attack and erode metal pots, cylinders and plungers. Typical hot chamber makes zinc parts. While cold chamber die castings are used for alloys with high melting points, most common of which is aluminum.
Cold chamber die castings employ manual method in pouring molten metal. A hydraulic operated plunger will seal the cold chamber port. Then, it forces metal into the locked die at high pressure. The machine uses a separate melting furnace and weighs several tons.
The cold chamber die casting machine is located outside the furnace, as compared to hot chamber. Thus, it requires a means of moving the molten alloy from holding furnace to the cold chamber which is attached between the die casting machine front platen and the die. Transporting the molten metal is typically done with a ladle mechanism. Cycle times can range between 10 seconds for smaller machines and up to 2 minutes for larger ones.
Cold chamber die casting is more popular in the manufacturing industry because of its cheaper production cost and durability. It may be more complex than hot chamber die casting but its dependability is more advantageous. Aluminum die castings are made using the cold chamber process.
Cast Parts Die Casting Company
6918 Beck Avenue
North Hollywood, CA. 91605
818-982-9386 Phone * Sales@Cast-Parts.com.