Is your business currently using machined parts and looking to cut costs, improve design, and help the environment? If so, it may be time to make the conversion from machined parts to die casting. From the automotive field to medical applications, many industries choose die casting because it allows them to develop intricate designs that can be cast to their exact dimensions.
The die casting process offers many advantages that machined parts cannot. Die casting is accurate and detailed. It is a less expensive option due to rapid production rates and the fact that material is only utilized where it is needed and only as much as is required. It provides a good mix of mechanical properties, surface finish, and dimensional consistency, which provides a better product at a lower cost.
This photo provides before and after views of a part that was machined (top photos) and the same part after it was converted to die castings (bottom photos). The die cast part is able to capture much more three-dimensional detail and consistently meets close tolerances during the manufacturing process.
Not only is die casting a more reliable option, it offers a significant opportunity for cost savings. These savings could be 80 percent or more compared to typical machining costs. In addition, die casting provides a major reduction in cycle time. For example, a part might cast once every 60 seconds, while the machining process produces two to five parts an hour. At a $60 to $90 an hour machining rate, you can see how the savings accumulates. If a high-volume machined hogout cost $30 a part to machine and it cost $6 to cast, the $24 savings at a volume of 10,000 parts a year would equate to $240,000 in annual savings.
Let's talk more about how to go about converting a machined part to the die casting process. Your conversion will begin with a design phase. Die casting designs require draft angles and radii to be incorporated into the final design. Therefore, it's important to work with a die caster early during this phase. One of the key benefits of die cast designs over machining is the fact that this process allows you to have a wall thickness of about 2.5mm (.100 inch) or less while still having outstanding tensile strength.
Another benefit of die casting is the exceptional repeatability over a long useable life. The die casting process can produce 100,00 or more of identical castings within specific tolerances before additional tooling may be required. Even when replacement is eventually required, the entire die does not necessarily need to be replaced. Often only specific sections need to be replaced or repaired.
In most cases, casting a part versus machining it from bar stock is a no-brainer. In my career, I've only come across one part that made more sense as a screw-machined part than as a die casting. In that case, the geometry of the part made it extremely easy to screw machine. Also, screw machining allowed the part to be made out of a much stronger wrought alloy. It wound up being an 80% cost savings (from $4 to about 80¢), along with a more than 50% increase in strength.
But this is far from the norm, and as this article shows, casting is almost always much cheaper. A more interesting comparison would be between die casting and powder metallurgy. It would also be worthwhile to compare different casting processes (die casting, semi-solid processing, permanent mold, investment casting, lost foam, etc.). In addition to cost, these processes also vary in terms of the mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy that can be achieved.
I agree that converting machined parts to die casting usually makes sense. Because die casting tools can be expensive, it is important to first do a pay-back analysis and see if the volumes justify this change over.
In many cases we use both processes during the life of the product. When the initial design is likely to change and we need to enter the market quickly, we may start with a machined part. Then, as the design becomes stable and production volumes increase, we plan for a smooth cut-over to die cast tooling.
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