Manufacturing services · Chapter E · Method 27

Die casting

Molten aluminium or zinc is injected at high pressure into a steel die, producing accurate, thin-walled metal parts in high volumes.

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9,000-tonne high-pressure die-casting cell. Representative process photo · Wikigbf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

How it works

Die casting, step by step.

A labelled schematic of the process (not to scale), and the four steps every job goes through.

Labelled diagram showing how die casting works — Schematic · not to scale. Drawn by TCI Group.

STEP 01

Die

Machine a hardened steel die with cores and slides.

STEP 02

Shot

Molten metal is ladled into the shot sleeve.

STEP 03

Inject

A plunger drives metal into the die at speed.

STEP 04

Trim

Eject, trim gates and flash, machine critical features.

Reference figures

What to expect.

Typical industry values to help you plan. We agree the figures for your part on the drawing.

Tolerance±0.25 mm + 0.025 mm/mmDie plus shrink

Repeatability±0.10 mmPart to part

FinishRa 1.6 µmAs cast, typical

Volume1,000s – millionsPer die

Materials	Aluminium alloys (A380, ADC12), zinc (Zamak), magnesium.
Finishes	As cast; powder coated, painted, anodised (limited), plated or machined.
Design guidance	Add draft to all walls; keep walls uniform. Use ribs and coring to save metal. Supply both as-cast and machined models.
Best suited to	Housings, heat sinks, brackets and hardware.
Watch-outs	High die cost; parting lines, gate marks and ejector marks are visible.

Other methods in Metal production

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Reference figures are typical published industry values for planning, not a guarantee; final tolerances, materials and finishes are agreed in writing for each project.