The automotive industry is constantly seeking effective alternative means to reduce weight and retain durability. The pressure to source new means to boost fuel efficiency is also becoming more intense. As such automotive brands are under strong compellation to respond to these demands. The use of aluminum as a replacement for steel in automotive components has proven to be an effective way to cut down on the weight of vehicles.
Aluminum has continuously been incorporated into automotive engines, hoods, trunks, and doors, and today it makes up a considerable percentage of the components of cars. Top vehicle brands like Ford are beginning to look into developing structures made entirely of aluminum, with Audi blazing the trail for about the past two decades. Since Audi released its 1994 A8 model, several other standard manufacturers of automobiles have been amplifying their use of aluminum in constructing vehicle body parts.
The switch from using steel to using aluminum in making vehicle body parts can cut down the vehicle’s weight by up to 15 percent. This level of weight reduction will tremendously contribute to increased fuel efficiency by up to 25 percent. It will also help improve acceleration, hauling, and towing abilities making the vehicle much more efficient than its steel-based counterpart.
The Process of Die Casting
During the die casting process, molten metal is fed into two die structures joined together. This is mainly done by injection under high pressure. After cooling the molten metal, the two portions of the die are set loose and disconnected as you can always use them again and again. The die designing process is the most technically challenging aspect of the operation.
Caution is needed to ensure that air doesn’t get trapped within the metal after injection. Calculations are also made on the draft angle for easy ejection of the parts. This process is widely in use worldwide, and today, it is impossible not to have a die-cast item around us.
Why is die-casting useful in the automotive industry?
Die casting is an economically efficient process that offers a wide array of components and shapes for the automotive industry. Automotive parts designed through die casting have a prolonged life span, and they have a well complemented visual appeal. More specifically, aluminum die casting offers numerous benefits.
- High-speed production: Aluminum die casting creates automotive components with complex forms without requiring extra machining. That helps to speed up the production process.
- Weight and strength: Aluminum die casting produces automotive parts with thin walls. They are lighter and stronger than the types produced through other casting methods.
- Stability and dimensional accuracy: Aluminum die casting produces durable, dimensionally stable automotive components. The components are also heat resistant.
- Multiple finishing techniques: Automotive Parts made from aluminum casting can be easily finished or plated, and they appear textured and smooth.
Automotive parts that can be made by aluminum die casting
The following aluminum components can be made through the aluminum die casting process:
- Engine parts: Almost all the parts of gas engines are made by die-casting, including the cylinder heads.
- Stator: The variation in sizes of stators makes it very practicable to produce them by die-casting, and aluminum is the most widely used metal.
- Electronic covers: Electronic covers are present in many parts of the cars, including the motor, shades pole, and the gearbox.
- Brackets: Most electrical parts of the motors in vehicles use brackets, e.g., stepping motors. Brackets are die-cast and made according to the customer’s specifications.
Many other parts, including the auto fork and heat sink, can also be made through aluminum die casting.