Components having different shapes not confined to standard morphology can be made via high-pressure die casting. In the design phase, foundries often collaborate with designers for being creative when it comes to creating the desired component shape.
In the case of technical components, die casters opt for the suitable shape provided by Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis. As for the components where aesthetics is more prominent, they think freely about fitting the shapes without getting influenced by any software. However, many die casting companies embrace the co-design concept to accomplish the rightly designed component in high-pressure die casting.
Below are some methodical processes to examine the complex shapes of the component via co-design.
The Draft Angles
The draft angles negate the casting sticking on the dye. It is pivotal in the design phase to take into account the draft angle value of 1 degree on inner shapes and 0.5 degrees on the outer shapes. This process would give a correction ejection from the mold. However, it shall be noted the complex molds often allows making components minus the draft angles. An engineer will be able to give suggestions regarding the ideal draft angle for having a smooth production of the component.
The Thickness Level
It is typical to level out the thickness of a component in high-pressure die casting using inscribed spheres. This aids in obtaining a better structure of the casted product. Designing the weight reductions and the right shapes to reduce overflows lead to cost advantages since that reduces the raw material cost and aids to negate porosity of the component. For attaining all this, the designers lessen the ratio diameters of the inscribed spheres.
The Sharp Edges and Geometry of the Parting Line
The sharp edges of the component may cause injuries, but the component edges can be trimmed using the rightly designed fillet radii. Sometimes, even a small fillet radius aids in saving the raw material in the manufacturing process. The parting line geometry, on the other hand, is provided by the designing of the parts.
To make flash-free part, toolmakers who design the molds collaborate with the designers. When the designer plans the part, they consider the availability of the space after considering the passage of the liquid metal, which flows into the cavity. This also helps to avoid the trimming problems.
In the ejection phase of high-pressure die casting, the engineers move the casting and the runner carefully so as not to deform the shape of the component. Ejection phase is important and shall be analyzed when analyzing draft angles.