Casting Design

In order to optimize the benefits, die castings must be designed differently than for other processes. By combining components and eliminating costly assembly operations, die castings can yield additional benefits and maximize cost savings. Cost Factors & Reduction There are many factors that influence both the cost of an individual component and the customer's final product. 90% of these are determined at the design stage and not by efficiency improvements in the chosen manufacturing process. Some are easy to identify, Such as raw material and processing cost, but these are difficult to reduce dramatically. Others, while less obvious, can have a much Greater impact on cost reduction. Combining components reduces assembly costs when an existing assembly of several parts is replaced by one die-casting. Conversion from another process requires redesign to get the most economical solution from die-casting. It is often beneficial to redesign components, taking into consideration the die-casting process, tool manufacture, and design of features that affect Tool life, as well as finishing and joining requirements. Weight reduction lowers direct raw material cost and also increases the rate of production. Weight savers reduce overall material content, often improving part design & quality by eliminating areas of potential Shrinkage porosity. Care should be taken to avoid small features in the tool that may lead to early tool failure & high Maintenance. Uniform wall thickness is desirable as different thicknesses can have a negative impact on soundness of the die-casting, due to the changing velocity of the metal and the turbulence created as it fills. Carefully designed ribs in large structural parts can reduce overall material content whilst maintaining the structural integrity of the part. Avoid undercuts they add considerable cost to a component & associated tooling. Avoid sharp corners that are detrimental to tool life and add cost to a component. Unnecessary tight tolerancing substantially increases the cost of die-casting. Achieving a certain tolerance on a die-casting is dependent on the whole process, not just the tool cavity. Indiscriminate geometric tolerancing of components must be avoided. Application of geometric tolerances should be applied to only to functional features only after a thorough analysis to ensure that overly tight tolerances are not being applied. Draft is an essential requirement for die-casting, ensuring that the part can be extracted from the tool without damage. Features in a die-casting that are not perpendicular to the parting line can often lead to significantly increased cost, due to the Additional angled slides or machining required. Avoiding machining eliminates the possibility of uncovering sub-surface defects that would increase scrap rates. Allowable gate vestige and parting lines, and their location, have a cost impact: the tighter the requirements, the greater the extent of finishing operations and cost.

 Use of self-tapping or thread-forming screws can substantially reduce the cost of the finished component by eliminating the tapping operation required and the need for fixturing. Cored holes suitable for self-tapping or thread-forming screws can be cast, eliminating the need for drilling operations. The cost of die-casting alloys is subject to fluctuation and not a good indicator of the relative cost of a finished component. The Economics of the die-casting process are largely a function of production rates, determined by interdependent factors such as Material, machine size, component weight, cycle time, number of cavities, tool life, and scrap rate. The cost of the tool is determined by the hours required to manufacture, which is a function of the component design. Detailed Advice After product function has been defined, a configuration compatible with the diecasting process and selected alloy must be developed. Alloy selection is based primarily on the required mechanical, physical and chemical properties. When more than one die-casting alloy is Feasible, relative economics generally prevail. Options for materials can be found by using our Material Selector or by contacting us for a detailed evaluation. A component design optimized for the die-casting process will: Fill completely with metal in a manner that promotes a sound casting. This is a function of the component design as well as the design of the gate, runner & overflow system used in the tool, & the machine parameters used in the die-casting Process. Solidify quickly & without defects. Again, this is a function of the design & process parameters as above. Eject readily from the die without damage to the part. These results can best be achieved by applying six principles when designing components: 1. Use uniform wall thicknesses. 2. Provide generous radii at the intersection of features such as walls, ribs, bosses etc. This promotes component strength, Improves metal flow, reduces die maintenance and increases die life. 3. Draft should always be specified. It is possible in some situations to cast with minimal or even zero draft in order to eliminate Finish machining. However this needs careful consideration and should be discussed with Dynacast. 4. Sharp external corners should always be broken with radii or chamfers, to reduce the possibility of die failure and reduce Maintenance. It should be remembered that an external corner on the component is an internal corner in the tool and without. A radius, a very high stress gradient is produced which, due to the high pressures used in the process and thermal cycling, will eventually fail. 5. Undercuts should be avoided where possible, because they either requires machining in the component or retractable core Slides in the tool. 6. Relate critical dimensions to one die member and not across the parting line. It is not possible to obtain the same accuracy across the die parting line due to misalignment of the ejector and cover die halves.
If R2=R1+T1

THEN R1=T1 IF R2=0 THEN T1<=R1 <=1.25T1 R1=2/3(T1+T2) R2=0 TO R1 + T2 WHERE T1<T2 TEE JUNCTION R1=T1 TO 1.25T1 TEE JUNCTION R1=T1 TO 1.25T1 DEPRESSION PROMOTES DENSITY (REDUCES SHRINKAGE POROSITY BUT ADDS TO DIE COST) =90 ALL RADII = T1 =45 R1=0.7T1; R2=1.5T1 =30 R1=0.5T1; R2=2.5T1 =90 ALL RADII = T1 =45 R1=0.7T1; R2=1.5T1 =30 R1=0.5T1; R2=2.5T1

Copyright Dynacast International Limited 2002 Page 2 +44 1789 766000 Fillet Radii To avoid high stress concentrations in the component & the die-casting tool and help fill the part, fillet radii of the appropriate size must be used at all internal and external component edges. The exception to this rule is where the feature lands on the parting line of the tool. Recommended Fillet Designs Less Desirable Fillet Designs R1 APPROACHING ZERO. POOR DIE CONDITION CRACKING IN PART R1 TOO LARGE HEAVY MASS. RISK OF SHRINKAGE POROSITY Copyright Dynacast International Limited 2002 Page 3 +44 1789 766000 Not Recommended

R1 ZERO. WEAK CASTING POOR DIE CONDITION R1 ZERO. WEAK CASTING POOR DIE CONDITION SHARP EDGE. DIFFICULT TO TRIM There is an optimum size of fillet where structural parts are concerned. Although increasing the fillet size generally will decrease the stress concentration at the bottom of a rib, eventually the mass of material added by the fillet will induce shrinkage porosity in that area. Fillets applied perpendicular to the parting line of the tool requires draft. Ribs, Corners & Ejection Ribs are used to: Increase the stiffness and strength of a component. Assist in the production of a sound casting. If the component is a structural part, careful consideration must be given to the design of ribs, especially in areas of high stress. Properly proportioned fillet radii must be used to avoid high stress concentrations at the junction of the rib and the main component. This can also assist in producing a sound casting by providing a means of distributing the metal. Current die-casting technology permits thinner and deeper ribs than were previously possible. However the ratio of width to depth does have a significant bearing on the design of the tool and the processes used to manufacture it. Corners and edges at the parting line location must however be sharp, which may be undesirable from the point of view of component service performance. All other locations should have fillet radii to avoid problems with early die failure, and promote better filling of the cavity. Recommended Rib Designs H=T1 WHERE H>T, CORE OUT TO AVOID HEAVY MASS OF MATERIAL ON UNDERSIDE BLENDING AT JUNCTION MAY BE MORE DESIRABLE BLEND INTERNAL RIBS PROMOTE GOOD DISTRIBUTION OF METAL RIB FROM FLANGE TO BOSS. GENEROUS DRAFT AND FILLETS. ANGULAR TRANSITION TO BOSS Copyright Dynacast International Limited 2002 Page 4 +44 1789 766000

Not Recommended SMALL RADII OR SHARP CORNERS SHARP CORNERS, SMALL RADII, NO DRAFT NO RIBS. BOSS EXTENSION LESS DESIRABLE FOR CASTABILITY Ejector Pins, Ejector Pin Marks and Ejector Pin Flash In order to remove the casting from the die, movable ejector pins may be used. These generally result in a mark on the casting & their location and size should be discussed with Dynacast as early as possible in the conception of the part. The marks left by the ejector pins can be raised or depressed - typically 0.3mm (0.012"). Flash Removal Necessary flash removal can be reduced by careful component design. Collaboration with Dynacast early in the design of components will result in more economical production. Reducing Heavy Masses When redesigning parts previously manufactured by using other processes, using thinner walls and rib reinforcement can reduce weight by eliminating heavy masses. HEAVY MASS UNDESIRABLE HEAVY MASS REMOVED BY USING CORE. DIRECTION OF DIE PULL MAY BE IN DIRECTION A-B OR C-D UNDESIREABLE DUE TO HEAVY MASS OF MATERIAL IN THE WALLS IMPROVED DESIGN WITH PARTING PLANE AT A-B IMPROVED DESIGN WITH PARTING PLANE AT C-D In the example above, the boss shown in (1) is bad due to the heavy mass of material in the walls, which will lead to porosity and increase cycle times. The boss shown in (2) is better, with a more uniform wall thickness and the heavy walls replaced by ribs. The boss shown in (3) is also good and requires no movable cores or core slides. Die Simplification Some features, such as undercuts, bosses and holes, require either subsequent machining or retractable core slides in the tool, because these features are not orientated in the direction of die draw. Retractable core slides can substantially increase the cost of manufacturing and maintaining a tool, and also increase the casting cycle time. Furthermore, they also tend to cause flash on exterior surfaces and attract additional costs for subsequent removal. Examples of component redesign to eliminate core slides are shown below.

1 2 Movable cores are required in (1), due to the outside features, whereas the casting can be made without movable cores or core slides in (2). Copyright Dynacast International Limited 2002 Page 5 +44 1789 766000 Eliminating Undercuts Beneath Bosses Undercuts beneath bosses form features that prevent the casting being ejected from the die. In these cases, careful redesign can eliminate the subsequent machining required or the additional core slides required in the tool. Design alternatives that eliminate an undercut formed by an interior boss are shown below. 1 2 3 4 5 The original housing design is shown in (1). The bosses create undercuts that cannot be cast. An alternative is shown in (2) where the bosses are relocated on the outside of the box, eliminating the undercuts. In (3) the original design has the bosses cored by providing an opening through the bottom wall. In (4) the bosses are extended to the bottom wall of the enclosure, eliminating the undercut. However, without the additional coring shown in (5), an excessive mass of metal will be present. Die Parting The die parting line location may be important to the application because of the line left on the die-casting where the die halves meet. If required, the casting must be trimmed along this line and the trim die must be configured to it and maintained. Simplification of the parting line configuration will reduce the cost of manufacturing and maintaining the trim die. In some cases, a simplified parting line may negate the need for clean-up operations on external surfaces. Draft Requirements Draft is necessary on surfaces parallel to the direction of die draw because it facilitates ejection of the casting from the die. Twice as much draft is recommended for inside walls or surfaces as for outside walls or surfaces. The reason for this is that as the alloy solidifies and shrinks onto the die features that form the inside surfaces (usually located in the ejector half in conventional cold chamber die-casting ), and away from the features that form the outside surfaces (usually located in the cover half in conventional cold chamber die-casting ). For detailed advice on draft requirements, including a draft calculator, refer to the English language web page, or contact your local Dynacast facility. Cored Holes For Threads For detailed advice on cored holes for threads, including recommended dimensions, refer to the English language web page, or contact your local Dynacast facility.

Tolerances Tolerancing of die-casting s is highly dependant on the shape, length and location of each feature as well as the alloy being used for the application. The most important factors when tolerancing a component are not how tight any tolerance can be, or the process capability that can be achieved, but what is needed to meet functional requirements and which dimensions and features are critical. Once specified, the appropriate process will be chosen to best achieve them. There are cases when tolerancing is looser than is desirable, leading to poor product quality and life. Equally, there are cases when it is higher than is necessary, which leads to higher product cost and scrap rates. Tolerances should be as tight as necessary, not as tight as possible. For detailed advice on tolerances, including tolerance calculators, refer to the English language web page, or contact your local Dynacast facility.