3 Ways That Temperature Affects Die Cast Parts

Temperature control during die casting is a significant issue that fabricators have to deal with. While all metals get hot when subjected to heat, the rate of heat rise depends on the type of metal as well as adherence to die casting standards. If you want to produce high-quality die-casted products, then understanding how temperature affects metals is critical. This article highlights the effects of temperature on the die casting process.  

Tensile Strength

As most fabricators understand, metals become stronger when exposed to high temperatures. It is a belief that stems from the fact that pounding molten metal increases its compactness and consequently the strength. However, during the die casting process, metal alloys act a bit differently as far tensile strength is concerned. For instance, if you want die-cast parts that have high tensile strength, you need to keep a close eye on the temperature controls. As temperatures increase, the tensile strength of die-cast parts reduces significantly. Therefore, make sure that the temperature is within an optimal range.  

Surface Quality

One phenomenon that affects the quality of die casted products is heat checking. It is an issue that fabricators have to deal with, particularly when temperature ranges are not observed. Heat checking refers to the formation of small networks of cracks that appear in the die surface. The tiny fissures occur when the molten metal is too hot for the mould. The difference in temperature between cold mould and hot molten metal causes the molten metal to drop its temperatures rapidly as it flows into the mould. Other defects that arise from such temperature differential are higher porosity and misruns. Therefore, it is critical to not only keep an eye on the temperature of the molten metal, but also the temperature of the mould. A small temperature variation lowers the chances of fissures developing on the surface of die-cast components.     

Ductility

If a metal can withstand forces that pull the two ends away from each other, then the metal is said to be highly ductile. However, the property can be affected by temperature fluctuations during die casting. For example, copper wire is said to be highly ductile since it can be drawn into long, thin wires and still stay intact. Therefore, die casting with molten copper metal requires very high temperatures to sustain the ductile properties. If you administer low temperatures to the die mould, then the metal loses its ductility and does not elongate as desired. Since metal elasticity varies with the type of metal in question, fabricators must ensure that they apply the recommended temperature ranges for different metal types.


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