Casting drive

The casting drive is a casting unit component of a die casting machine.

Casting unit describes the total of all devices which provide for casting piston movement and for casting metal pressurization (Fig. 1). Today, casting pistons are driven mainly hydraulically. Therefore, the casting drive comprises the hydraulic casting cylinder with a movable piston (drive cylinder and drive piston), the shot valve and the pressure accumulator. Casting and drive pistons are connected via a plunger rod.

The entire casting unit is based on the casting base with an integrated hydraulic tank. The casting unit hydraulic tank has several connections to the main tank via a return pipe at the locking unit. The guide frame is based on the casting base plate and is rigidly connected to the fixing plate via the tie rods. This way, the entire casting force is taken up through these tie rods (Fig. 2, Bühler AG).

  • Fig. 1: Casting unit of a cold chamber die casting machine
  • Fig. 2:  Casting unit components of a cold chamber die casting machine according to the specifications by Bühler AG