Die cast part

Cast parts that are produced by die casting in a split permanent mold (die casting mold) made of metal.

The molten metal or the molten casting alloy ready for casting (s. die casting alloy) is squeezed into the mold cavity at great speed and solidifies in the permanent mold under high pressure and with a great amount of heat dissipation. Die cast parts are characterized by their great surface finish, excellent dimensional accuracy and near-net shape.

The ASSY interior frames for DaimlerChrysler S-Class W221 doors are made of the ductile die cast alloy Al Mg5Si2Mn. The engineering requirements include extreme dimensional accuracy, prevention of deformation, thin part walls and very large external dimensions. Other mandatory factors are great elongation at failure (for reasons of ductility in case of a crash) and ease of welding; these are realized through a wrought alloy profile (laser hybrid process). In this specific context it must be mentioned that these parts are produced in three different geometries (front door and to rear door variants) in quantities of around 300,000 pcs. per year. By means of this concept, i.e. substitution of sheet steel by aluminum die casting it was possible to replace elaborate welding structures and consequently obtain optimization of added value in production.

The retention frame for assembly of control elements to the steering column in vehicles demonstrates the great complexity of a component as well as the “slide-in-slide” technique applied for varying wall thicknesses. Zinc die casting is the perfect example to showcase series production of such highly complex cast parts and simultaneously makes use of the benefits provided by zinc as casting material, particularly its creep strength.
 
Additional references:
Rough die cast part
Casting
 

 

 

  • Figure 1: Aluminum die cast part, ASSY frame for S-Class W221 door, weight: 3.60 kg, alloy: Al Mg5Si2Mn, manufacturer: Georg Fischer Druckguss GmbH, Munich
  • Figure 2: Zinc die cast part, retention frame for steering column, manufacturer: Adolf Föhl GmbH & Co.