Aluminum Sand Casting Design Choices Your Firm Must Make

When attempting your first aluminum sand casting, you must be careful when determining how you will design each piece. There are a few mistakes that can make a piece less economical, weaker or have less utility. This will lead to greater costs for your business overall.

Place Emphasis On Strength Over Mass

When building aluminum sand castings, it is a good idea to focus on building strength rather than building mass. More mass will lead to more weight and will also lead to hot spots. Some materials will deform or melt when exposed to too much heat.

Use Ribs

Adding ribs to aluminum sand castings will reduce weight and will also make the piece stronger without the need to add thicker walls, which would otherwise limit the design options. Ribs also make it easier to engineer a particular part.

Keep The Core Very Simple

The cores should be kept as simple as possible. The geometry should be kept constant. This can be difficult given the flexibility that metal casting gives in designing part geometries. Since any shape is available, it is crucial to prototype to find the most efficient one.

Use The Right Geometry

Find ways to make the parts as economical as possible. Use as little material as possible while still achieving the same function. Well-chosen geometry affects the castability of the piece. The right geometry can be chosen that overcomes the limitations of alloy. The most efficient geometries will make the pieces more economical to produce, machine and assemble.

Create Thin Sections Properly

Create thin sections of the piece using draft. To determine the ideal thickness, use the parting line and required draft. The parting line is the location at which the sand mold separates and then the solidified casting is removed.

Engineer Casting With Other Parts In Mind

Consider the other parts that the piece will be used with. Consider any heat that might be generated by these parts and whether these parts will come in contact with the piece. The piece must be engineered to withstand any damage caused by these parts. Some materials are more resistant to high temperatures than others. When a part is less resistant to high temperatures, it may be necessary to find a way to increase ventilation for the part or to cool it using other means. While engineering a good casting can be time-consuming, once the perfect part has been designed, the end product will be more profitable.