In the development of aluminum castings, process selection is the art of balancing performance, efficiency, and cost. When your project prioritizes production efficiency, complex forming, and cost control, and the requirements for mechanical performance are moderate, traditional die casting is a proven and efficient solution. However, when your project requires load resistance, fatigue impact resistance, or pursues mechanical properties similar to those of forgings, squeeze casting technology offers unique technical advantages.
The core task of engineers facing specific projects is to find the optimal solution under complex demand conditions. The following text will systematically analyze the key factors that affect process selection, and demonstrate through typical cases how to find the optimal solution between traditional die-casting and squeeze casting based on product requirements.
Analysis of Mechanical Performance Requirements
Strength and Plasticity Requirements
The process selection first depends on the required mechanical strength of the parts.
If your design does not require high tensile strength (usually ≤ 280MPa) and elongation (≤ 5%), traditional die casting can easily meet them at a lower cost.
On the contrary, if the working conditions require the parts to have higher strength (≥320MPa) and excellent plasticity (elongation ≥8%) to withstand impact or deformation, then the dense structure obtained by squeeze casting through its high-pressure feeding becomes an ideal choice.
Fatigue and Resilience Performance
For parts working under vibration or cyclic loads, fatigue life is a key consideration.
The microscopic defects inside traditional die-casting parts may become the origin of fatigue cracks, making them more suitable for applications with stable loads, such as electrical enclosures or bracket components.
If your product, such as automotive suspension components or moving parts, needs to withstand long-term dynamic stress, the more uniform and dense internal structure provided by squeeze casting can significantly extend its service life.
Anisotropic Features
Traditional die-casting parts have different mechanical properties in different directions due to the directional flow of molten metal during the forming process, which is called anisotropy.
For ordinary structural components with relatively fixed force directions, such as lamp bases, this performance difference is usually acceptable.
However, when parts need to withstand complex loads in multiple directions or safety-critical components such as automotive steering knuckles and suspension control arms, squeeze casting exhibits significant advantages due to its ability to provide isotropic and uniform mechanical properties.
Other Decision Elements Related to Mechanical Performance
After clarifying the mechanical performance requirements of the parts, it is still necessary to comprehensively consider the following factors closely related to performance implementation before making a final decision.
Balance Between Quality and Cost
The pursuit of higher mechanical properties often means paying a premium for consistent quality.
Traditional die casting offers significant cost advantages, but its performance data fluctuates significantly.
While squeeze casting carries a higher initial cost, it offers extremely stable, high-performance output, significantly reducing the risk of batch-to-batch quality variations.
Therefore, for safety-critical parts with stringent performance requirements, squeeze casting may offer greater overall cost-effectiveness.
Consideration of Mass Production Scale
The scale of your project also affects the economy of the casting process.
Traditional die casting is suitable for large-scale production of thousands to tens of thousands of pieces, and its mold and single-piece costs are highly competitive after dilution.
Squeeze casting is more suitable for medium batch production of thousands of pieces, and within this range, the marginal cost added to achieve higher performance thresholds becomes acceptable.
Structural Design Matching
Traditional die casting excels at producing parts with complex ribs and thin-walled features, but structural complexity increases the risk of internal defects, limiting the maximum achievable mechanical performance.
Squeeze casting is less capable of handling overly complex structures, but it can fully transform the material’s potential into stable and superior mechanical properties in simple, medium-thick-walled parts.
Case Study: CEX Casting‘s Process Selection for the Following Cases
Based on our extensive experience in aluminum alloy casting, we use four typical cases to demonstrate how to choose between aluminum die casting and squeeze casting based on product characteristics.
Case 1: Engine Bracket
Material: ADC12
Application: V6 engine support structure
Requirements: 20,000 units per month, 220 MPa tensile strength, complex structure with multiple mounting points, and strict cost control
Processing: Die casting
Reason for Process Selection: This component has moderate strength requirements and a complex structure, but is not safety-critical. Traditional die casting offers significant cost advantages in high-volume production and can perfectly achieve complex structural forming.
Aluminum Die Casting Engine Bracket
Case 2: Filter Body
Material: A356 aluminum alloy with T6 heat treatment
Application: Hydraulic oil filter body for industrial hydraulic equipment
Requirements: No leakage at 100 psi operating pressure, porosity ≤ 0.5%, monthly production of 2,000 units
Processing: Squeeze casting
Reason for Process Selection: Filter housings must withstand high pressures, requiring high material density. Squeeze casting combined with T6 heat treatment ensures optimal material performance, extending service life and reducing maintenance costs.
Aluminum Squeeze Casting Filter Body
Case 3: Pipe Flange
Material: A356.2 aluminum alloy with T5 heat treatment
Application: High-pressure connector for natural gas pipelines
Requirements: Leak-free at 7 bar operating pressure, 330 MPa tensile strength, 10% elongation, 0.05 mm sealing surface flatness, monthly production of 1,500 pieces
Processing: Squeeze casting
Reason for Process Selection: The flange must withstand high pressure and provide excellent sealing performance. Squeeze casting provides isotropic mechanical properties, and after T5 heat treatment, it meets the strength and sealing requirements under high-pressure conditions.
Aluminum Squeeze Casting Pipe Flange
Case 4: Robot Protective Housing
Material: ADC12 aluminum alloy
Application: Protective housing for an industrial robot
Requirements: High surface quality, dimensional accuracy of ±0.2mm, tensile strength of 180 MPa, monthly production of 5,000 units
Processing: Die casting
Reason for Process Selection: This component requires high surface quality and dimensional accuracy, but moderate strength. Traditional die casting offers significant cost advantages while maintaining aesthetic quality.
Aluminum Die Casting Industrial Robot Protective Housing
From the above cases, it can be seen that “filter body” and “pipe flange” are natural choices for squeeze casting due to their rigid requirements for air tightness and strength.
The “engine bracket” and “robot protective housing” are more suitable for traditional die casting due to their advantages in cost, output, and structural complexity.
Table of Selection Decision Guidelines
Based on extensive project practice, CEX Casting has summarized the following selection guidelines for die casting and squeeze casting processes:
|
Decision Dimension |
Prefer Conventional Die Casting | Prefer Squeeze Casting |
| Mechanical Properties | Tensile strength ≤ 280 MPa, elongation ≤ 5% |
Tensile strength ≥ 320 MPa, elongation ≥ 8% |
|
Production Scale |
Monthly output ≥ 5,000 pcs | Monthly output ≤ 5,000 pcs |
| Cost Consideration | Cost-sensitive projects focusing on the lowest unit price |
Value-oriented projects emphasizing total lifecycle cost |
|
Quality Requirement |
Standard quality level, reasonable defects acceptable | Near-zero defect requirement |
| Structural Features | Thin-walled, complex structures |
Simple structures with uniform wall thickness (≥ 5 mm) |
|
Application Scenario |
Non-load-bearing components, decorative parts, housing parts | Safety-critical components, load-bearing parts, airtight components |
| Typical Materials | ADC12, A380, and other die casting alloys |
A356, AlSi10Mg, and other squeeze casting alloys + T5 / T6 heat treatment |
Note: This table provides a basic selection reference. In actual projects, a comprehensive analysis based on specific technical requirements and cost targets is required.
Conclusion
In the development of aluminum castings, selecting appropriate processes based on mechanical performance requirements is the key to achieving product success.
This article systematically elaborates on a complete decision-making framework from performance requirement analysis to process comparison: traditional die casting has significant advantages in medium mechanical performance requirements and large-scale orders, while squeeze casting provides reliable solutions for harsh working conditions such as high strength, high load, and high airtightness.
As an innovator in the field of squeeze casting, CEX Casting recommends that you choose the most suitable process based on the specific service conditions and performance goals of your product.
If you need professional guidance on process selection, please feel free to contact our technical team to provide you with customized solutions.