Where do you find Aluminum Chassis Castings? Chassis, in its basic word usage, is the frame of any inanimate object. It is like the skeleton of human beings and animals. It holds the vital organs – or in the case …
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Draft Angles in Die Castings
Kinetic Die Casting Company discusses “Draft Angle in Die Castings” – “what is draft angle in an aluminum metal box casting?” or “why do I need a draft angle on my aluminum die casting box part?” The mechanical reply is, all aluminum die castings need a draft angle on the walls of die cast box parts perpendicular to the parting plane or parallel to the slide interfaces. Because I have been selling die cast parts for over 20 years, I find easy answers and give simple calculations for my clients. What does that have to do with the usual engineer (any engineer other than in tooling or mechanical) or professional buyer?
Most people do not have the need to worry about how things are made; only what is made, and will it be what is essential. “Have you ever observed on a cupcake the bottom diameter is smaller than the top diameter?” or “Have you noted that a cake pan has sides that slope in toward the middle of the pan?” That would be an extreme case of a draft angle. Aluminum die castings would stick inside the die casting tool, molds, or die casting die if there was not enough draft angle in the tool and part. The usual draft angle for an aluminum die casting part is two degrees per side. The calculation for that is easy if a anyone is acquainted with die casting production part design.
Imagine an enclosure (or Aluminum Box) lying on a counter with the open side up. The aluminum box is 2″ deep inside with the height and width 4″ each way on outside. The walls of the box are 0.10″ in width. Due to the wall’s thickness, a few things are obvious to a part designer regarding this seemingly simple box:
A 2 degree draft angle will alter the dimensions in the following on the interior and exterior and should be regarded if something needs to fit inside the box or outside the box:
If the box was intended for the interior of 4″ x 4″ at the bottom: box:
See our die casting draft webpage: http://www.kineticdiecasting.com/draft.html
Contact Kinetic Die Casting Company at 800-524-8083 for more information
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Plastic Parts Injected Molded
Plastic Parts Injected Molded | Plastic Comparison
Similarities Of Plastic Injection Molded Parts and Aluminum Die Casting Parts. Plastic injection molding and aluminum die casting are similar in a lot of ways:
- Both require a die, a mold or tooling to produce parts.
- The dies or tooling costs are very similar in both industries.
- Both processes inject material with pressure into a mold or die to make parts.
- Both processes can make a few parts, hundreds of parts or thousands of parts every day.
Plastic Injection Molded Parts
- Plastic parts are produced at a lower temperature than aluminum parts, plastic melts at only a few hundred degrees Fahrenheit
- Plastic Parts weigh less than aluminum die casting parts.
- Plastic is not typically biodegradable
- Plastic parts require metal inserts to hold a thread for screws.
- Plastic does not block EMI/RF waves
- Plastic Parts are not as strong.
Aluminum Die Casting Parts
- Aluminum die casting parts are stronger than plastic but aluminum parts weigh more than plastic injection molded parts.
- Aluminum parts are produced in only one color and need paint or powder coat for color. Aluminum can be polished or anodized.
- Aluminum naturally shields EMI/RF waves to protect electronic circuits.
- Holes can be die casted in the parts and directly threaded into the aluminum parts.
- Features can be machined into aluminum and the part remains strong.
- Aluminum has great thermal transference properties and is used for heat sinks.
- Aluminum is a natural conductor of electricity and can be e-coated or used as an electrical ground for electronics.
- Aluminum material is environmentally friendly and can be recycled easily when done. Die casting materials are all recycled materials that were alloyed into a die casting aluminum alloy. All aluminum alloys (360, 380, 383, and 413) are made from recycled materials.
Contact Kinetic Die Casting Company for a competitive price quote on aluminum die casting parts.
Posted in newsletter, Plastic Parts
Tagged aluminum, Aluminum Die Casting, Aluminum Heatsinks, Die Castings, Plastic Parts
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Aluminum Sand Casting Parts May Be Better
Aluminum Sand Casting Parts May Be Better. Several Requests For Quotes (RFQs) for aluminum part prices come to Kinetic Die Casting and it is obvious that the requester does not understand the difference between aluminum sand casting parts and aluminum die casting parts. Today, we will discuss the pricing difference between sand casting and die casting of aluminum parts.
2,000 Aluminum Parts Casting Decision
If your product is limited to less than 2,000 aluminum parts in the entire product life cycle or stated differently you will want less than 2,000 aluminum parts in your product life cycle and never need more parts, sometimes a part produced by the aluminum sand casting is a better choice for you.
Here are my aluminum part price calculations:
Aluminum Sand Casting Parts:
Typical Tooling Cost: $500 – $2500
Typical Part Cost: $13 – $15 each (machined)
So using $500 tooling price (lowest typical) and $13 for part price:
Cost for 500 parts: $ 7,500
Cost for 1000 parts: $13,500
Cost for 2000 parts: $26,500
Aluminum Die Casting Parts
Typical Tooling Cost: $10,000 – $12,000
Typical Part Cost: $2.50 – $3.50 each (machined)
So using $10,000 die casting tooling price (lowest typical) and $2.50 for part price.
Cost for 500 parts: $11,250 ($3,750 more expensive)
Cost for 1000 parts: $12,500 ($1,000 less expensive)
Cost for 2000 parts: $15,000 ($11,500 less expensive)
As you can see, the cost is equal or less for an aluminum part as a sand cast part, if you will buy less than 2,000 parts. If you feel your product life is more than 2,000 parts, you should consider buying aluminum die casting parts. If your product life is greater than 5,000 parts your savings are so significant it is embarrassing. Contact Kinetic Die Casting Company 800-2524-8083 (sales@kineticdc.com) if you feel you are paying to much for your aluminum castings.
Die Casting Company Closures 2012
14 January 2013 – There were 38 Die Casting Companies in Southern California in 1994. Kinetic Die Casting Company was founded in 1994.
From 1994 to 2013 is 19 years. That period of time seems like a long term or a short term, depending on your frame of reference. For a house pet 19 years is a long time. For a manufacturing company, 19 years is just getting into a healthy stride. Manufacturing companies depend on job-shop manufacturing companies, such as Kinetic Die Casting Company, to make their aluminum and zinc parts. Die Casting is essential in producing manufacturing metal parts.
On Monday, December 20th, 2010, I wrote an article because I was shocked at the closure of another die casting company competitor, 12 closed die casting companies since Kinetic Die Casting was founded in 1994. The article was titled:
https://www.kineticdiecasting.com/kdc/why-did-these-california-die-casting-companies-close/
Now, two (2) years later the list has grown by another six (6) die casting companies. Six company closures in two years is very significant. Since 1994, there are 18 Die Casting Companies that are gone in the last 19 years. Many of these companies were 30 to 50 years old. These companies are listed below:
- AQ Die Casting Company, Chatsworth California.
- C&D Die Casting Company, Chatsworth California.
- Chapman Die Casting Company, City of Industry California.
- Coast Die Casting Company, Gardena California.
- Commercial Die Casting Company, Vernon California.
- Compu Die Casting Company, Compton California.
- Del Mar Die Casting Company, Gardena California.
- Die Cast Manufacturing Company, Bloomington California.
- Drumheller Industries, Sun Valley California.
- Kim Lighting Die Casting, Ontario California.
- Lansco Die Casting Company, City of Industry California.
- Los Angeles Die Casting Company, Commerce California.
- Modern Die Casting Company, Paramount California.
- Pomona Die Casting Company, Pomona California.
- Royal Die Casting Company, Burbank California
- Spencer Die Casting Company, Vernon California.
- Team Quick Die Casting, Compton California.
- Universal Die Casting Company, Los Angeles California.
Of the remaining 21 die casting companies, some are doing very well, while others will probably die off in the next two years. Kinetic Die Casting Company, is one of the healthier companies because we are growing while others are declining.
I do not believe that these 18 missing manufacturing company suppliers should be easily forgotten. People lost jobs. People lost hope. California has a weaker economy because these 18 manufacturing supplier companies are gone or absorbed. I am sorry to see the passing of these great companies.
Kinetic Die Casting Company
800-524-8083
www.kineticdiecasting.com
