How Can Trim Dies Save Me Money on Die Casting Parts? – Is a question, I get asked frequently from potential customers and current customers.

I will discuss what a die casting part trim die is and what it does, but first we need to know a little about how die casting parts are made. The Die Casting Trim Die is part of the die casting part tooling package.

Die Casting is a manufacturing process where a company melts metal, typically aluminum or zinc, and then injects that metal into a die or mold using extreme pressure.

The molten metal is under so much pressure that the metal “flashes” out around the edges of the part inside the die casting mold. This excess metal is also called “flash”. This flash is typically very thin, sometimes paper thin, wall of metal. The flash is frequently sharp and can cut fingers if not handled carefully. After the part cools sufficiently, the flash must be removed before we can ship the die cast part to our customer.

The most common ways to remove flash are:
• Using a file or sander – Somewhat labor intensive and subject to “artistic interpretation” from the worker. Not always consistent in the process.
• Using a trim die – A trim die cuts consistently .005″ to .010″ close to edge of the die casting part like a cookie cutter. Is also the fastest way to remove flash.

The trim die is in two parts and each half is bolted on either the upper or lower platen of a trim press. The trim press has typically 15 to 20 tons of closing pressure. The press raises and lowers as the worker actuates the buttons. The die casting part fits perfectly in the trim die bottom, the trim die top half closes on the part and uses a cutting edge to cut the excess metal (flash) away from the part.

Because the trim die cuts the flash from the part accurately and consistently, the part quality is always better when a trim die is used to remove the a flash. So, less money is wasted on poor part quality. The trim press also operates faster than the die casting machine so the flash removal takes less time and labor, thus saving money in part production.

Each of our die casting production cells at Kinetic Die Casting Company has at least one trim press to accommodate a trim die for every die casting production part order. Every customer who owns a trim die, saves money on their part price. Call us today for a FREE competitive part price proposal to make your parts 818-982-9200.