Jul 11,2023
Mechanical engineering has developed itself in the past decades at a high pace. With fast machinery and robotics, the automotive industry is entering a new era. However, a method has been in practice for a long time. Due to its efficiency and precision, engineers still use it to produce aluminum automotive parts. That method is none other than aluminum casting. It has many crucial auto parts like engine blocks, cylinder heads, brake parts, brackets, etc. What makes this traditional method survive in this modern age of high-tech machines? This key information will enlighten your mind.
It is not very complex, which makes automotive parts manufacturers produce them in huge volumes. There are three common modes of aluminum casting in the industry; die-casting, sand casting, and investment casting.
Sand casting is the cheapest one, where the molten aluminum is poured into the cast of sand. A sample piece is shoved in the sand to give it the shape they want to create. Then they remove that sample part and pour molten aluminum into the sand cast.
Die-casting is the most common method, pouring molten aluminum into a metal cast to manufacture aluminum automotive parts. This method has fixed casts of each automotive piece.
The third one is investment casting, a slower and more expensive method. First, a wax model is made of the desired automotive part. It is then coated with ceramic for casting. Then they heat the solid ceramic to melt and drain the wax. Now, they pour molten aluminum into the cavity left inside the ceramic cast. Finally, they break the ceramic form to obtain the aluminum automotive part. The difference between them is the surface quality, cost, and time. Sand casting has a lower rate, but it is a fast process. Die-casting has a good surface quality, as well as it is a quick process. While investment casting is slow, its surface quality is the highest.
What makes aluminum unique is its lighter weight and compatibility. In different kinds of automobiles, you can find aluminum automotive parts in a large number. Still, they do not increase the weight of cars like steel and iron parts. They are much more lightweight, and the speed of an automobile does not have to be compromised. The movement of a car is swift because of its light mostly. This light characteristic comes from aluminum parts mostly. Likewise, a car's average will always be above par level since the load on the engine will be lower because of lightweight components. Moreover, aluminum auto parts are mostly used in electric cars to keep the bag minimal.
Aluminum auto parts are not only lightweight but highly durable. They can endure immense pressure from passengers' weight to other automobile parts. Their strength against the environmental factor is high. It is because it has high corrosion resistance to moisture and chemicals. Moreover, aluminum auto parts can survive longer than many other metals. Testing their endurance level against high and low temperatures can show great resistance to thermal and freezing conditions.
Since aluminum casting is available in three different modes, manufacturers can use them to get design flexibility. Almost any kind of auto part can get shape from them. All they need is a precise cast, which can be made with the help of a CNC machine or any similar one. Hence, the manufacturers can get any shape, size, and design of aluminum auto parts. Another best thing about aluminum auto parts is that their production is cost-effective. Manufacturers use bulk production to get the lowest production cost. This makes them offer low prices to buyers.
These low prices are the result of cost-effective production. When the show is cheap, the costs will also be reasonable. This is why all auto parts buyers get affordable prices from aluminum manufacturers.
You might have learned enough about it, from lightweight to durability and cost-effective production to customization. That is why aluminum casting might rule further in the upcoming electric version of automotive engineering.
