Una fábrica de fundición a presión es un centro de fabricación especializado que transforma metales fundidos en metales de alta precisión., Piezas complejas que utilizan tecnología de moldeo de alta presión.. A diferencia de los talleres de mecanizado en general, it focuses exclusively on the pressure casting process—turning liquid aluminum, zinc, o aleaciones de magnesio en componentes que impulsan industrias desde la automoción hasta los dispositivos médicos. But what exactly happens inside a die casting factory? What core capabilities set it apart from other manufacturers? And how does it ensure consistent quality for mass-produced parts? This article answers these questions with detailed insights into workflows, tecnologías, and industry applications.
1. Core Business: The End-to-End Die Casting Workflow
A die casting factory manages every step from raw material to finished part—no external outsourcing required for key processes. The workflow follows a linear, highly optimized sequence:
A. Paso 1: Preparación de materiales & Refining
This stage ensures molten metal meets strict quality standards for fluidity and purity:
- Raw Material Handling: Receive metal ingots (p.ej., ADC12 aluminum, las cargas 5 zinc) and sort them by alloy grade to avoid cross-contamination.
- Fusión & Control de temperatura: Heat ingots in gas or electric furnaces to precise temperatures (680–720°C for aluminum, 380–420°C for zinc). Use digital thermocouples to maintain ±5°C tolerance—critical for consistent flow.
- Refining & Desgasificación: Remove impurities (oxide slag, foreign particles) via ceramic foam filters (20–30 PPI). For aluminum alloys, use rotary degassing rods (400–600 rpm) to reduce hydrogen content to <0.2cc/100g—prevents porosity in finished parts.
B. Paso 2: Mold Management & Preparación
Molds are the “heart” of die casting—factories invest heavily in their design, maintenance, and optimization:
- Diseño de moldes & Fabricación: In-house mold workshops use CNC machining centers (accuracy ±0.005mm) y electroerosión (Mecanizado por descarga eléctrica) to create molds from high-strength tool steel (p.ej., acero H13). Molds include cooling water channels (spaced 15–20mm apart) para acelerar la solidificación.
- Precalentamiento & Lubricación: Preheat molds to 180–250°C (depending on alloy) to avoid cold shuts. Spray a thin layer of eco-friendly release agent (5–8μm thick) to ensure easy part removal—prevents surface damage.
- Mold Maintenance: Inspect molds after every 5,000–10,000 shots for wear. Repair minor scratches with laser cladding; replace worn cores when dimensional deviation exceeds ±0.1mm.
do. Paso 3: Die Casting Molding
The core production stage—high pressure transforms molten metal into finished part shapes:
- Machine Selection: Usar hot chamber machines (50–200 tons) for zinc alloys (fast cycle time: 15–30 seconds/part) y maquinas de camara fria (200–1.200 toneladas) for aluminum/magnesium alloys (handles high melting points).
- Inyección & Solidificación: Inject molten metal into mold cavities at 5–150MPa pressure and 2–5m/s speed. Maintain pressure during solidification (holding time: 10–20 segundos) to compensate for shrinkage—ensures part density ≥99.5%.
- Automated Demolding: Use robotic arms (tiempo de ciclo <5 artículos de segunda clase) to remove parts from molds. This reduces human error and prevents damage to delicate components (p.ej., thin-walled electronic housings).
D. Paso 4: Postprocesamiento & Inspección de calidad
Finishing steps ensure parts meet customer specifications:
- Guarnición & Desbarbado: Cut off gate residues and runner systems with hydraulic trimmers (for aluminum parts) or laser cutters (for precision zinc parts). Remove burrs with ultrasonic cleaning (Real academia de bellas artes <1.6μm surface roughness).
- Tratamiento superficial: Offer options like anodizing (para resistencia a la corrosión), recubrimiento en polvo (por estética), o enchapado (para resistencia al desgaste). Para piezas médicas, use passivation to meet biocompatibility standards (ISO 10993).
- Quality Testing: Conduct 3 levels of inspection:
- Inspección visual: Check for surface defects (rayones, pores) with 10× magnifying glasses.
- Dimensional Testing: Use CMM (Máquina de medición de coordenadas) para verificar tolerancias (±0.1mm for standard parts).
- Internal Testing: Use X-ray flaw detection to check for hidden porosity (acceptance standard: ≤2% pore volume).
2. Core Capabilities: What Makes a Die Casting Factory Unique?
Die casting factories stand out from other manufacturers due to 4 key capabilities, tailored to mass production and precision requirements:
| Capacidad | Technical Details | Business Impact |
| High-Precision Molding | – Dimensional tolerance controlled to ±0.1mm; surface roughness Ra 1.6–3.2μm.- Can produce thin-walled parts (hasta 0,5 mm) and complex structures (internal threads, caries profundas). | Meets tight assembly requirements for industries like automotive and electronics—parts require minimal post-machining. |
| Mass Production Efficiency | – Single-part cycle time as short as 15 artículos de segunda clase (zinc parts); 100,000+ parts/month per machine.- Automated lines (robotic demolding, inline inspection) reduce labor costs by 60%. | Delivers large orders (p.ej., 500,000 soportes automotrices) on time; low per-part cost (\(0.3–\)2 para piezas pequeñas). |
| Versatilidad de materiales | – Handles aluminum (60–70% of production), zinc (20–25%), and magnesium (5–10%) alloys.- Customizes alloy compositions (p.ej., adding titanium to aluminum for strength) to meet client needs. | Serves diverse industries—aluminum for lightweight automotive parts, zinc for precision electronics, magnesium for aerospace components. |
| Rapid New Product Development (NPD) | – In-house mold design cuts NPD time to 4–8 weeks (vs. 12–16 weeks with external mold shops).- Uses rapid prototyping (3D-printed molds for small batches) to test designs before mass production. | Helps clients launch new products faster (p.ej., 5G router housings) and reduces prototype costs by 30%. |
3. Key Service Industries: Where Die Casting Parts Are Used
Die casting factories supply critical components to 5 industrias principales, cada uno con requisitos únicos:
A. Industria automotriz (40–50% of Revenue)
- Productos: Engine mounts, carcasas de transmision, EV battery pack frames, steering gear casings.
- Requirements: Ligero (aluminum parts reduce vehicle weight by 10–15%), alta resistencia (tensile strength ≥280MPa), y resistencia a la corrosión.
- Ejemplo: A factory might produce 1 million aluminum battery frames annually for a major EV manufacturer, meeting IP68 waterproof standards.
B. Electrónica de Consumo (20–25% of Revenue)
- Productos: Mobile phone middle frames, bisagras para portátiles, wireless headphone charging compartments, disipadores de calor LED.
- Requirements: Precisión (tolerancia ±0,05 mm), tamaño pequeño (10–500g), and good surface finish (anodized or plated).
- Ejemplo: Supplies zinc alloy charging port housings to a smartphone brand—100,000 units/week with zero surface defects.
do. Electrodomésticos (10–15% of Revenue)
- Productos: Air conditioning compressor housings, washing machine drum bearing seats, refrigerator door hinges.
- Requirements: Tightness (no water leakage), resistencia al impacto, and low cost.
- Ejemplo: Produces aluminum compressor housings for a home appliance company—parts pass 10,000-cycle vibration tests.
D. Communication Equipment (5–10% of Revenue)
- Productos: 5G base station cooling modules, router shells, fiber optic connector housings.
- Requirements: Heat dissipation (alta conductividad térmica), electromagnetic shielding, and weather resistance.
- Ejemplo: Manufactures magnesium alloy cooling modules for 5G towers—parts withstand -40°C to +85°C temperature ranges.
E. Dispositivos médicos (3–5% of Revenue)
- Productos: CT machine rotating frames, mangos de instrumentos quirúrgicos, insulin pump casings.
- Requirements: Biocompatibilidad (ISO 10993), alta precisión (±0,03 mm), and easy sterilization.
- Ejemplo: Supplies titanium-aluminum alloy surgical tool handles to a medical device firm—parts pass autoclave sterilization (134°C, 20 minutos) 1,000+ times.
4. How Die Casting Factories Compare to Other Manufacturing Processes
Die casting factories differ from sand casting, estampado, and injection molding facilities in key ways. The table below highlights critical differences:
| Proceso | Material primario | Ventaja clave | Key Limitation | Ideal para |
| fundición a presión | Rieles (aluminio, zinc) | Alta precisión; complex 3D shapes | High mold costs (\(20k–\)200k) | Mass-produced, complex metal parts |
| Sand Casting | Rieles (iron, acero) | Bajos costos de molde; piezas grandes | Low precision (tolerance ±1mm) | Heavy industrial parts (p.ej., engine blocks for large machinery) |
| Estampado | Metal sheets (acero, aluminio) | Fast cycle time; low cost for flat parts | Limited to 2D/Shallow 3D shapes | Piezas planas (p.ej., car body panels, beverage cans) |
| Moldeo por inyección | Plástica | Bajo costo; alto volumen | Low strength; not for high-temperature use | Plastic parts (p.ej., toy casings, plastic gears) |
5. Yigu Technology’s Perspective on Die Casting Factories
En Yigu Tecnología, we believe die casting factories are the backbone of modern manufacturing—bridging raw metal and high-performance end products. Our factory integrates 3 core strengths: 1) Control de procesos impulsado por IA (real-time adjustment of injection speed/pressure reduces defect rates to <1.5%); 2) Green manufacturing (vacuum die casting cuts energy use by 20%, y 95% of scrap is recycled); 3) Cross-process integration (fundición a presión + Mecanizado CNC + surface treatment on one line shortens lead time by 40%).
Para clientes automotrices, nosotros producimos 500,000+ aluminum battery frames yearly with IP68 certification. For electronics clients, our zinc alloy parts meet ±0.05mm precision. We’re investing in 3D-printed mold technology to cut NPD time to 3 semanas. Our goal is to be more than a supplier—we’re a partner that helps clients optimize designs for cost, calidad, y sostenibilidad.
Preguntas frecuentes
- ¿Cuál es la cantidad mínima de pedido? (Cantidad mínima de pedido) for a die casting factory?
MOQ depends on mold costs: Para piezas estándar (p.ej., generic brackets), MOQ is 10,000–50,000 units to offset mold expenses. Para piezas personalizadas, we offer flexible MOQ (1,000–5.000 unidades) using shared molds, though per-part costs are slightly higher.
- How long does it take for a die casting factory to deliver a custom order?
For new custom parts: 4–8 semanas (includes 3–4 weeks for mold design/manufacturing, 1–2 weeks for sampling, and 1–2 weeks for mass production). For repeat orders: 1–2 semanas (no mold lead time).
- Can a die casting factory handle post-processing like CNC machining?
Yes—most die casting factories (including Yigu Technology) integrate CNC machining into their workflow. This is critical for parts that need ultra-precise features (p.ej., threaded holes with ±0.02mm tolerance) that can’t be achieved via die casting alone. We use 5-axis CNC machines to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
