Click here to find Aluminum Castings Manufacturers | Discuss Aluminum Castings & Other Topics

Aluminum castings are made through a relatively simple and inexpensive process called casting. Through casting, aluminum is shaped into various forms for a variety of purposes.

Casting is the most widely used method to form aluminum. Essentially, aluminum castings are created by putting molten aluminum into a mold, but the exact method used to make aluminum castings can vary slightly. No matter the fashion, countless numbers of identical aluminum castings can be created.

Die casting is one method used to create aluminum castings. Through die casting, the molten aluminum is forced into the steel die, or mold. This is done by putting the molten aluminum under pressure. Die casting is usually used when producing a high volume of aluminum castings. Accurate aluminum castings that require minimal amounts of machinery can also be produced with die casting.

Permanent mold casting can also be used to create aluminum castings. This form of casting simply involves pouring the molten aluminum into the mold. In some cases, a vacuum is also used in this process. Permanent mold casting can create stronger aluminum castings than die casting, but they can be difficult to remove from the final product. For this reason, semi-permanent mold castings are also available. These molds have expendable cores, making them easier and less costly to remove.

The final casting process is sand casting. With sand casting, aluminum castings are made by pressing a pattern into a fine mixture of sand. This forms a mold for the molten aluminum to be poured into. This process is slow, but is generally more economical than the other forms of casting. It is also good to use when the aluminum castings need intricate designs, or when the aluminum castings are very large.

Some products made with aluminum castings include car parts, particularly transmission housing and pistons; aircraft components; structures; and marine engines. In addition, many small appliances, lawnmowers, and hand tools are made from aluminum castings.