Aluminium injection moulding is a process developed in the USA in the mid-19th century whereby a molten metal, or alloy, is injected under high pressure into a metal mould. Once the injected metal has solidified, the metal mould is opened and the aluminium die-cast part is removed.
The mould for aluminium die-casting is made of steel and consists of two shells to allow the extraction of the die-cast part. The materials from which the various parts of the mould are made are always metals with higher melting points than the injected material, such as aluminium.
The injection pressure of the cast material can vary depending on the weight of the part to be obtained, but also on the type of casting material used. It is important that the pressure is kept constant throughout the entire melting process, i.e. until the part solidifies. In the meantime, hydraulic presses ensure that the mould is perfectly and completely closed: once the part has solidified, the presses allow the two half-moulds to open so that the die-cast part can be removed.
The aluminium injection moulding process is automated and computerised and therefore lends itself to high productivity. Constant control of the casting process ensures the best possible quality of the die-cast parts and maximises the production efficiency of its plants.
Thanks to the high technological and quality standards achieved today by the equipment and machinery, the parts produced by die casting ensure minimum dimensional tolerances and better surface finishes than other foundry processes.
Thanks to modern die-casting plants for aluminium and zinc alloy parts with capacities from 100 to 1400 tons, italpres is able to produce high-tech items with weights ranging from 4 grams to 15 kilos, in small, medium and large series.