Die casting or gravity die casting? We help you choose, and cast the part in Råde.
Aluminium casting
We cast aluminium parts to your drawing, in series, by two processes: high pressure die casting for thin walls and larger series, and gravity die casting for heavier sections, smaller series and parts that need heat treatment.
Aluminium · two casting processes
Aluminium casting: die casting or gravity die casting?
In aluminium casting, both of our processes fill a permanent metal mould with molten metal. The difference is how the metal gets in: under high pressure or under its own weight. That decides how thin the walls can be, how many parts it takes before the tool pays off, and whether the part can be heat treated.
What we cast
Cast aluminium parts in series, to your drawing
We are a Norwegian manufacturer of cast aluminium parts. At our plant in Råde we cast brackets, housings, fittings and other components to the customer’s drawing, in series. If the part needs machining, we do that in the same plant, so it arrives ready for assembly.
The aluminium parts we have supplied sit in wheelchairs and walking aids, in garden equipment, and in furniture and seating on board ferries, among other things. Three examples:
- A bracket for the mobility aids industry, die cast in aluminium.
- A bracket for garden equipment, die cast with critical tolerances for a bearing fit and pressure tightness that hold without machining.
- A gravity die cast bracket that is heat treated for higher tensile and ultimate strength.
The feedstock is secondary aluminium, meaning remelted aluminium, supplied as ingot by Metallco at Toten in Norway and alloyed to international standards. Which alloy your part should have, we decide together with you.
Choosing the process
Die casting and gravity die casting side by side
Both processes are in the same plant here, so we have no reason to push your part towards one of them. These are the differences that decide it.
| Criterion | High pressure die casting | Gravity die casting |
|---|---|---|
| Filling | Under high pressure | Under gravity |
| Cycle time | Seconds to tens of seconds | Minutes |
| Wall thickness | Thin walls and complex geometry | Heavier sections |
| Surface | Fine, often finished without rework | Rougher |
| Heat treatment | Normally not | Possible, gives higher strength |
| Tooling cost | Higher | Lower |
| Typical minimum series | A few thousand parts per year or per order | A fifth to a tenth of that |
| Used here for | Most of our parts, brackets and housings | Brackets that will be heat treated |
The series sizes are indicative. Small series are assessed case by case, and then it is the part, the tool and the quantity over time that decide.
Where to go next
Pick a process, or get help choosing
Aluminium die casting
For thin walls, complex geometry and larger series. The process behind most of our parts.
Gravity die casting
For heavier sections, smaller series and parts that are heat treated to make them stronger.
Zinc die casting
Is zinc the better metal? Zinc gives fine detail, thin walls and good dimensional accuracy, and suits parts where the weight does a job.
The delivery
From drawing to finished aluminium part
- Design review. We go through wall thickness, draft angles, radii, undercuts, parting line and tolerance requirements, and propose changes that make the part easier to cast. About the design review.
- Tooling. You own the die. We procure it through our preferred toolmakers, make sure it suits our machines, and maintain it. About tooling.
- Sample parts. The die is trialled, and the parts are measured and approved against the drawing before the series starts.
- Casting and degating. The part is cast, and runners, overflows and flash are removed.
- Heat treatment when the part is gravity die cast and needs more strength. About heat treatment.
- CNC machining of faces, holes and threads that need tighter tolerances than casting gives. About machining.
- Surface finishing. Blasting we do ourselves. Anodising and powder coating are done by a subcontractor and coordinated by us. About surface finishing.
When aluminium casting is not the answer
If you only need a few parts, a casting tool will not pay for itself. Machining from solid or another process is then usually the better choice, and we will tell you so. Smaller series are assessed case by case. Large, heavy structural parts are outside our range, because we do not do sand casting. And if the part can be folded from sheet, that is often cheaper.
Before you ask
Questions that decide the choice
Die casting or gravity for my part? It depends on the wall thickness, the quantity and whether the part will be heat treated. The decision guide goes through what decides it.
What does the tool cost? The tool is a separate investment from the price per part. How the cost is built up.
Aluminium or zinc? Weight, surface and detail requirements decide. Zinc or aluminium explains the differences.
Can I get the part machined and finished as well? Yes. From drawing to assembly-ready part shows who does what, including the work done by a subcontractor.
What do I need to send? A drawing or STEP file, the quantity per order, a rough annual volume and what the part is for. Send an enquiry.
Send the drawing, and we will suggest a process
Include the quantity per order and a rough annual volume. Then we can tell you whether the part should be die cast, gravity die cast or made another way.
Related capabilities
Zinc die casting
Thin walls, sharp detail and long die life. Very few Norwegian suppliers offer it.
Aluminium die casting
Thin walls, complex geometry and seconds per shot, in recycled aluminium.
Gravity die casting
Lower tooling cost, smaller series and parts that can be heat treated for more strength.
Want us to look at your part?
Send the drawing and the quantities you have in mind. We look at wall thickness, draft angles, radii and parting line before we work out a price.