Vacuum Assisted Casting Answers Todays Market Needs

Vacuum Makes Possible the Bigger, More Complex

Castings Now Wanted by Automakers
Paul Robbins, General Manager
Castool Tooling Systems
Uxbridge, ON, Canada
Abstract
No one would deny that the use of vacuum in high-pres-
sure die-casting has brought about crucial improvements in
quality. Castool has devoted considerable eort to develop-
ing reliable high-speed vacuum shut-o valves with very
high performance that require very little maintenance.
For high integrity casting, where high quality cast-
ings with low porosity are required, a high-speed secure
vacuum valve is the best solution.
Economy
Just now, immediately following the global economic melt-
down, we are entering a period of unprecedented and vir-
tually unlimited opportunity for the aluminum die casting
industry. Automakers throughout the world are urgently
redesigning and retooling to produce smaller, lighter vehi-
cles that will cost less, and use less fuel. Te fact that if the
weight of a vehicle is reduced by 10%, the fuel consump-
tion is reduced by 6-8% means that the strength to weight
ratio of steel, plastic and aluminum for every component
of these new models is now being carefully compared. Tis
will inevitably result in a much increased demand for die
cast aluminum product.
Promoting Vacuum Again?
Te use of vacuum is not new to die casters. It was rst
introduced a number of years ago. To date, the results have
been rather inconsistent.
Every die caster knows the theory and advantages of
vacuum assisted casting. Because of the turbulence of the
alloy as it is forced at a high pressure into the die cavity,
and the complex shape of many casting molds, air and
other gases are often trapped in the metal. Tis, of course,
results in porosity in some parts of the casting. Porosity
causes more rejected castings than any other reason.
Te real cost of rejected product is actually very high,
and more often than not, underestimated by the die
caster. Te total value of a rejected part includes the lost
production time & energy to make the casting PLUS
the much higher cost of the value added.
If the casting is to be chromed, painted, or powder
coated, or if any part of the casting is very thin, any air
or gas inclusions usually result in rejection. Porosity also
aects the mechanical properties of the product. In struc-
tural applications, it can act as a stress concentrator and
therefore create a site where cracks may occur.
An additional problem is the fact that porosity in a casting
may not always be immediately apparent. If discovered after
subsequent secondary processing, customer dissatisfaction
can be extreme. Te only solution is vacuum assistance.
Before the injection shot occurs, a vacuum is drawn in
both the shot sleeve and the mold cavity. Te vacuum is
maintained until the injection cycle is completed. Almost
all of the air is positively evacuated from the mold. A good
vacuum in the mold cavity enables the alloy to ow into
blind recesses in complex shapes. It also allows the fronts
of the molten metal to merge freely without forming shuts.
Whichever vacuum method is employed, if it works well,
improved quality and reduced scrap can be guaranteed.
The Challenge of a Demanding Market
Currently, the majority of all the light metal castings
produced are for the automotive industry. Tis gure
will come as no surprise to any die caster, nor will the
fact that the auto industry is extremely demanding.
Vendors must provide their product with perfect qual-
ity, in complete orders, and on time, every time. Tis is
understood and accepted by all suppliers and would-be
suppliers to the automotive industry.
Te automotive market for light metal shapes contin-
ues to grow at an accelerating rate. It can reasonably be
assumed, that for the foreseeable future, the automotive
sector of our market will continue to grow.
Tis is good news for light metal die casters. But
satisfying the needs of automakers may require die cast-
ers to make use of technology, which has been available
for some time, but not universally employed, because it
wasnt often absolutely essential.
A key factor in this market sector is that automotive
design engineers today are in no way constrained by the
previously accepted limits of the light metal cold chamber
die casting production process. Tey simply decide what
would be the best shape and size for the part they want.
Teir criteria are usually limited only to strength and
weight. Tey now want die cast products that are larger,
thinner, more complex, and stronger, than have ever been
commercially produced before. If they cannot be satisfac-
torily provided by existing die casters, the automakers will
simply make these large near net shapes themselves.
Di e Cast i ng Mac hi nes/Component s
28/DIE CASTING ENGINEER 1January 2012 www.diecasting.org/dce
Consider the dashboards of several new cars. Tey are
light metal castings, and they are huge, complex, and
incredibly thin. Tey are proof that with vacuum assis-
tance, this type of product really is possible.
Tis is the challenge facing light metal die casters today.
The Problem
Porosity causes more rejected castings than any other reason.
In cold chamber die casting of light metals, because of
the turbulence of the alloy as it is forced at a high pressure
into the die cavity, and the complex shape of many results
in porosity in some parts of the casting. Large castings
demand the same quality as small parts so fast ll times
require high shot velocities; to keep the end of ll impact
energy from opening the die parting line we lower the
tip velocities with larger bore shot sleeves. Die thickness
combined with the cover platen and a large bore shot sleeve
result many shot sleeve ll percentages being less than
50%. Now we need to evacuate 2 or 3 times the air volume
of the part cavity. Tis requires supersonic air velocities
through the vents and die parting lines. Tis end of ll air
evacuation on a poorly vented or non-vacuumed shot can
even be seen in the rounded o velocity decay at the end
of ll in the shot trace. A large ow vacuum valve with
vacuum maximizes cavity evacuation.
If the casting is to be chromed, painted, or powder
coated, or if any part of the casting is very thin, any air
or gas inclusions usually result in rejection. Porosity also
aects the mechanical properties of the product. In struc-
tural applications, porosity can act as a stress concentrator
and therefore create a site where cracks may occur.
An additional problem is the fact that porosity in
a casting may not always be immediately apparent. If
discovered after subsequent processing, customer dis-
satisfaction can be extreme.
Vacuum Assisted Casting
is the Solution
Before the injection shot occurs, a vacuum is drawn in
both the shot sleeve and the mold cavity. Te vacuum is
maintained until the injection cycle is completed. Almost
all of the air is positively evacuated from the mold.
A good vacuum in the mold cavity enables the alloy to ow
into blind recesses in complex shapes. It also allows the fronts
of the molten metal to merge freely without forming shuts.
Whatever vacuum method is employed, if it works well,
improved quality and reduced scrap can be guaranteed.
Te benets of vacuum assisted die casting are many:
Rejections due to porosity are virtually eliminated.
Rejections after secondary processing are
greatly reduced.
Excellent surface quality is practically ensured.
Product density and strength are increased.
Larger, thinner, and more complex, castings
are made possible.
Less casting pressure is required.
Tool life and mold life are extended.
Te die closes better.
Flash is reduced.
Value Added
A metal die caster is not, by denition, really a manu-
facturer. He does not actually make anything. He
simply converts metal from one form to another. He
changes liquid metal into a solid casting. In doing so,
he adds value. His success or failure therefore results
entirely on the amount of added value economically
generated by his casting process.
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Figure 1 Vacuum system.
Figure 2 Te evolution of a plunger tip.
Product that is rejected is unusually costly to the die
caster. Te value of the machine time that was lost while
producing the rejected product is never recovered.
Adding a vacuum system to his operating process
benets a die caster in several ways. First, it reduces his
rate of rejection. Second, by lessening the force required
on the plunger, it increases the life of almost all com-
ponents of the DCM. But most importantly today, by
allowing the die caster to produce thinner, stronger, and
more complex castings, it provides an opportunity for
him participate in a fast growing market sector to which
he would otherwise be denied.
The Essential Seal
It is an obvious fact that a vacuum can only be created
in a totally enclosed space. Tis makes the seal between
the plunger and the shot sleeve critical to eective
vacuum-assisted die casting.
Te gap between the plunger and the wall of the shot
sleeve is necessarily very small - only 0.004 in. If at any time
during the slow part of the shot, the gap becomes much
greater than this, air is likely to be sucked through the gap.
During the fast part, with the sleeve full of metal, the
alloy may penetrate the gap and ash or blow back will
occur. With alloy on the plunger tip, rapid deterioration of
the vacuum seal will result, as the tip becomes galled and
the sleeve becomes soldered.
If the gap becomes much less than .0004 in., there is
then a danger of interference. Inconsistent shot velocity
will inevitably result. Tis gap must therefore remain
virtually unchanged during the entire casting cycle to
guarantee the secure seal that is necessary if an eective
vacuum is to be drawn. If close control of this tip/sleeve
gap is lost, a good vacuum can be easily destroyed in less
than 1,000 shots.
A diculty, of course, is that when metal is heated it
expands. If the ID of the shot sleeve is no greater than
three or four inches, expansion is minimal, and usu-
ally creates no great problem. But large castings require
large shots, and the coecient of thermal expansion
remains constant. Te same increase in the temperature
of a six-inch sleeve, for example, will cause it to expand
exactly twice as much as a three-inch sleeve. Unfor-
tunately, the critical allowable gap is still only four
thousandths of an inch.
Another problem is that the shot sleeve is of steel
and the plunger tip is usually of copper, and copper has
a much greater coecient of thermal expansion than
steel. Tis dierence in coecients makes close con-
trol of the gap, from the start of the shot to the nish,
extremely dicult. At the start, the tip is coolest and
the sleeve is hottest. At the end of the shot, the tip is
hottest and the sleeve is often water-cooled.
To further complicate gap control there are other con-
cerns, such as the dierential in temperature from the top
of the sleeve to the bottom.
Te bottom of the shot sleeve directly below the pour
spout is the place where ash most often occurs. Interfer-
ence will occur when metal gets on the plunger tip from
penetration of the gap that often results from the erosion of
the steel beneath the pour. And there is also the possibility
of blow back of metal at the end of the fast part of the shot.
As well, the alloy being poured into the sleeve is at
about (700 C) 1300 F, while the annealing temperature
of H-13, the shot sleeve material, is only (585 C) 1085F.
If the shot sleeve is not adequately cooled, it will likely
lose some of its hardness. Soon wear will result from the
abrasive action of any alloy that penetrates the gap.
With temperatures constantly changing through-
out the stroke, the size of the gap doesnt depend on
the actual temperature, but only on the dierential in
temperature between the plunger and the shot sleeve
at any point. For larger castings, eective temperature
management of both the plunger tip and the shot sleeve
is therefore absolutely essential, if a consistent gap and a
secure seal is to be maintained.
Controlling the Plunger
Tip Temperature
Plunger tips were originally made of steel. Steel tips are
still used, primarily for their durability and economy. A
steel tip, of course, has the same coecient of thermal
expansion as the shot sleeve in which it slides. Since the
plunger tip is exposed to more heat than the sleeve, the
expansion of a steel tip is dicult to control very precisely.
Te next step in the development of the conventional
plunger tip was to make it of beryllium copper which has
a coecient of thermal expansion more than 50% greater
than that of steel. Tis made the expansion of the tip much
easier to control. It was then possible to maintain the
thermal, and therefore the dimensional, stability of the tip
throughout the length of the stroke.
Die casters usually reduce the temperature of their
plunger tips with water. Excessive plunger tip expansion and
wear is nearly always simply the result of insucient cool-
ant. Even experienced die casters sometimes neglect this.
Rate of fow is easily measured, and should be monitored
constantly. Maintaining an adequate ow of water is vital to
controlling plunger tip expansion.
Tere are some proprietary cooling-intensive plunger tips
that utilize the cooling water much more eectively than
conventional tips.
Te plunger tip shown above was developed a number of
years ago by Allper of Switzerland. It has evolved over time
in response to changing market demands, without compro-
mising its original mandate of performing its function most
eectively at the least cost to the die caster.
Te body of the plunger tip is of beryllium copper for
its high coecient of thermal expansion. A conventional
plunger tip screws directly onto the hollow plunger rod.
With the ARP, a stainless steel tip holder is screwed onto
the shot rod, and the copper tip is securely fastened to it
with a quick release bayonet type connector. Te front of
the steel holder lies in full contact with the inside face of the
plunger tip, and absorbs the total pressure of the shot. Te
face can then be very thin, for better heat exchange.
Te water ow is from the center of the shot rod,
through the stainless holder, and directly to the inside
30/DIE CASTING ENGINEER 1January 2012 www.diecasting.org/dce
face of the plunger tip where a turbulent ow is generated
to maximize the heat transfer. It then goes through four
channels to the circular external coolant return passage.
Beryllium copper is an ideal medium to dissipate heat
from the plunger to the cooling water. It is, of course,
not nearly as wear-resistant as the steel of the shot
sleeve. Since the tip was then dimensionally stable, and
the gap controllable, this problem was resolved with
the development of a steel-wear ring. Tis tempered
steel ring rests freely in a groove machined near the
front of the plunger tip. It is split, and expands against
the inside wall of the shot sleeve. Only the ring wears,
not the copper body. Te wear ring is easily removed or
installed with a special hand tool in about 5 minutes.
Te die end of the shot sleeve is chamfered to com-
press the ring and guide it back into the sleeve. Because
the ring is exible, it makes continuous contact with the
inside of the shot sleeve. Flash, which is a major cause
of wear, is essentially eliminated. Shot speeds are con-
sistent. Since the expanding wear ring ensures a secure
seal between the plunger and the shot sleeve, a better
vacuum can be drawn.
As only the long-lasting steel wear ring is replaced
instead of an entire copper body, the cost of consumables
is considerably reduced.
With a conventional tip, failure of the body is from
wear. Failure of the ARP body is only from thermal
and pressure fatigue. Operating life is therefore many
times longer.
An additional advantage is that the face of the ARP
is considerably cooler than that of other plunger tips.
This cools the biscuit much faster, and reduces the
cycle time significantly.
This does not compromise compression, because
since the wear ring remains relatively hot, while the
face of the tip is much cooler, the outside of the biscuit
tends to remain liquid slightly longer, allowing better
than usual compression.
It is not uncommon for die casters to attempt to
reduce cycle time by cooling the die end of the shot
sleeve. Tis unfortunately tends to shrink the sleeve at
the point where the plunger tip is hottest, and is likely
at its greatest diameter.
A New High Strength Plunger Tip
Te ARP plunger tip has been successfully and proftably
used for a number of years, but the market for aluminum-
castings is changing. Castings are now being required, espe-
cially in the automotive sector, that are larger, more complex,
and with closer tolerances than ever before. Tey also require
a faster rate of production than previously thought possible.
Plunger tips used to seldom be larger than 150 mm. Now,
200 mm tips and even larger, are not uncommon.
Te demands on the plunger tip, particularly in
strength and stability, outgrew the replaceable wear ring
plunger. Tis led to the development of the Allper high
strength AMP plunger tip.
Tis high-strength modular plunger tip has been
designed specically for the production of large cast-
ings. Te beryllium copper body is longer, and it has a
replaceable steel head.
Te challenge to the Allper R&D engineers was to
develop a plunger tip that would remain relatively stable
so as to consistently maintain the required gap with
the shot sleeve, but also be strong enough to withstand
extreme pressures, as well as the impact of a short shot
if the plunger contacts the die. Teir aim was to use as
little copper as possible, primarily for the strength of
steel, and also for economy.
Te AMP plunger tip is longer than the ARP, and fea-
tures a replaceable high-strength steel head.
As with the ARP, a steel holder screws onto the plunger
rod. Te beryllium copper body with its steel head is simi-
larly connected with a quick-release bayonet-fastener.
With the AMP, after a considerable period of incre-
mental redesign and eld-testing, the heat transfer to the
coolant has become much more eective. Te tip is more
dimensionally stable, and thermal control less dependent
on the high coecient of thermal expansion of copper.
Cycle times are reduced. Cost of consumables is reduced.
Operating life of wear rings and tip bodies can now be
estimated, and downtime for replacement scheduled, so
production runs are never unexpectedly interrupted.
Te AMP high strength plunger tip responds to
the demands of an increasing and changing market. It
makes better castings.
Cooling the Shot Sleeve
Typically, a shot sleeve may become 95-150 C hotter at
the bottom under the pour hole than at the top in front of
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Figure 3 High strength AMP tip.
Figure 4 Termally controlled shot sleeve.
the hole. If the temperature of the sleeve is much higher at
the bottom than at the top, unequal expansion will cause
it to become oval instead of round. Tis will also cause
the sleeve to become slightly bowed rather than straight.
Either of these conditions will cause premature wear of
both tip and sleeve. Te extent of ovality and distortion
is directly related to both the diameter and length of
the shot sleeve. To avoid too much variance in ther-
mal expansion, the bottom of the shot sleeve should be
cooled so that the dierence in temperature, bottom to
top, does not exceed 100 F.
Nearly all die casters cool their plunger tips. Eectively
controlling shot sleeve temperatures, however, is a more
dicult challenge.
Te pour end of the shot sleeve is where the temperature
is highest. Tis is obviously where cooling is most neces-
sary. Accordingly, another method of temperature control
is the pour-end cooling jacket. Tis eective and economi-
cal device puts shot sleeve cooling where it is needed most,
directly below the pour spout. Te cooling jacket can also
be re-used when the sleeve is replaced.
If uncontrolled, the vertical temperature variance in
the shot sleeve at the pour end will result in a distortion
which may allow some of the alloy to enter part of the
gap between the plunger and the sleeve. Tis will cause
premature wear, and inconsistent shot velocity.
As well, the alloy being poured into the sleeve is at
about 700 C., while the annealing temperature of H-13
(1.2344), the usual shot sleeve material, is only 585 C.
If the shot sleeve is not adequately cooled, it will likely
lose some of its hardness. Wear will then more quickly
result from the abrasive action of any alloy that pen-
etrates the gap.
Plunger Lubrication
Te primary purpose of shot sleeve lubricant, therefore,
is simply to reduce the friction between the sleeve and
the plunger, and to thus ensure the smooth passage of
the plunger through the sleeve. Tis is essential for con-
sistent shot velocities, and to extend the operating life of
both the shot sleeve and the plunger tip.
Too Little or Too Much?
Te amount of lubricant used must be adequate, but care
should be taken to avoid any excess. Lubrication should
therefore be kept to an absolute minimum. It should be
benign, and produce no toxic fumes.
Every eort must be made to eliminate the pos-
sibility of any non-metallic substance getting into the
mold. Graphite-based lubricants, for example, can cause
porosity in the casting.
Lubricant should be applied where it is needed - and
only where it is needed. Any excess lubricant not actually
used, is an unnecessary cost and a workplace pollutant.
A.L.S. 192 The Ultimate Lubricant
Boron Nitride is just now universally acclaimed as the
most eective lubricant yet available for the aluminum die
casting industry. Its unmatched lubricity far exceeds that of
all other traditionally used lubricants. It is also completely
benign, producing no toxic fumes.
Application
For small diameter sleeves of 4 in. (10cm) or less, the
Lube-Drop System is usually adequate. Tis incorporates
an internal lubricant groove machined into the sleeve,
combined with a metered dropper.
For larger and longer sleeves, it is dicult to adequately
lubricate the complete interior. Castool ensures this with
the popular Lube-Spray System.
How it Works
A carefully measured amount of liquid Boron Nitride is
vaporized to form a ne mist. Tis is blown throughout the
length of the shot sleeve, ensuring that the surface is com-
pletely and evenly coated with a thin lm of lubricant.
Te lubricant spray and air nozzle assembly is securely
mounted just behind the pour hole of the shot sleeve. Te
nozzle technology eectively atomizes the liquid Boron
Nitride to reduce overall consumption. Atomization takes
place external to the nozzle cap.
Tis ensures that there is no product buildup within
the nozzle tube. Nozzles can be quickly interchanged to
provide dierent spray patterns.
Spray pressure and duration are both adjustable. Tis
ensures complete coverage without costly overspray.
Te metered dosage injection pump provides the precise
amount of lubricant required for each process cycle, with
no danger of excess to contaminate the casting.
Te entire application assembly can be easily and quickly
moved when required.
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Figure 5 Systems approach.
Only If It Works Well....
Teres the rub. Vacuum assisted die casting is essential to
any die caster who wants to eliminate porosity, and who
wants to make larger, thinner, more complicated parts, and
with less pressure. But only if it works well.
When any new product or technology comes to
market, it is often dicult to immediately use it eec-
tively, especially if it is assumed that the system with
which it works will support its use. Tis is precisely
what occurred when vacuum was introduced in die
casting several years ago. Te die caster needed an
extreme application to justify its use, because at that
time, the vacuum valve required so much maintenance.
Te problem was compounded when the shot sleeve and
plunger tip often did not work together well enough to
create a secure seal. Tis, of course, resulted in air being
pulled into the die cavity. Tis unfortunate situation was
further worsened when the die caster introduced a heavy
lubricant or grease in an ill-advised attempt to seal the
gap. Tis was constantly being pulled into the valve, and
was often a reason for its failure. Understandably the
amount of downtime was uncommonly high.
Just a few years ago, if the average die caster invested
in a vacuum system, his downtime often oset his prot,
and unless the requirements of his product were so
stringent that they couldnt be satised without vacuum,
he couldnt aord it.
Today, almost any product can be protably made
with a vacuum assisted die casting system. We now have
a valve that is stronger, has fewer moving parts, and
requires minimal maintenance. Previously, most vacuum
valves required maintenance after about 3,000-6,000
shots. With todays valve, a die caster can expect 20,000-
40,000 shots or more, before maintenance is required.
Tis much improved valve is now working very prot-
ably, while supported by a thermally controlled shot sleeve
and plunger tip combination that create a secure seal, using
a minimal amount of a special benign lubricant.
A Holistic Process Adds Synergy
Cold chamber die casting is a good example of a
holistic production process. No single component of
the die casting machine operates in isolation. Eective
and protable productivity depends on all parts of the
process functioning at close to maximum eciency at
all times. Synergy really can result. Tis is an achievable
goal for any die caster.
Many of the large and complex near-net shapes that
are now required, can only be competitively produced
with vacuum assistance. Te eciency of any cold
chamber casting process will be improved by the addi-
tion of vacuum. But the maximum benet of vacuum
can only be approached when the temperature of both
the shot sleeve and the plunger tip are closely con-
trolled throughout the injection stroke, and a secure seal
between plunger and sleeve maintained at all times.
A Challenge and an Opportunity
Te need for light metal castings by automakers is really just
beginning. It will continue to grow rapidly. Castings of a size
and complexity never before envisaged will be required.
Tis is a challenge to die casters, but also an opportunity
of unmatched magnitude. With the aid of vacuum assisted
casting, this challenge will be met. Te opportunity will
be seized. Our industry will prosper.
Resetting the Die Cast Industry
Our economy has been reset. Tat is a fact. We cant
change it. We must accept it, and manage to operate
within the parameters of this newly reset business environ-
ment for an indenite period. How can the die casting
industry best and most protably reset itself?
Te short answer has to be - by better die casting.
A huge and unexpected opportunity in a single
market sector has developed almost overnight, and
at the same time almost all other sectors are in sharp
decline. Competition has suddenly become intense.
Some die casting plants are already closed.
Vacuum assisted die casting was introduced, primar-
ily, to enable die casters to meet the demands of auto-
makers and their tier one vendors. Some die casters used
it well, and became very successful. Others didnt. Te
reason most often was that they didnt realize that the
technology of the vacuum assist is so unforgiving. A die
cast shot end system using vacuum either works very
well or it is worse than useless.
Today, the temperatures of both the plunger tip and the
shot sleeve are being controlled better than ever before.
Teir interaction is improved and the integrity of the seal
ensured. Also the best vacuum valves now are innitely
more reliable than those of only a few years ago.
Yesterday, the choice was cheaper or better. Tere is
no longer a choice. Today, the product must be cheaper
and better. It is fair to assume that in todays business
climate, likely most die casters who do not embrace the
vacuum assist will fail.
Te market is there. Te improved technology is avail-
able. Te time is now.
!
About the Author
Paul Robbins received his postgraduate degree at the Schulich
School of Business and has worked in the light metal industry
for more than 25 years. He is General Manager of Castool
Tooling Systems. He is well-known for the articles that he has
authored, and for the many technical papers he has presented.
He is a committed advocate of the view that extrusion and die
casting are both holistic processes, and therefore components of
the production systems should never be considered in isolation,
but always as an interconnected part of the whole system. For
recreation, he races motorcycles and skis.
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