Shenzhen Alu Rapid Prototype Precision Co., Ltd.

Cold chamber die casting is a metal casting process used for metals with high melting points (like aluminum, brass, and copper alloys) that would damage a standard hot chamber machine.

How It Works

1. Melting: Metal is melted in a separate, external furnace — not inside the machine itself (hence "cold chamber").

2. Ladling: A measured amount of molten metal is manually or automatically ladled into a "shot sleeve" (the cold chamber).

3. Injection: A hydraulic plunger forces the molten metal at high pressure (1,500–25,000 psi) into a hardened steel die (mold).

4. Solidification: The metal cools and solidifies rapidly inside the die.

5. Ejection: The die opens and ejector pins push out the finished casting.

6. Trimming: Excess metal (flash, runners, gates) is trimmed off.

Key Characteristics

• Materials used: Aluminum, magnesium, copper, brass, zinc (high-temp alloys)

• Pressures: Very high — enables fine detail and thin walls

• Cycle time: Slower than hot chamber (due to manual ladling step)

• Tolerances: Tight dimensional accuracy

Advantages

• Suitable for high-melting-point alloys

• Produces strong, complex, near-net-shape parts

• Good surface finish

• High production volume capability

Disadvantages

• Slower cycle times vs. hot chamber

• More porosity risk (air can be trapped during ladling)

• Higher labor involvement

Common Applications

• Automotive parts (engine blocks, transmission housings)

• Aerospace components

• Electronics enclosures

• Industrial machinery parts

It's one of the most widely used manufacturing processes in the world, particularly dominant in automotive aluminum part production.