Squeeze Casting – “the best of all worlds”
Did you know that CastAlum is the only foundry in Europe to successfully operate a squeeze casting resource? In addition to our eleven high pressure die casting cells, we have three squeeze die casting cells from Buhler Prince. These range from 1450 to 2000 tonnes and allow a shot weight of up to 20 kilos. Each dedicated cell operates with its own energy efficient Tower melting facility, obviating the opportunity for any metal segregation and minimising oxide build up.
The Best of All Worlds
Squeeze casting has been called “the best of all worlds” when compared to its sister processes: high pressure, low pressure, and gravity (sand) casting. This is because the process allows for a unique combination of the best elements of each of these varying processes.
The process is not too dissimilar from high pressure die casting. The main difference being that the shot is injected vertically, rather than horizontally. The process allows for much slower shot speeds, with continuous application of pressure during the solidification process. This allows for a fluid, or laminar flow of aluminium into the cavity, and slow solidification under pressure.
So why use Squeeze Casting?
There are several reasons to choose this process over other casting methods, but here we will select a few examples of the unique benefits that it can provide.
- Almost no shrinkage porosity, with limited inclusions and gaseous porosity
- Fine-grain crystal structures, with superior mechanical properties
- Results in heat-treatable and weldable components
- Allows for complex shapes and thicker wall sections
- Greater possibility for tooling with multiple cavities
- 40-60% lighter by design than iron
The right choice for safety critical components
Squeeze is considered a high-integrity process. The unique mechanical properties it provides make it the right choice for safety critical components. And despite providing all of these additional benefits, the part price does not usually differ from that of high pressure.
You can read more about the similarities and differences of high pressure vs squeeze casting here!
If you’d like to find out more about this process, or ask for a quote, please get in touch!