In March 2021, Deco Products expanded its capabilities with investment in multi-slide equipment. This strategic move brought advanced miniature, multi-slide zinc die casting capabilities into our product offerings. Multi-slide die casting is critical for efficiently casting products that are small or have complex geometries.
What is Die Casting?
Die casting is a common manufacturing method in which molten metal is injected into the mold or cavity at high speed and pressure. The metal rapidly solidifies in the cavity.
Once the part has cooled, the machine opens and ejects the part. The use of a cavity in a die allows for the rapid and large-scale manufacture of highly complex parts.
Conventional Hot Chamber Die Casting
Conventional die casting machines typically use a die that is split into two halves. Die casting allows for the manufacture of intricate complex shapes. However, there are quite a few limitations in the features that can be made because the die is split into two halves. It is essential to review the features of a design before purchasing a die to ensure the product can be produced in a conventional die.
Engineers will also review to see if the part features will successfully detach from the die or if the features increase the risk that a product will end up getting stuck to the die when the die opens.
These machines may also require secondary operations to produce the final product.
Once the product has been cast, the excess material that flowed from the source of molten metal into the die cavity needs to be removed.
This can be done by hand, through the use of a trimming process, or through a batched vibratory process.
What is Multi Slide Die Casting?
Multi-slide die casting is a specialized process designed for creating complex, small parts with high precision.
Deco’s multi-slide die casting machines feature four perpendicular slides that close to form a mold cavity.
Since the cavity that produces the part is formed by four adjoining slides, multi-slide equipment can produce much more complicated shapes that could not be produced in a conventional machine.
Additionally, the function of a multi-slide machine allows many parts to be produced without additional operations to reduce the excess material left behind by conventional processes. This reduces the need to handle the parts and reduces capital expenses on equipment like trim dies and presses.
Key Advantages of Miniature Die Casting
Miniature die casting, especially when utilizing slide die casting machines, provides several benefits:
- Complex Parts: As said before, the greatest benefit of a multi-slide machine is the ability to produce more complex parts that cannot be produced in a conventional machine.
- Operational Efficiency: the typical multi-slide machine requires less secondary operations than conventional die-casting, helping reduce processing cost.
- Elimination of Trim Die: Multi-slide die casting often eliminates the need for trim dies. This streamlines workflows, reduces tool wear, and reduces the number of capital investments necessary to being production.
- High Speed Production: multi-slide machines typically function at a higher rate than conventional machines
- Part to Part Consistency: multi-slide machines typically have fewer cavities than conventional machines, reducing potential part-to-part variation.
- Precise Production: these machines are typically better at producing smaller parts thanks to the multi-slide function.
Optimizing Your Miniature Die Casting Projects with Zinc
Zinc’s properties in miniature die casting deliver long-term value through cost savings, fewer defects, longer tooling life, and longer-lasting products compared to other materials. Partnering with Deco Products ensures you benefit from our expertise and commitment to delivering high-quality zinc die cast components.
Our engineers can review your designs to help you understand the best manufacturing methods to optimize your cost and quality. It’s best to reach out early in your project so our team can help you improve the overall manufacturability of your design. With the addition of our multi-slide capabilities, we can ensure your product ends up getting tooled up in the right machine style to meet your needs. If you’d like to reach out for support on your next design, feel free contact us here.
Elevating Precision and Efficiency in Manufacturing
Michele Duwe
Michele Duwe is the Sales and Marketing Manager with Deco Products. She has eight plus years as a digital marketing manager and over a decade of sales and marketing experience.
