Glossary of Die Casting Terms
A - C
Aging change
Phenomena that take place as the time passes, caused by changes in metallurgical structure, including the changes in mechanical property, physical property, dimension, etc.
Boss
A protrusion on a die casting
Casting surface
Surfaces of a die casting as cast.
Cast-to-form
Screw threads to be cast in the die together with the other portion of the casting.
Cavity
Sunken part of the die to form castings.
Cold shut
A boundary mark that appears when the melt in the cavity does not have enough amount of heat or where it flows together but does not melt into each other.
Core pin
A pin used for making a cast hole.
Cored hole
A hole made on a casting with a fixed core or a movable core.
D - F
Deburring work
Removing work of such excessive portion of a casting as flashes, runners, etc, which can be seen attached to it right after taken out of the machine.
Die
A metallic mold for making die castings.
Die close system
Mechanism to open/close the die.
Die locking force
The force for locking up the die.
Die lubricant
Material to be applied on the cavity surface to prevent castings from getting stuck on the die and seized.
Draft
The slope made on the cavity side walls, pins, cores, etc for easy removal of die castings.
Ejector pin
A pin used to eject the casting out of the die.
Finishing allowance
Machining stock allowance on the exterior of a die casting for finishing.
Fixed die
The die half mounted on the fixed platen of a die casting machine.
Flash
A thin fin of metal jutting out of the casting excessively into clearances at the die parting plane (parting line) or around cores.
Flow line
Shallow lines or flow marks that appear on the die casting when the melt injected into the die solidifies prematurely
G - L
Gooseneck
A gooseneck-shaped part of hot chamber machine injection mechanism Injection unit A unit for forcing molten metal into the die.
Intergranular corrosion
A kind of electrochemical corrosion, which penetrates mainly grain boundaries, partly grains and develops.
Ladle
Used to pour molten metal into the cold chamber.
Light alloy castings
Castings of low-specific-gravity alloys mainly composed of such metals as aluminum, magnesium, etc, specific gravities of which are 4.0 or lower.
Low-pressure casting
A casting method of forcing molten metal into a die under relatively low pressures. Pressures to the extent of 0.1 to 0.5 kgf/cm2 in the chamber are to be applied on the melt directly.
M
Machining
Face milling, drilling, tapping, etc performed on castings
Malleable cast iron
Certain kind of pig iron castings made form pig iron and scraps melt together. Toughness is given by heat treatment.
Melt flow
Fluidity of the molten metal
Metal insert
A piece of metal to be cast and bonded in a die casting.
Molten metal
Melted metal or alloy.
Mounting jig
Mounting gear for fixing a work to the same spot easily and quickly, having guides and/or positioning.
Movable core
The core that is to be pulled prior to taking out the casting. Used to form an undercut against die-opening direction.
Movable die
The die half mounted on the movable platen of a die casting machine, which has an ejection mechanism.
N - R
Nozzle
A cylindrical part connecting a hot chamber machine gooseneck or gooseneck tip to the sprue hole.
Parting plane
The plane where the die blocks meet or a movable core sits in place, which leaves a line on die castings.
Permanent mold castings
Castings made from molten alloy delivered into a durable die by gravity.
Plunger
A unit to force molten metal in the chamber into a die.
Porosity
Voids inside the casting: shrinkage porosity and blow holes.
Rib
Reinforcement for increasing sturdiness of the die casting.
Runner
Passage from the sprue hole to the cavity, where the melt flows.
S -
Sand-mold castings
Castings made with sand molds into which molten metal is poured.
Shell-mold castings
Castings made with resin sand molds into which molten metal is injected.
Soldering
A condition of die cavity to which the casting melt has adhered.
Steel castings
Castings made from steel, which was refined in electric furnaces etc. Excellent in toughness and impact resistance.
Trimming
Removal of flashes, runners and other unwanted portions of a casting.
Undercut
A recessed spot of a casting where its draw is not parallel to the moving direction of die/core. To be cast to form with a movable core, loose core, expendable core, etc.
Extracted/Translated from Die Casting Standard [Terms] compiled by Japan Die Casting Association.