Die casting is a very powerful method of making net shape metal parts without machining. That’s why metal castings are vital to many crucial industries such as agriculture, healthcare, and mining. Without castings, these industries, and the role they play in our everyday lives wouldn’t be the same.
Automotive Industry
Castings play a crucial role in the manufacture of cars, with some of the most important car components and assemblies being metal castings. A primary example of this is the engine block, which is usually made from cast iron or aluminium alloy. The engine block contains all of the vital components that make up the bottom end of the motor. This is where the crankshaft spins, and the pistons move up and down in the cylinder bores. Moreover, its metal construction gives it strength and the ability to transmit heat from the combustion processes to the integral cooling system in an efficient manner.
Moreover, die castings composed of aluminium, magnesium, and zinc are used by vehicle manufacturers to produce vehicles that are better for the environment by producing lower emissions.
Defence Industry
Military vehicles, gear, and firearms operate in some of the hardest and also extreme environments. Cast components enable firearms to be used in extreme heat and cold. Equipment can also go extended periods of time without use, and still achieve peak performance.
Furthermore, some examples of cast components used in defence:
- Trigger guards
- Pistol grips
- Spare parts
- Joysticks for drone planes/UAVs
- Gun triggers, hammers, and sights
Without castings, developing quality equipment, planes, tanks, and firearms would be much more costly and time-consuming, with less precision of design.
Renewable Industry
To harness energy, cast components are essential for building applications such as windmills and solar panels. One of the most important parts of a windmill is the hub. The hub is the centre point of the windmill where all the blades are joined, houses the complex technology that turns the blades and also harnesses its energy. These hubs are made from cast steel, steel alloys or aluminium in order to ensure strength, durability, and longevity of windmills.
Metal casting enables the creation of large, complex shapes that can withstand incredible amounts of motion, weather, and weight. Without the casting industry, alternative energy would not be the plentiful, accessible, reliable resource it is today.
Agriculture Industry
The biggest challenges faced by the agriculture industry is harsh conditions and evolving technology that requires precision production and large loads.
Therefore, durability and productivity are essential qualities of modern farm equipment. That’s why cast iron and steel are hugely popular and used extensively in the development of parts used in farming equipment.
Cast parts in this industry are often used for:
- Frames for agricultural vehicles
- Drums
- Cylinders
- Gear casings or housings
Medical Industry
Casting is used throughout the medical industry, primarily in parts for products such as pacemakers, patient monitoring systems and ultrasound systems.
Evidently, manufacturing parts for the medical industry requires a great deal of precision in both engineering and design. Therefore, metal casting is the only technique of manipulating metal that enables this kind of flexibility of shape and design.
Mining Industry
While the casting industry relies on mining to provide the metals used in its process, these metals are then used to produce highly durable casings essential for the mining industry. The mining industry relies on casing to dig overburden and ore out of the ground, while enduring some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
Some of the cast metal parts used within the mining industry include:
- Eccentrics for shakers and crushers
- Clamping rings
- Pinion shaft housings
- Wheel hubs for large mining trucks
Goudsmit UK
At Goudsmit UK, we work closely with you to design and develop die casts that perfectly match your application requirements. As a trusted name and leading engineering component manufacturer, we supply parts to a wide range of industries.
Fully-computerised technology allows for efficient design and production. You can depend on Goudsmit UK to develop a low or high pressure die casting process that will produce your parts economically and with reliable quality.
For more information visit our webpage or download or brochure.
Contact our team on 02890 271 001 or at info@goudsmit.co.uk
