Making something out of aluminum is a hard call. You need to understand how the metal works and the best process to get it in the shape you need to complete your finished product. The most common means to get this material in shape is casting or extrusion. We will lay out the basics for you so you understand how each of these works. Here is everything you need to know about casting and extruded aluminum.

Die Casting – What is it?

Die casting is the process of melting aluminum and injecting the molten melts into a mold using a piston. After the process is completed, we let the mold cool off, the product inside, take shape, and voila! A product is finished. While it sounds easy, we need to add a few additional steps, such as deburring or creating alloys. It's straightforward and easy, and the mold can be used as much as its durability allows.

Extruding – What is it?

Extruded aluminum is achieved when we sent heated aluminum sheets through a die to get them in the shape we want. Once done, the extrusion can be tampered with to get a finished part of the product in accordance with your specifications. The process resembles in many ways CNC machining. The number of extrusions can be as many as required, but they need certain planning levels to achieve the desired shape.

Which Process Works Better?

Well, here is the hard call to make. We cannot simply call a winner over another in these instances since both work pretty well depending on what it's required. There are pros and cons for both, and your workshop of choice should be able to run the details by you before getting started. We can run a list of the things you can achieve with each one of them and let you make your own calls on this.

With Die Casting, You can:

• Create more intricate designs
• Build larger products
• Get rough surfaces if they are intended
• Get a fast turnout if your project requires a large volume

We also need to point out that while die casting is highly effective when it comes to quantity, the process can be quite time-consuming for mold creation. Also, the products created using die casting are not that durable in the long run.

With extrusion, you can:

• Get consistent shapes, especially when it comes to cross-sections
• Get parts sized in the basis or your aluminum sheets
• Durability since hardening takes place in real-time
• Better finished products

We have to mention that aluminum extrusion is way cheaper than die casting, and it can be reworked if necessary, while with die-casting, the delivered product out of the mold is final. The other downside is that this procedure is better suited for small production runs.

Making The Choice

They say knowledge is power, and now you have the basics to make an informed decision. You can weigh the pros and cons to get your angle, but the technicians you choose to work with will have a better say regarding suitability. Listen to what they have to say. That could be the whole difference between making a profit or losing money.