Basics of HPDC

Basics of High Pressure Die Casting
& Die Maintenance
Rakesh Ghag
Chief Manager
Tool Management Services
1 I Godrej Tooling I Tool Management Services I HMSI 4F On Job Training June to November 2016
Cold Chamber Die Casting

DIE CASTINGS are produced
by forcing molten metal under
pressure into metal moulds
called dies.
Animated Video
Die Casting Process Video
Phases in Die Casting
Taking the liquid metal from Sleeve to the in-gate at slow speed!
Called First Phase
Filling the mold at high speed! Called Second Phase
Compacting the liquid metal of the mold at high Pressure, during

solidification! Called Third Phase
Objective of 1st Phase
When the plunger moves the liquid metal towards the

mold, the air occupying vacant space of the mold is
pushed ahead by the moving metal towards the mold.
Most of the air then finds the exit through the air vents
(overflows) till the liquid metal fully occupies the runner
and in-gate profile. This brings about an ideal situation.
In the absence of air, the runner is full of liquid metal

limiting the air content to the cavity space only.
Internal View at 1st Phase
Objective of 2nd Phase
This is the mold filling phase. It happens at high speed of

injection plunger.
When the metal is dragged to the in-gate plane by the

first phase what lies ahead is the air of the entire mold
cavity.
The second phase is actuated at high plunger (effectively,

metal speed). The flowing metal must drive away this air
completely to occupy the mold contours.
Steps of all 3 Phases
Parting line
Biscuit
Machine fixed platen
Fill ratio = ( Shot volume / Active shot sleeve volume ) X 100

Shot volume = Volume of Biscuit + Runner + casting + Overflows
Active shot sleeve volume = Plunger area X active shot sleeve length
Pouring location
Plunger
Active shot sleeve length

Plunger starting point
Spreader
Distance from platen to spreader
Objective of Intensification - 3rd Phase

This is the pressure intensification phase and is actuated by
the intensifier of the machine.
When the mold is completely filled and the metal starts
solidify from mold-wall inward, an intensified pressure tends
to push the liquid metal through the liquid core canal and
feeds the portion of solidifying sections.
The extent of this feeding is, however, limited and for this
reason the casting layout must be such that the thicker
sections of the casting are nearer to the in-gate.
Objective of Venting
Objective of Cooling in HPDC
The term cooling in die casting is a misnomer. It

is never intended to quench the die.
It is only intended to maintain constant
temperature of the die so that the thermal
equilibrium is maintained or in other words the die
runs at a constant temperature, shot after shot.
Reduction of thermal shocking effect increases the
die life substantially.
To bring about the best results, it is best that the
method of cooling, medium of cooling and location
of cooling channels are carefully selected at the
design stage itself.
Cycle Time
Total Cycle Time in a PDC process can be divided in 14 parts
Sr
1
Activity
Ejector Retract
Core In
Machine Close
Machine Lock
Pouring
Injection
Solidification
Decompression
Machine Open
10
Core Out
11
Ejection
12
Casting Extraction
13
Spray
CI Ring placing
(optional)
14
Time (Secs)
Role of Die Coat (Spray)

Release Agent
Barrier Between Molten Metal and Steel
Lubrication
Maintaining Thermal Balance
Metal Flow Promoter
Improve Part Surface Quality
Narrow die temperature range

Adhesion process of Water based DL
Collision
Wetting
Water
Die surface
Drying
Oils
Water dries, and the main components adhere to the

die surface by the heat of die surface.
When die temperature is low,

Water can not dry
Die surface
Because water doesn't evaporate on the surface, it isn't

concentrated, and the main components don't adhere.
When die temperature is high,
Insulating vapor layer
Die surface
Die lube is rejected when it is short of collision energy

by insulating vapor layer.
Typical HPDC Die
EJECTOR BACK PLATE

EJECTOR GUIDE
EJECTOR PLATE
Elements of a HPDC Die

CHILLVENT
MOVING DIE
INSERT
COREPIN
HOUSING
SIDE
FIXED DIE INSERT
WATER MANIFOLD
FINGER PIN
BUBBLER
LEADER
BUSH
EJECTOR PIN
SPRUE BUSH
MOVING DIE BLOCK
SLIDER
ASSEMBLY
DIFFUSER
FIXED DIE BLOCK
LEADER PIN

Core Pin
Material Hot Die Steel
H13 Grade
Function Forming Holes in
the component
Points to Bend
Check & Breakage
Correct
Profile Damage

Ejector Pin
Material
Function
Points to
Check &
Correct
Hot Die Steel

H13 Grade
Ejection of
Component from
Die
Bend
Breakage
Wear & Tear
Scoring

Sprue Bush
Materi
al
Functio
n
Hot Die Steel H13

Grade
Positioning die on
machine & Form a
Feeding Channel
Points Metal Sticking
to
Crack
Check
Water Leakage
&
Correct Scoring
Flash

Diffuser
Materi
al
Functio
n
Points
to
Check
&
Correct
Hot Die Steel H13

Grade
Form Feeding channel &
Direct Molten metal
Metal Sticking
Crack
Water Leakage
Scoring
Flash

Insert
Materi
al
Functio
n
Points
to
Check
&
Correct
Hot Die Steel H13

Grade
Component Forming
Metal Sticking / Soldering
Crack
Water Leakage
Scoring
Flash

Side Core / Slider
Materi
al
Functio
n
Points
to
Check &
Correct
Hot Die Steel H13

Grade
Forming Undercuts
Metal Sticking
Crack
Sticking in Slider
guides
More Clearance
Flash
Hydraulic Cylinders
Materi
al
Functio
n
Points
to
Check
&
Correct
Standard
Movement of Side Core
Oil Leakage
Stroke Length
Fitment with mating part
Smoothness in movement
Die Housing / Mold Base

Materia C45 / EN8 / EN9
l
Function Holder for all die
elements
Points to Parallelism
Check & Eye Bolts Tapping
Correct Depth
Blue Butting of Inserts
& Sprue Bush
Blue Butting of Sliders
& Diffuser
Moving Core Sub Assembly
ydraulic Cylinder & Bracket Assembly
Basics of Die Maintenance
Rakesh Ghag
Chief Manager
Tool Management Services
Need for Die Maintenance

Inherent Reliability
Reliability Probability that no problem will occur during a

given period
Factors Affecting Die Life
Contributors
Steel / Heat
Treatment
Selection of Steel
Heat Treatment
Surface Coatings
Nitriding, Coatings etc
Design &
Construction
Thermal Layout
Layout of Cooling System
Optimized Gating System
Ease of Ejection
Machining / EDM
Careful Machining
Avoid Sharp Corners
White Layer Removal
Die Caster
Pre Heating
Minimal Spraying
Die Maintenance
Periodic Stress Relieving
Tempering after Welding
Minimal Thermal Cycles
Alloy Used
Thermal Balance
Very Important to have Complete, Constant & Precise
Thermal Control throughout the Die Casting Process
Design & Production engineers have to consider the
thermal loads that occur in production (in terms of thermal
mass & cycle time) and ensure that the die faces do not
overheat.
Balance
Heat Input Factors
Cycle Time
Component Thickness
Component Fill Time
Melt Temperature
Heat Out Put Factors
Cooling Lines
Spray
Types of Die Maintenance

Routine Die Maintenance
Usage Based Die Maintenance
Condition Based Die Maintenance
Breakdown Maintenance
Routine Die Maintenance
Routine Maintenance is done after every 2500 to 3500 shots of a PDC Die. It is
done to ensure smooth working of the die during regular production
Activities Carried Out in Routine Maintenance are

Polishing of the Catching Prone Areas
Cleaning of Cooling Lines
Cleaning and Stoning of Moving elements like Sliders, Tunnel Cores,
Ejector Pins etc.
Flash Removal from Parting faces and Stoning
Application of Graphite Lubricant on Moving elements
Limit Switch Mechanism Check and Tighten if required
Moving Cores Sub Assembly Check and tighten if required
Sprue Bush and Diffuser Cooling Line Cleaning
Polishing of Sprue Bush ID on Lathe
Stoning of Runner Area in Diffuser
Usage Based Maintenance
Usage Based Maintenance Maintain the die in Good Condition and Prevent
Breakdown in production. It is done after
Initial 2000 shots
5000 to 10000 shots
Thereafter every 20000 shots
Activities Carried Out in Usage Based Maintenance are

Stripping of the complete Die
Inspect all Moving Elements of Die for Wear
Inspect all Cooling Elements of Die
Die Penetrant Test of Major Die Elements
Stress Relieving of elements which come in contact with Molten
Aluminium
Polishing of All Component forming elements after SR
Replacement of Clogged Cooling elements
Replacement of Worn out Ejector Pins
Replacement of Core Pins which are likely to fail in production
Carbide coating of Solder prone areas (especially near the gate)
Plus Other Routine Maintenance Activity
Condition Based Maintenance
Condition Based Maintenance is done to Eliminate the Causes of Accelerated

Deterioration and to improve Die Condition
Activities Carried Out in Condition Based Maintenance are

Replacement of Distorted or Soldered Sub Inserts
Replacement of Core Pins or Other Die elements after the specified life
Re Spotting of the Core & Cavity to minimize flash
Welding of Cracked Areas
Welding in Heat Check mark areas
Sub Insert Fitting in Areas likely to fail in near production lot
Breakdown Maintenance
Breakdown Maintenance is done to Repair or Replace the die elements which have
failed during production
This is not the ideal condition in any DC shop as it causes production loses & fire
fighting.
Activities Carried Out in Breakdown Maintenance are
Replacement of Failed Die Elements
Welding of Failed Die Elements
Sub Insert Fitting in Crack or Failure prone areas
Wear & Tear of Die Elements
Forced Deterioration
Natural deterioration
Varying Level of
Compliances
Periodic Maintenance
Pre Heating & Die
Cooling Practices
Excessive / Imbalance
Machine Tonnage
Assembly
Mickey Mouse Fixes
Thermal Stresses
Wear of Moving Elements
Observations during die maintenance
Examples of problems faced in a Aluminium PDC Die Due to Thermal Stresses
How do heat check marks start?
Intermittent Stress Relieving

Process for Stress Relieving of a PDC Die
1. Load at 200 / 250 C
2. Heat up to 550 / 560 C
3. Hold at 550 / 560 C for 2 hours (For a 800 ton Crank Case Die.
This time will change depending on Die Cross section
4. Furnace cool to 430 C maximum and then remove from furnace
and air cool
Frequency for Stress Relieving
1000 to 2000 shots
5000 to 10,000 shots
Repeat for each additional 10,000 to 20,000 shots
Nitriding
After the solidification is completed, the dies are often sprayed with lubricants to
cool the die surface and to facilitate part removal
When the lubricant layer washes out or is not properly applied, the molten cast
metal comes in contact with the die surface resulting in micro-welding or
soldering
Molten aluminum alloy reacts with the die steel forming complex aluminum-ironsilicon intermetallics and resulting in soldering of the cast metal to the steel
substrate
Nitriding
Nitrided Layer forms a

sandwich between
Die Surface and
Molten Aluminum
preventing them to
come in contact with
each other
Caution for Nitriding
Carbide Coating at Intervals
Carbide Coating is done in areas that are prone to soldering and catching
These are the areas opposite to gate and some high rise locations in the die
Polish the area and clean the stuck Aluminum
Deposit Carbide Coating on the selected area.
Light Polishing of the area with Emery Paper
Teflon Tape Usage
Ending point
Starting point
Leave 2
threads and
start wrapping
Teflon tape
Use 6mm width Teflon tape for
Water Cooling Connectors
Threads
Use 12mm width Teflon tape for

Hydraulic Connectors
Cooling Line Cleaning at Intervals

Dismantle the Die and take insert to water line testing
zone
Check the hole ID
Using Hand Drilling Machine insert drill with 1mm less
diameter
Start drilling and push the Hand drilling in cooling
hole
Keep on reciprocating till the drill touches hard face
of the die
Remove the slag and other dust from the drill tip
Flush the hole with high pressure water
Welding in a HPDC Die
Job Cleaning and Drying
Pre Heating of the Die Element to 350 Deg C. (Do Not Weld Below 350)
Use Either ASSAB QRO90 or Weltrode 7100 TIG Welding electrodes
Cover the Job in Glass Wool or Asbestos Sheet. Leave the area to be welded Open.
Weld the area in intervals between runs
After completing Welding Cover the Jobs with Glass Wool or Asbestos Sheet
Allow SLOW Cooling of the Job
Do Stress Relieving after welding
Do Machining or Hand Matching of the Welding area
Monitor the Welded Area after every 1000 shots
Welding in a HPDC Die
Welded Component
area for Heat Check
Marks
Welded gate
area
Approach towards Die Maintenance

Measure for Tool Performance which is periodically
determined and improved through failure analysis
1. Mean Time To Repair
2. Mean Shots Between Failures
3. Number of Minor Stoppages
Root Cause Analysis of each problem is done based on

1. Inputs from Production Shop
2. Scrutiny of Tool using Customised Check lists
3. Machine Condition and parameters wrt to Design &
Flow Analysis
Die Maintenance History

Documentation
Die History Card
Preventive Maintenance Record
Last Casting Report
Die Repair Request Sheet
Kaizen Idea Sheet
Maintenance Prevention Sheet
Tool File Records
Inputs from Design Review Meetings
MP Sheets need to be made at the end of each project.

This facilitates actions on OFIs
Tool File Records
Tool File Records
Tool File Records
Actions on Maintenance Feedback
Close Loop System Essential
Design
Manufacturing
Die
Maintenance
Production
Thank You for your time.

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Basics of HPDC

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Basics of HPDC

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Basics of High Pressure Die Casting

& Die Maintenance

Cold Chamber Die Casting

Phases in Die Casting

Filling the mold at high speed! Called Second Phase

Compacting the liquid metal of the mold at high Pressure, during

Objective of 1st Phase

When the plunger moves the liquid metal towards the

In the absence of air, the runner is full of liquid metal

Internal View at 1st Phase

Objective of 2nd Phase

This is the mold filling phase. It happens at high speed of

When the metal is dragged to the in-gate plane by the

The second phase is actuated at high plunger (effectively,

Steps of all 3 Phases

Machine fixed platen

Fill ratio = ( Shot volume / Active shot sleeve volume ) X 100

Active shot sleeve length

Distance from platen to spreader

Objective of Intensification - 3rd Phase

Objective of Cooling in HPDC

The term cooling in die casting is a misnomer. It

Role of Die Coat (Spray)

Narrow die temperature range

Water dries, and the main components adhere to the

Narrow die temperature range

When die temperature is low,

Because water doesn't evaporate on the surface, it isn't

Narrow die temperature range

When die temperature is high,

Insulating vapor layer

Die lube is rejected when it is short of collision energy

Typical HPDC Die

EJECTOR BACK PLATE

Elements of a HPDC Die

FIXED DIE INSERT

FIXED DIE BLOCK

Elements of a HPDC Die

Elements of a HPDC Die

Hot Die Steel

Elements of a HPDC Die

Hot Die Steel H13

Elements of a HPDC Die

Hot Die Steel H13

Elements of a HPDC Die

Hot Die Steel H13

Elements of a HPDC Die

Hot Die Steel H13

Elements of a HPDC Die

Elements of a HPDC Die

Die Housing / Mold Base

Elements of a HPDC Die

Moving Core Sub Assembly

Elements of a HPDC Die

ydraulic Cylinder & Bracket Assembly

Basics of Die Maintenance

Need for Die Maintenance

Reliability Probability that no problem will occur during a

Factors Affecting Die Life

Types of Die Maintenance

Routine Die Maintenance

Activities Carried Out in Routine Maintenance are

Usage Based Maintenance

Activities Carried Out in Usage Based Maintenance are