Alluminio fuso: Una guida dettagliata all'alluminio per la fusione
21 marzo 2025
An aluminum cast is a lightweight part made from aluminum material and/or other materials using an aluminum casting process. It is an integral part of industries that desire the durability, strength, and lightweight of aluminum and compatibility with complex product design.
There are several aluminum casting processes, each with a unique setup and requirements. As a result, they are responsible for casting aluminum parts with different properties. This article will introduce aluminum casting and how to choose the right one for your project.
What Is Cast Aluminum?
Cast aluminum is a term that denotes a part made from aluminum and/or other metals using one of the various casting processes. Generally, most aluminum casting processes involve heating the aluminum (and other metal) and pouring them in molten form into a prepared mold with the desired product design. Afterward, the molten aluminum cools down, solidifies, and takes the shape of the cavity.
The aluminum cast has the properties of aluminum and the other metals. Furthermore, it develops an external coating of aluminum oxide, which helps to prevent corrosion and it is stronger than the conventional aluminum material.
Cast Aluminum Vs Cast Iron
Cast iron looks similar to cast aluminum. However, they are different based on the base material and inherent properties. Below are a few comparisons between both materials:
- Peso: the aluminum cast is lighter than cast iron without losing strength and durability.
- Dimensional tolerance: aluminum cast has a better dimensional tolerance than cast iron due to the softness of the aluminum material in comparison to iron.
- Precision and accuracy: Aluminum is softer than iron which increases the machine-ability, precision, and accuracy.
- Thermal resistance: Cast aluminum has a higher heat capacity than cast iron. Consequently, it heats up and loses its heat faster than cast iron.
Cast Aluminum Vs Wrought Aluminum
Cast aluminum has a higher carbon content than wrought aluminum. Consequently, it is stronger and stronger mechanical properties. Here are the three important differences between both materials.
- Different product forms: On the one hand, wrought aluminum commonly applies to CNC aluminum machining o aluminum extrusion. Hence, they are in a plate or rod form. On the other hand, the aluminum cast has a solid form shaped based on the billet form or into the final product.
- Different alloying elements: Both materials can have the same alloying elements. However, they have different compositions and quantities. For example, aluminum castings have a higher percentage of silicon. Consequently, they have better fluidity.
- Different product properties: Cast iron aluminum is the stronger of the two parts. In contrast, wrought aluminum has higher tensile strength, machine-ability, and good dimensional accuracy.