Importance of Draft Angle in Die Casting Product Design. Die casting, in a nut shell, is a process that involves injecting molten metal into mold cavity at high velocity and high pressure. The metal will take the shape of its mold and then ejected when it’s cooled. One of the factors that sets die casting process like the zinc die casting process apart from other metal casting process is its ability to produce high detailed metal parts with high level of accuracy, repeatedly, in relatively short amount of time hence, it is an industry suited for mass production of metal parts.
One of the key factors that affect the final quality of the produced die casting parts is the design of the mold cavity that is used during the process. It is a tricky job to design molds for die casting parts, especially when they have specific mechanical and aesthetical requirements.
One of the most important and basic requirements of any mold design is the consideration of the draft angle. What is die casting draft angle and why is it important?
Draft angle, in a simple sense, is a slope incorporated on each walls of the die casting mold. Die casting parts will easily stick inside the die casting die or die casting mold if the draft angle incorporated on its side walls was not enough.
Die casting method involves high pressure injection process in which the pressure forces the molten metal on the surface wall of the mold. It creates an intimate contact between the cavities of the mold and the molten metal hence, making it difficult for the metal cast part, when cooled, to eject from the mold.
In the end, no matter how exquisite and well detailed a die casting mold is, if it is not properly incorporated with the proper degree of draft angle, the final product may not most likely be as what the customer has asked for.