ASTM A356 aluminum alloy is the common aluminum casting material. CFS Foundry is experienced in pouring castings of A356 aluminum alloy for industrial uses. Compared to cast stainless steel alloys, A356 aluminum alloy is extremely corrosion resistant but lightweight.
We’re capable of casting A356 aluminum alloy from small to large volume, weights between 0.2kg to 10kgs. Cast A356 aluminum parts made from our foundry are for a wide range of industries including automotive, food dairy, marine, medical, impellers, housings, pump components, tools, frames, bases, mining, petrochemical, electrical, energy, aerospace, and others.
What Is A356 Aluminum Casting Alloy?
A356 is a type of aluminum alloy for casting. It consists of 92.05% aluminum, 7% silicon, 0.2% iron, 0.2% copper, 0.35% magnesium, 0.1% zinc and 0.1% manganese. This alloy is typically heat treated to improve its strength characteristics after aluminum casting.
A356 Aluminum Casting Process
Gravity die casting is the right casting method to cast A356 aluminum alloys. A356 aluminum casting process includes: A mold or die is designed and manufactured whose cavility has the same shape as the desired part. Then, A356 aluminum ingots are melted in the oven under high temperature. Molten metal is introduced into the die by under gravity. Once solidified, A356 casting part is removed from the die which can be used many times to produce identical parts with good surface finish.
By gravity die casting process, the production speed of A356 aluminum casting parts is good. The reusable die tooling allows for many hundreds of A356 castings to be produced in a day. High definition parts reduce machining costs and superior surface finish reduces finishing costs. More advantages of A356 aluminum castings include:
- Tight tolerances allow for excellent accuracy in finished parts
- The surface of A356 aluminum casting parts is smooth
- Mechanical properties, including tensile strength are superior
- Insertable sand core parts can be pre-formed and used to create reverse draft interior pockets
- The part can be made with internal inserts and steel pins
- Due to fewer production steps and a simpler apparatus, A356 aluminum casting in CFS allows for shorter production times and quicker turnaround
- The proper mould allows for consistent, repeatable quality
Secondary Operations
T6 Heat Treatment: A356 aluminum castings are solution heat treated at 1000 degrees F for 6 hours then quenched and subsequently artificially aged at required temperature. T6 heat treatment process can effectively increase the hardness of A356 casting as well as other mechanical properties.
Post Machining: Although the size accuracy and surface roughness of A356 castings are good after casting process, sometimes, for precise tolerance or smoother surface finish requirement, post machining is required to meet the specification.
Surface Finish: According to the customer requirement, surface finishing ways like shot blasting, powder coating could be seleted.
Contact Our Foundry for A356 Aluminum Casting
CFS Foundry is the industry choice for A356 aluminun casting with superior quality. As a China based company, we have been a major player in the aluminum casting industry for over 30 years. Besides aluminum casting, we also offer CNC machining, metal finishing and assembly.
If your focus is on quality and you are looking for a good aluminum foundry in China, pls contact us for the full solution!
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