What Is Low Pressure Die Casting?
Low-pressure die casting is a process that uses pressure instead of gravity to fill molds with molten aluminum. Aluminum ingots are added through a side chute. The holding furnace (A), located below the wheel cast, heats the ingots until they melt. The liquid metal (B) is pushed up through a riser tube into the wheel mold cavity (D). Pressure is applied steadily, sometimes in steps (C), to fill the mold and keep the metal in place until it solidifies. After the cast solidifies, the pressure is released and any leftover liquid in the tube or cavity flows back into the holding furnace to be reused. Once cooled, the cast is removed.
Advantages of Low-Pressure Die Casting
Low-pressure casting gives precise control during the filling process (B). Injecting molten metal this way helps prevent air pockets and lowers porosity, which keeps the casting consistent. Compared to gravity or high-pressure casting, low-pressure casting produces parts with higher density, better strength, and greater dimensional accuracy.
Other Casting Processes or Manufacturing Techniques
We use low-pressure casting for most of our standard UTV wheel styles, unless otherwise noted. We also offer flow-formed UTV wheels, made with a special process that combines traditional casting with features of forging. This makes the wheels very lightweight and stronger.
