Gravity and low‑pressure die casting gently fill molten aluminum into steel dies using natural flow or low applied pressure. Controlled filling, durable tooling, and slow solidification produce strong, low‑porosity parts for wheels, housings, and structural components.
Gravity and low‑pressure die casting are robust processes for producing high‑quality aluminum components with good mechanical properties. In gravity die casting, molten alloy is poured into a preheated steel mould, relying on natural flow for gentle filling with minimal turbulence. Low‑pressure die casting uses a sealed furnace and regulated pressure—typically around 0.5–1 bar—to push molten metal upward through a riser tube into the die, ensuring highly controlled filling and reduced oxide inclusion. Tooling consists of durable steel dies, usually made of Hot work Tool Steels, with engineered gating, venting, and cooling systems to manage heat flow and solidification, often supported by die coatings to improve release and extend tool life. Commonly processed materials include Al‑Si and Al‑Mg alloys selected for castability, strength, and corrosion resistance. These processes are widely used for structural and safety‑critical parts such as wheels, suspension components, housings, and engine or drivetrain casings, where low porosity and dimensional stability are essential.
BÖHLER W302 ISOBLOC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2344 (X40CrMoV5-1). Produced via the electroslag remelting process (ESR), this tool steel has very high hot toughness as well as very high hot hardness and a very good resistance against heat-checkings. The combination of these properties makes it a top performer in closed- and open-die forging as well as in high- and low-pressure die casting. In addition, this material has very good polishability and is therefore also often used as a molding material for plastic injection molds.
Read MoreBÖHLER W302 ISODISC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2344 (X40CrMoV5-1). This common tool steel has good hot toughness as well as a high hot hardness and a high resistance against heat-checkings. The combination of these properties makes it a standard choice in extrusion, forging and low-pressure die casting. This material is also available as W302 ISOBLOC which is a remelted grade with improved cleanliness, homogeneity and toughness.
Read MoreBÖHLER W403 VMR is a vacuum remelted material which was developed as a problem solver for tools for where a standard solution is no longer sufficient. The steel can be assigned to the 5% chromium steels and has a very high purity due to the special manufacturing technology. In addition, the increased molybdenum content leads to improved thermal resistance as well as wear resistance, which makes BÖHLER W403 VMR an all-rounder that is often used for highly stressed dies in the die casting sector. In addition, Böhler W403 VMR has outstanding polishability. For this reason, the steel is also popular as a molding material for plastic injection molds.
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