Advanced Cooling and Compression Methods Reshape High-Pressure Die Casting

Advanced Cooling and Compression Methods Reshape High-Pressure Die Casting

Blog Article

The evolution of gigacasting has accelerated dramatically since Tesla popularized its use for automotive underbodies in 2020. While massive 16,000-tonne machines grab headlines, industry innovators like Fondarex are quietly revolutionizing the fundamentals of high-pressure die casting (HPDC) through two breakthrough technologies: FX Jet’s evaporative cooling injectors and FX Squeeze’s intelligent compression system. These advancements tackle persistent challenges in porosity reduction, thermal management, and production scalability – factors that ultimately determine manufacturing economics and part performance.

The Physics of Defect Reduction

Gas porosity and shrinkage voids remain the Achilles’ heel of large-scale aluminum casting. Gas pockets form when air or moisture vaporizes during injection, while shrinkage occurs as metal transitions from liquid to solid. Traditional vacuum systems partially address gas entrapment, but thermal control and localized pressure application require more sophisticated solutions.

FX Jet introduces a paradigm shift in thermal management. Unlike conventional cooling loops that passively regulate die temperature, its 192 evaporative cooling pins actively extract heat through phase change. When water vaporizes at the pin-die interface, it absorbs 2,260 kJ/kg of latent heat – seven times more energy transfer than conductive cooling. This enables precise temperature modulation across different regions of the casting:

Key advantage: Thin sections (<3mm) can be rapidly quenched to prevent premature solidification, while thick sections (>15mm) maintain thermal mass for controlled shrinkage. Field tests show 40-60% reduction in porosity compared to standard cooling systems.

Complex geometries enabled by advanced thermal management (Source: Die Casting Mould Specialists)

Pressure Optimization Through FX Squeeze

Where FX Jet manages solidification rates, FX Squeeze addresses shrinkage compensation. Traditional squeeze pins operate at 120-180 bar with limited control – a system ill-suited for gigacastings exceeding 1.5m². Fondarex’s innovation lies in three key upgrades:

The system’s dedicated accumulator maintains pressure stability regardless of machine cycle stage. When combined with high-quality die casting molds, this allows engineers to strategically compress critical junctions – battery tray mounting points or suspension pickup areas – with forces exceeding 2 tons/cm² during solidification.

Synergistic Effects on Production Economics

Implementing both technologies creates compounding benefits. FX Jet’s targeted cooling reduces cycle times by 12-18% through optimized solidification sequencing. FX Squeeze further accelerates production by enabling thinner wall designs (down to 1.8mm) without compromising structural integrity. For a typical 70kg underbody casting:

Cost Impact Breakdown:
• 22% lower scrap rates (4% → 3.12%)
• 15% faster cycle time (90s → 76.5s)
• 8% material savings via wall thickness reduction
→ Total cost reduction: ~$18.50/part at 100k annual volume

Thermal imaging demonstrates FX Jet's zone-specific cooling (Video: Fondarex)

Implementation Challenges

While promising, these technologies demand rigorous process re-engineering. The 192 FX Jet pins generate over 5TB of thermal data per production shift, requiring advanced machine learning models to optimize cooling profiles. Similarly, FX Squeeze’s 24-pin system increases control variables by 400% compared to traditional setups.

Post-casting processes also require adaptation. Components treated with FX Squeeze show 30% lower residual stress, permitting less aggressive precision polishing services – a critical factor for EV battery housings where surface conductivity matters. However, the reduced porosity alters machining behaviors, necessitating toolpath adjustments for CNC operations.