Aluminum Casting at Riverside
Aluminum is highly favoured as a manufacturing material for its light weight, workability and excellent resistance to corrosion. For aluminum casting applications, pure aluminum is alloyed with up to 20% other elements such as silicon, copper, magnesium and zinc. Silicon, for example, improves aluminum's fluidity for casting purposes, while the addition of zinc and magnesium produce a stronger, harder alloy. Copper makes an aluminum alloy more ductile and receptive to heat treating. Small amounts of other elements may also be added to achieve specific properties.
The alloys most commonly used in aluminum casting at Riverside are:
The range of products produced by aluminum casting has increased as advanced alloys and foundry methods have allowed greater precision and complexity in cast parts. Automotive and aircraft industries utilize aluminum castings to reduce weight and the costs of assembly, while marine applications take advantage of aluminum's excellent resistance to corrosion by seawater.
Additional key properties of aluminum alloys include:
- non-toxic, non-magnetic, non-sparking
- excellent thermal and electrical conductions (twice the conductivity of copper)
- reflective to radiant energy; retains strength in high-heat operations
- heat treatable and weldable with MIG equipment
- amenable to a wide range of alloy compositions with good tolerance to impurities
- accepts varied decorative surface treatements including mechanical polishing, anodizing and electroplating
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