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Marrying Almag 535 to the permanent mold process.

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* The impressive characteristics Almag 535 can achieve in the sand casting process are all but lost in other processes, such as permanent mold. By combining the characteristics of the permanent mold process with the alloy, metalcasters can achieve the best of both worlds.

* Detailed within are the results of a recent trial to determine the feasibility of using Almag 535 in the permanent mold casting process.

Components cast for use in automotive, marine or military applications often require special attention. Because of the unique nature of their end-use, better corrosion resistance against mild alkaline and salt spray exposure, dimensional stability, and a good combination of strength, ductility and shock resistance is often demanded of these types of castings.

Those qualities can be found in aluminum-magnesium casting alloys, the most common being aluminum-magnesium alloy 535.0 (Almag 535). However, the alloy is used almost exclusively in the sand casting process because it exhibits poor hot tearing resistance when poured into metal molds.

Energy savings as a result of good mechanical properties and dimensional stability in the as-cast condition along with more cost-effective heat treatment options make Almag 535 an attractive choice--for sand casters. But castings for the automotive, marine or military industries often require characteristics beyond the scope of sand casting.

Because of the inherent benefits of using metal dies,...

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