The aluminum road stud production line refers to a complete manufacturing system that converts aluminum alloy melt into road reflective road studs through cold chamber die casting technology.

Aluminum road studs are available in a variety of types, including those with lenses, those with anchor pins, and those with spikes. These road studs play an important role in road safety by demarcating road boundaries, and improving night visibility and reducing traffic accidents.

The material of aluminum road studs is usually aluminum alloy. These can be pressure cast from aluminum alloy and usually measure 100mm x 100mm with a height of 20mm and an optional anchor bolt length of 50mm.

This article details the complete process flow of an aluminium road stud production line. Analyze key control points for each stage, explains the main basis for equipment selection. It will show specifications for different aluminium road stud types and production technology.

Aluminium road stud production line

• Material preparation
• Designing and making road stud mould
• Melting the aluminum
• Feeding process
• Injection process
• Cooling solidification
• Trimming and surface treatment
• Shot peening
• Cleaning and Packaging

Material preparation

Aluminum road studs typically use aluminum alloy as the raw material due to its durability.

Designing and making road stud mould

First of all, we should design and manufacture the mold based on the shape and dimensional accuracy required for the aluminum road stud product.

Melting the aluminum

Workers ladle molten aluminum from a separate furnace into the cold chamber of the casting machine.

Feeding process

The automated ladle the appropriate weight of molten aluminum alloy material from the furnace for each road stud production run and pours it into the inlet of the die casting machine’s press chamber.

Injection process

In the press chamber, the hydraulic system pushes the molten metal into the cavity of the road stud mould through a piston.

In this die casting process, the injection punch advances, hydraulically inserts the metal into the mould cavity. And injects the molten aluminum alloy into the mould cavity through a concentrated inlet through high pressure.

Cooling solidification

Molten aluminum begins to cool and solidify the shape of the molded cavity immediately upon contact with the inner surface of the mold.

Control of the cooling time is critical to ensure uniform solidification of the aluminum. It can prevent defects such as warpage or internal porosity.

Trimming and surface treatment

Die castings deburred, rounded, and descaled to remove rust and rust. Decorative surface treatments to improve functional edges and surface appearance.

Shot peening

Ability to clean purposefully and where it is needed.

Adjusted the angle of the gun and the spraying distance to the optimum position at any time according to the operator’s observation.

Cleaning and Packaging

Cleaning products directly or indirectly affect liquids and dirt, dispersing, emulsifying agents, and stripping the dirt layer for cleaning purposes..

So After the finished product comes out, packing to prevent damage to the finished product.

Aluminium Road Stud Mold Design and Manufacturing key points

The mold is the core tooling in an aluminium road stud production line. Its design quality directly affects casting precision and production efficiency.

Mold Material Selection

• H13 tool steel is the first selection material for aluminium road stud molds
• H13 steel hardness reaches HRC55 with excellent thermal fatigue resistance
• Maintains high strength and wear resistance at 500°C operating temperatures

Cavity Number Design

• Regular production uses two-cavity or four-cavity mold designs
• 200-ton machine runs two-cavity molds for 100×100mm studs
• 300-ton machine runs two-cavity molds for 150×150mm studs

Cooling System Layout

• Cooling channels located 20-30mm from cavity surface
• Series or parallel connections ensure uniform cavity temperature
• Temperature difference control within ±10°C to prevent deformation defects

Marking Structure Design

• Slide mechanisms allow casting custom logos on stud surfaces
• Interchangeable text log designs for different customer needs
• Mold life reaches 300,000 to 500,000 cycles

The size of the road studs

Road studs

The specifications are generally 100mm×100mm×20mm, and the height is not more than 25mm. The specifications of reflective road studs are also usually 100mm×100mm×20mm, and the height is not more than 25mm. 

Railway Road Studs

• Road studs include 8mm× 80mm, 10mm× 100mm, 12mm× 120mm, 14mm× 130mm, 16mm×165mm, etc.
• Other sizes include road studs with a diameter of 8 to 10 mm and a length of 30 to 75 mm. The diameter of the spiral road nail is generally 3.0mm to 5.5mm, and the length is adjusted according to the need. 

Special types of road nails

• Some special different types of road studs, such as doghead road nails, are specified as a nail bar length of 165mm, a cross-section of 16mm × a rectangular nail bar.
• The size of the LED four-sided illuminated buried road stud is D138mm×H66mm, and the protruding ground height is only 15mm.
• To sum up, the size of road studs varies according to different uses and types. It mainly including road studs and railway studs, among which the specifications of railway road studs are more diverse.

Haichen aluminium road stud solution case

HAICHEN Machinery provides cold chamber die casting machines optimized for aluminium road studs, along with complete automation equipment, helping customers establish efficient production lines.

Customer Background and Production Needs

• A traffic safety equipment manufacturer needed reflective studs for highways
• Product specification100×100×20mm, monthly demand 300,000 pieces
• Required high precision for reflector mounting positions, surface needed anodizing

HAICHEN Production Line Configuration

• Configured HAICHEN HCD300-C cold chamber machine, clamping force 3000kN
• Two-cavity mold design, producing 2 studs per cycle
• Integrated automatic ladle, extractor robot, and spraying system
• Intelligent temperature control module, melt wave at ±2°C

Equipment Technical Advantages

• High-response servo injection system, repeat accuracy ±0.5%
• Injection speed reaches 4m/s, intensification pressure 50MPa
• PLC touch screen control, stores 100 process parameter sets
• International brand hydraulic components, stable and reliable

Results Achieved and Value Created

• Cycle time 25 seconds per shot, daily output approximately 7,000 pieces
• Consistent casting dimensions, reflector installation pass rate 98.5%
• Mold life extended to 400,000 cycles, reduced maintenance costs
• Equipment investment recovered within 18 months through cost savings

Technical Support and Service

• HAICHEN provides mold design guidance and process parameter optimization
• Remote monitoring system alerts potential faults in advance
• Timely spare parts supply ensures production continuity

Aluminium Road Stud Die Casting Machine Selection Parameters

Aluminum alloy die casting is an industrial process that uses high pressure to inject molten metal into a mold cavity to form parts. This process is in a cold chamber or hot chamber die casting machine, among which cold chamber die casting machines are more common because the melting point of aluminum alloys is lower, which is suitable for high pressure operation.

Choosing the right die casting machine is critical for establishing an aluminium road stud production line. Several technical parameters require consideration.

Clamping Force Determination

• Clamping force must exceed separating force from molten aluminum during injection
• Single cavity for 100×100mm studs needs approximately 150-200 tons
• Two-cavity production requires 200-300 ton machines
• Four-cavity production requires 800+ ton machines

Injection System Performance

• Injection speed must reach 4m/s or higher for thin-wall filling
• Intensification pressure needs 40-50MPa ensuring internal density
• Adjustable multi-stage injection curves suit different wall thicknesses

Platen Size Matching

• Tie bar spacing must exceed mold external dimensions
• 900×900mm platens accommodate two-cavity 100×100mm molds
• Platen thickness withstands clamping force without deformation

Automation Interface Configuration

• Preserve mounting interfaces for extractor and spray robots
• Control system supports multi-machine coordination and parameter storage
• Optional mold temperature controllers and vacuum systems improve quality

Cold chamber die casting machine can produce aluminium road stud.

Haichen aluminium road stud cold chamber die casting machine

Haichen is a die casting machine factory located in Ningbo, China, mainly supplying cold chamber die casting machine and hot chamber die casting machine. Besides machines, we also supply die casting auxiliary equipments, including temperature control equipment, ladles and extractors and so on.

We have rich experience and cases in producing aluminum road studs. So we can provide a complete production line. We supply aluminum alloy road stud cold chamber die casting machine, molds and corresponding auxiliary machines. Welcome to consult us and choose us as your aluminum alloy spike manufacturer.