Platen in die casting as the core pressure-bearing component of die-casting machines, the technological development of the pressure plate directly affects production efficiency, mold life and product accuracy.
Key Future Development Trends include Material Innovations,Smart Platens with Embedded Sensors, Advanced Thermal Management,Modular & Adaptive Designs.
Applications of lightweight alloys and Composite materials
Aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys have gradually become popular choices to replace traditional steel due to their low density and high specific strength.
For instance, automakers like Tesla have adopted integrated die-casting technology to apply aluminum alloy plates to body structural components, achieving a weight reduction of over 30%.
Composite materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced materials) have begun to be used in the manufacturing of pressure plates, featuring both lightweight and high strength.
For instance, some new types of pressure plates adopt DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating, reducing the friction coefficient by 50% and enhancing wear resistance.
For example, the QRO 90 Supreme steel launched by Uddeholm Company of Sweden optimizes the grain structure through microalloying.
Such as niobium elements, and has both high-temperature strength and thermal fatigue resistance.
Breakthroughs in surface treatment technology
PVD coatings (such as CrAlN) can significantly enhance the hot crack resistance of the pressure plate by introducing residual compressive stress to counteract tensile stress under high-temperature working conditions.
Oxidation treatment and nitriding process (gas/ion nitriding) form a dense protective layer, extending the mold life by more than 30%.
A Chinese patent proposes adding graphene to magnesium alloy molds to improve thermal conductivity and reduce the risk of oxidation.
Integration of additive manufacturing 3D printing
Laser Selective melting (SLM) technology can manufacture complex pressure plate structures with internal cooling channels.
Such as the plate pressure brazing process (PPB) of Neue Materialien Bayreuth, achieving an accuracy of 80 microns.
Hybrid Manufacturing combines 3D printing with numerical control machining to optimize the surface finish (Ra<0.8μm) and dimensional tolerance (±0.005mm) of the pressure plate.
Innovation in precision processing technology
High-precision CNC machine tools (such as the 5-axis machining center of the Swiss United Grinding Group) achieve a flatness error of the pressure plate ≤0.004 inches (0.1mm), and the parallelism control reaches 0.001 inches per foot.
Laser microfabrication technology is used for the microstructure treatment of the surface of pressure plates, such as the design of microhole arrays to optimize heat conduction efficiency.
Intelligent temperature control system
The pressure platen in die casting integrates a closed-loop temperature control module, such as the MAX-RAMP Technology of SDM Technology.
Which can achieve a temperature field uniformity of ±2℃ and shorten the molding cycle by 15%.
Adapt to the temperature difference requirements of different mold areas through a multi-channel hot runner system.
Integration of digitalization and the Internet of Things
The PLC touch control system (such as the LCD touch screen of Haichen Machinery) supports multi-level adjustment of the pressure.
And speed of the pressure plate, monitors parameter fluctuations in real time and issues early warnings of abnormalities.
Meanwhile, the modular pressure plate design enables users to select the heating method (steam/electric heating).
Cooling configuration and size (8″×8″ to 18″×18″) according to their needs, adapting to diverse production scenarios.
Energy conservation and consumption reduction technologies
The hydraulic system adopts a dual-pump design for high and low pressure, reducing no-load energy consumption by 20%.
Lightweight pressure plate structures (such as magnesium alloy pressure plates) reduce the energy consumption during equipment movement.
And in combination with energy recovery systems (such as regenerative braking), achieve an overall improvement in energy efficiency.
Circular economy orientation
Application of recyclable materials: The recycling rate of stainless steel pressure plates reaches 95%, reducing the carbon footprint.
Remanufacturing technology: By laser cladding to repair worn pressure plates, the cost is reduced by 50% compared with newly made pressure plates.
