Flash

Flash can be described as any unwanted, excess metal which comes out of the die attached to the cavity or runner.

Typically it forms a thin sheet of metal at the parting faces.

There are a number of different causes of flash, and the amount and severity can vary from a minor inconvenience to a major quality issue.

At the very least, flash is waste material, which mainly turns into dross when re-melted, and therefore is a hidden cost to the business.

Flash is often accompanied by an increase in the thickness of the whole casting. This adds mass to the part (and therefore increases metal cost) and increases its dimensions. Critical dimensions across parting lines can end up over top tolerance, leading to costly rejects.

Some of the causes of flash are:

• Damage to die faces and die components
• Parts of the die have insufficient strength
• Bending, crowning of stretching of dies
• Cavities offset from centre of platen
• Insufficient machine clamp-up
• Pressure spikes at the end of cavity fill
• Excessive intensification pressure
• Incorrect intensification timing
• Damage, or wear, in toggle mechanisms
• Machine hydraulic malfunction
• Hydraulic valve or seal leaks

HotFlo! have a number of solutions to flash problems in Die Casting dies.

Contact us by email today.