DIE CASTING s

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
defect

William G. Walkington &

Dr. Morris Murray

NORTH AMERICAN DIE CASTING ASSOCIATION

ITEM #: 515-TSG

1
 Although great care has been taken to provide accurate and current
information, neither the author(s) nor the publisher, nor anyone else
associated with this publication, shall be liable for any loss, damage or
liability directly or indirectly caused or alleged to be caused by this book.
The material contained herein is not intended to provide specific advice or
recommendations for any specific situation.
Any opinions expressed by the author(s) are not necessarily those of
NADCA.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or

registered trademarks and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe nor endorse the product or corporation.

© 2015 by North American Die Casting Association, Arlington Heights,

Illinois. All Rights Reserved.

Neither this book nor any parts may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION iii
An overview of the Troubleshooting Guide

CHAPTER 1: BASIC PROCEDURES FOR CONTROLLING DEFECTS 1

Some of the major operational practices required to reduce or
eliminate defects

CHAPTER 2: SURFACE DEFECTS 3

Those commonly known as Cold Flows or Non-Fills

CHAPTER 3: LAMINATIONS 7
Defects from layers of metal forming during the process

CHAPTER 4: GAS POROSITY 9

Internal porosity resulting from trapped gases of various kinds

CHAPTER 5: BLISTERS 13
Surface manifestation of trapped gases

CHAPTER 6: FLOW POROSITY 15

Surface or internal porosity arising from poor pressure conditions

CHAPTER 7: SHRINK POROSITY 17

Porosity from volume changes as the metal changes state

CHAPTER 8: HEAT SINKS 21

Surface depressions resulting from shrinkage porosity

CHAPTER 9: LEAKERS 23
Porous sections of the casting

CHAPTER 10: CRACKS 25

Both visible and not-very-visible cracks in the casting

CHAPTER 11: INCLUSIONS 29

Foreign material that may cause machining problems

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CHAPTER 12: SOLDER 33
Buildup of cast material on the die,
causing damage to the casting surface

CHAPTER 13: CARBON BUILDUP 35

Deposits other than cast material on the die, causing damage to the
casting surface

CHAPTER 14: DIE EROSION 37

Removal of die steel with subsequent deformation of the casting

CHAPTER 15: OUTGASSING 39

Gas escaping from the casting during painting or finishing
operations, causing defective surface finish

CHAPTER 16: BENDING, WARPING 41

Deformation of the casting sometime after its formation in the die
cavity

CHAPTER 17: FLASH 43

Excessive cast material extending from a parting line, often
accompanied by dimensional deviation

CHAPTER 18: STAINED CASTINGS 47

Discolored castings

CHAPTER 19: WAVES AND LAKES 49

Decorative castings with small imperfections visible only under
reflective light

CHAPTER 20: DRAGS 51

Surface area of the casting is broken by metal stuck to the die

CHAPTER 21: DEFORMATION FROM EJECTOR PINS 53

Casting is deformed by ejector pins

CHAPTER 22: COLD FLAKES OR GATE BREAK IN 55

Cold flakes off the part or gate break into casting during trimming

CHAPTER 23: EXCESSIVE FLUX 57

Excessive corrosion or porosity from excessive flux

CHAPTER 24: ODD SURFACE DEFECTS 59

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ii
INTRODUCTION
Die Casting Defects Troubleshooting Guide is a new tool intended
for operator use on the shop floor. It provides die casting operators,
supervisors and engineers with quick and easy-to-implement corrections
to common die casting defects. Containing casting photographs and
photomicrographs for identification of 24 types of defects, the volume
then provides brief descriptions of each defect and their causes. The book
then guides the user through a step-by-step series of process remedies to
help correct the defect.

This publication is part of the NADCA Defects Library. For technical

descriptions of the causes and remedies of the defects, the volume
entitled Die Casting Defects: Causes and Solutions should be consulted.

The author and NADCA wish to acknowledge the contributions of

Bodycote Taussig, Inc. and K&L Engineering, for their invaluable assistance
in the preparation of all of the Defects Library materials. They also thank
the many die casters who contributed by allowing their castings to be
photographed and reproduced in these volumes.

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iii
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iv
 1
CHAPTER 1
Basic Procedures for
Controlling Defects

You can’t correct and control defects without

first measuring and reporting them.
The scrap reporting system must be set up for those who have to
make improvements, not just for the bean counters. The scrap report
should be available to everyone in the plant. In fact, it should be
posted on the bulletin board so everyone can see it.

Daily scrap reports must have the following features as a minimum:

1. It must be available first thing in the morning for the

previous day.
2. It must categorize scrap (as a minimum):
●● By defect type
●● By part number
●● By die
●● By shift
●● By operator
●● By machine
The scrap reporting system should show long-term trends and be
able to predict customer rejects based on current scrap activity –
pareto charts are good ways to show the problems.

The report should include defects that are not detected until the
parts are downstream (such as at a machining or plating operation
performed later). A system should be developed so these defects can
be tracked to the shift and the machine that produced them.

All shots should be reported, even warm-up and scrap that is

returned to the furnace at the machine (they cost in die life).

The process is complex, and a continuous reporting system must be

set up to provide real time feedback and effective process control if
defects are to be controlled.

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1
 The two major defects in die casting are surface quality and porosity.
Both of these require judgment decisions about severity.

This means a method of measuring the severity of defects

is a requirement and must be devised for many situations.

The rating system is intended to tell you if the defect problems are
getting better or worse, or whether changes made in the process are
making a difference. What you are looking for is the ability to track any
changes or trends, and to know when corrections are needed. This system
also allows corrections to be made before the defect level becomes a
crisis.

The standards used for the rating system may not coincide with the
customer standards or the quality dept. These ratings are for a different
purpose and do not need to coincide. For example, you may rank a
porosity defect from the worst to the best with rankings from 1 to 5. A
capability study could be done as follows:
●● Take 6 sets of samples of 5 sequential castings at intervals of ½
hr. to 2 hr.
●● Rate each casting and average the total. This gives the average
quality level; this should be checked against similar studies to
determine if the process is improving or degenerating.
You also can use this data to estimate the standard deviation, thus
obtaining a measure of the stability of the process. This kind of tracking is
particularly important.

Note that the person charged with correcting the defect problems
might have to set up a rating system for these defects because it will be a
requirement to improve defects.

You can’t improve it if you can’t measure it.

One of the most difficult problems in developing a rating system is
finding a method of reporting and rating porosity. The most typical
methods are fluoroscope (x-ray), machining, or sawing.

A cheap and effective method is to use an old lathe to approximately

duplicate the customer’s machining.

Always select examples for the rating system and save them. They must
not be used for any other purpose.

Bottom line:

●● Defect corrections must start with a good scrap reporting

system.
●● Developing this system starts with defining the names of defects,
which means a board with samples and names of defects.
●● For certain jobs, this may require setting up a rating system just
for the purpose of tracking defect causes and corrections.

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2
CHAPTER 2
Surface Defects 2

Surface Defects:
Cold flow, cold lap, chill, non-fill, swirls, etc.

Cause:
Leading edge of metal flow is too cold, laps together.

Corrections:
1. Increase die temperature, especially at problem
location. Check the following causes for cold dies:
●● Slow cycle time
●● Excessive coolant flow for conditions
●● Excessive spray causing cold die
●● Add overflows for more heat
2. Reduce fill time (caution: each action listed affects
something else besides fill time: PQ2 calculations
required):
●● Increase plunger speed
●● Increase plunger size
●● Increase gate area
●● Increase hydraulic pressure
3. Change flow pattern (gating):
●● Direct flow at the problem area by moving the gate
●● Change gate design to direct flow in a different direction
●● Change gate velocity (try increase first)
●● Add overflows to capture cold metal

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4. Check for low metal temperature:
●● Look for delays that cool metal
●● Look for furnace temperature variations (low temp swings)
●● Increase temperature (carefully, other problems may appear)
5. Low pressure at end of shot-check for:
●● Dragging tips – flash around tip
●● Poor sleeve condition
●● Too little or inconsistent sleeve lubrication
●● White (solder) buildup in shot sleeve
6. Accumulator pre-charge pressure too low or too high
7. Thin biscuit
8. Heavy flashing
9. Bubbling and turbulence in hot chamber – bad rings or poor
gooseneck
10. Check also:
●● Alloy–for aluminum alloys:
●● Silicon at high end of range if possible
●● Metal cleanliness
●● Alloy–for zinc alloys:
●● Aluminum content at high end
●● Other constituents in range
●● Vents open, and sized correctly
●● Vacuum working
●● Thin wall section present:
●● Check for minimum wall thickness for the fill time and
temperatures being used
●● Design errors, designers not aware of casting problems
●● Tool making errors (dimensions not as expected)
●● Uneven wall section (poor part design)

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4
 Typical surface
defect(cold flow).

Typical surface defect

(cold flow).

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CHAPTER 3
Laminations

Defect: 3
Laminations: Layers of metal inside or outside of casting.

Cause:
Most common is poor metal flow control, though there are other
causes.

Corrections:
1. Check injection parameters:
●● Fast shot start switch should start fast shot so metal is
accelerated before metal gets to gate (start fast shot early)
●● Quick fill time – very important, check with calculations
●● Proper gate velocity
2. Gating: good flow patterns – no long flow distance and
mixing far from gate.
3. Good die temperature: should be consistent over the
trouble area; best if on the high side.
4. Intensifier action proper; and consistent.
5. Die doesn’t flex (die may flex from intensifier pressure) –
check for adequate support.
6. Check that the lamination is not from flash left on die
(often, die must be cleaned every shot).
7. Examine lamination to see if it is oxide layer.

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7
Laminations from
uneven or slow
flow, causing
splashes with time
to solidify as a
layer before final
fill.

These laminations
were caused from
the die blowing or
flexing.

Flash trapped
under the skin.

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8
CHAPTER 4
Gas Porosity

Defect:
Gas porosity.
4
Cause:
Gas trapped in the metal flow during die fill.

Corrections:
1. Gas comes from trapped air, steam or die lubricant –
Check for sources of trapped air:
●● Consistent pour rates
●● Delay after pour – set right to minimize splashing in shot
sleeve (chase the reflected wave)
●● Acceleration to slow shot speed correct (use acceleration as
calculated by NADCA data)
●● Use critical slow shot speed
●● Accelerate to fast shot speed as late as possible (this
depends on situation)
2. Check runner for smooth flow path:
●● No sharp corners
●● No blind ends, pockets
●● Ever decreasing areas properly used in runner path
3. Check vents:
●● Right size (big enough)
●● Vents kept open (not full of flash)
●● Located at the last point to fill, use short shots or computer
predictions to locate last point to fill
●● Vents go to the edge of the die

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9
Some typical
trapped gas
porosity, showing
the shiny walls,
as well as, shinny
walls and a wall
that is sometimes
smooth and
sometimes rough,
due to oxide (10X).

More trapped gas

with a typical
grouping of non-
connected bubbles,
and some probable
dross inclusions at
the bottom of one
bubble (10X).

4. Vacuum working:
●● Vacuum channels big enough
●● Vacuum channels located at last point to fill
●● Filters cleaned and open
●● Vacuum valves working- no blockage in the lines or chill vents,
valves close correctly
●● Vacuum level adequate (must be measured and recorded, use
vacuum gauge in a rubber stopper placed in the pouring hole of
the shot sleeve, switch on vacuum and note value etc.)
5. Check for gas from lubricant:
●● Look for excessive plunger lubricant, (discolored castings) – be
sure to run the minimum possible amount
●● Try to avoid putting lubricant in front of the tip
●● Look for consistent application procedures
●● Look for excessive die lubricant or anti-solder paste
6. Check for steam (water on die):
●● Check that the die is dry when it closes
●● Use lots of air blow-off, both with manual and automatic systems
●● Put drain holes in die where die lube (water) could accumulate
●● Check for water leaks after die is locked (open die without
making a shot, look for moisture)
●● Look for leaks from sprayer, hydraulic cylinders, etc

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10
 Shrinkage with
some gas.

Gas with some

shrinkage.

7. Gas porosity can have shrinkage porosity with it

●● Gas pores in thick areas or bosses can expand during
solidification due to solidification shrinkage
●● Some gas pores can often have shrinkage porosity emanating
from them
●● It is useful to determine how much is shrinkage and how much is
gas (note pictures above). Using a USB microscope can assist the
die caster in assessing this.
●● Look at the local solidification times and also the thermal
conditions in this area
●● If a die caster assumes that it is only gas then the porosity can
get worse when using the normal approach for gas.

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CHAPTER 5
Blisters

Defect:
Blisters.

Cause:
Gas trapped just under the surface in the metal during die fill.
5
Corrections:
1. Blisters are another version of gas porosity; therefore
the same corrections used for gas porosity will apply for
blisters, i.e.:
●● Reduce trapped air (see gas porosity corrections)
●● Reduce spray and plunger lubricant
●● Eliminate water on the die
●● Correct venting and vacuum problems
2. The most permanent solution to the blister problem is to
correct the gas porosity problem. However, as a short-
term solution, blisters can be hidden by the following
actions:
●● Cool the die in the immediate area where the blisters occur
by:
●● Cooling the blister area with die spray
●● Cool the blister area by adjusting water lines
●● Cool the whole die by slowing the cycle time
●● Adding fountains or baffles to the blister area
3. Cool the casting immediately after ejection by quenching
in water (this will keep the skin strong and resist blister
formation).

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13
 4. Reduce metal temperature (but watch for other problems):
●● Keep process consistent
●● If blister is associated with metal swirls and captured gas from
metal flow; try to correct gating or venting problem, or add
vacuum

Typical blister.

Typical blister.

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14
CHAPTER 6
Flow Porosity

Defect:
Flow porosity.

Cause:
Metal flow is too slow, too cold, or has a poor flow pattern; and
leaves space (porosity) between solidified metal flows.

Corrections:
6
1. This is a metal flow problem, so the same corrections
apply as those previously listed for surface defects (see
Chapter 2).
2. The spaces between metal flows may appear on the
surface (hole) or inside (porosity):
●● The biggest factor by far is the fill time – calculate and
measure to be sure it is fast enough – if in doubt, reduce fill
time as much as possible
3. Stabilize furnace operation (reduce variation maximum
to ±10°F (6°C)), use the correct metal temperature:
●● Metal temperature at the gate is important, in aluminum,
watch for heat loss in ladle and shot sleeve – add more
superheat
●● Watch for heat loss such as time that ladle is out of the
metal and dwell time between filling ladle and pouring into
shot sleeve.
●● The time between pouring the metal into the shot sleeve
and commencement of plunger movement is important. Too
short and there may be a wave inside the shot sleeve; too
long and the molten metal may have partially solidified.

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15
 4. Stabilize die temperature, and run higher die temperature
(>400°F (200°C)).
5. Review and correct metal pressures:
●● Review the static metal pressure, it should be above 2000 psi
(140 bar) for zinc, and 3000 psi (200 bar) for aluminum and
magnesium
●● Check intensifier operation
●● Consistent (most important)
●● Quick enough (measure and evaluate rise time, best time will
vary with casting shape)
●● Pressure setting high enough (final pressure >6000 psi (400 bar) is
alright, >9000 psi (600 bar) is best)

Surface from poor

flow – caused by
stuck plunger once
every 10 shots or
so.

Internal flow porosity

between two flow
fronts. Note the
rounded shape which
is typical of these
internal defects

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16
CHAPTER 7
Shrinkage Porosity

Defect:
Shrinkage porosity.

Cause:
Cast material takes up less space when solid than when liquid,
and this space will appear where there is a hot spot in the casting.
Hence, this is mainly a thermal problem and should be attacked as
one, but machine setting can be used for a short term fix.

Corrections:

A. Machine Setting 7
1. Increase pressure on the semi-solid metal (at the
porosity location) during solidification.
2. Check for pressure problems:
●● Static metal pressure correct:
●● >3000 psi (200 bar) min. for Al and Mg
●● >2000 psi (140 bar) min. for Zn (>1500 may be alright)
●● Intensifier pressure correct:
●● >8000 psi (550 bar) final metal pressure is very
desirable (>6000 psi (400 bar) may be alright)
●● Check intensifier settings:
●● Use monitor system trace to verify pressures
●● Intensifier accumulator charged correctly, intensifier
cylinder not bottoming, etc.
●● Check rise time on monitor (set a desired standard), be
sure intensifier is coming in fast enough, check switch
settings
●● Shot accumulator pre-charge pressure correct
●● Plunger problems that reduce pressure:
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17
Typical shrink
porosity shape
shown here in
a sand casting
because the large
porosity here
shows the structure
clearly (1X).

Typical shrink
porosity in a
die casting. The
dendritic structure
along the edge
of the porosity
is barely visible
(50X).

Dendritic primary
aluminum
crystals which
formed during
solidification of
380 alloy. These
unusually large
crystals were
formed in a
partially filled
ladle that was left
sitting in the dip
well of a furnace.
The temperature
did not fall
below the solidus
temperature,
which permitted
the eutectic
fraction to drain
away (5X).

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18
 This photograph
shows the rough
dendritic structure
on the wall
of most shrink
porosity (20X).

●● Poor tip condition (even if there is no blow by)

●● Poor sleeve condition
●● Soldering at end of sleeve
●● Check for sleeve contraction from heat (sleeve squeezed by
die)
●● Plunger cooling not working
●● Inadequate lubrication
●● Poor sleeve cooling
●● Hot chamber – check plunger rings- watch for plunger drift
down at end of stroke
●● Hot chamber – if plunger bottoms and rings are good, change
gooseneck

B. Die Conditions
3. Feed additional metal to trouble spot:
●● Can squeeze pins be used?
●● Can an additional gate be brought closer to the trouble spot?
●● Can the wall be made thicker between the gate and the trouble
spot?
4. Thin biscuit, or biscuit size varies too much.
5. Check temperature difference between site of porosity and
surrounding area:
●● Heat up surrounding cold spots
●● Cool hot spot (location of porosity)
●● Check temperature difference between die halves
●● Jet cooling can be used effectively to reduce shrinkage porosity
6. Lower temperature at injection can help, but be careful not
to cause other problems.
7. Check alloy constituents (silicon, iron).

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19
 8. Check metal temperature fluctuations (watch for large
swings, temperatures must be stable).
9. Combined gas and shrinkage
●● As stated in Gas Porosity (Ch 4) the porosity can often be a
mixture of gas and shrinkage.
●● It is useful to determine how much gas and shrinkage is in the
pores. A USB microscope can assist in this.

Typical small
shrinkage pores
which are often
interconnected.
Note that some
are rounded, so
evidence of gas
porosity also
present.

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20
CHAPTER 8
Heat Sinks

Defect:
Heat sinks (shrinkage porosity).

Cause:
Shrinkage cracks just under surface.

Corrections:
1. See shrinkage porosity, those techniques will work here.
2. Cool hot spot directly where the heat sink occurs – use
the following:
●● Fountain (first choice)
●● Jet cooling( if excessive heat to be removed)
●● Die spray
3. Thin biscuits, poor plunger conditions (hot or cold chamber).
8
4. Heat opposite side of casting:
●● Reduce water flow rate on opposite die side
●● Reduce die spray on the opposite die side
5. Check for uneven temperatures between die halves,
especially in the area of the heat sink.
6. Use pressure to feed more metal during solidification to
area where sink occurs:
●● Adjuster intensifier
●● Move gate
●● Change static pressure
●● Look for dragging tip (low pressure)
●● Check accumulator pre-charge (low pressure)

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21
Heat sink – typical
appearance on a
smooth surface
(1X).

Fracture through
a heat sink – the
original shrink
porosity under the
skin is visible (7X).

Heat sink where

some eutectic
material oozed
through the skin
to partially fill the
sunken area (5X).

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22
CHAPTER 9
Leakers

Defect:
Leakers (shrinkage porosity).

Cause:
Loose dendritic structure inside casting is exposed by an opening in
the casting skin that provides leak path (another version of shrinkage
poros¬ity). Leakers are predominantly a thermal problem.

Corrections:
1. Look for sharp corners at the spot where the leak occurs,
add as much radius as possible.
2. Cool with spray at the spot where the leak occurs-keep
cooling even if the spray makes no difference visually.
3. Thin biscuit, or biscuit size varies too much (can be
major cause in many shops).
4. Try to keep skin intact in leaker area:
●● Stop drags from solder or other sources 9
●● Reduce machining if possible, keep skin intact whenever
possible
5. Try to keep skin intact in leaker area:
●● Check for problems in plunger – sticking and dragging
●● Poor pressure control – check static and intensified pressure
●● Check intensifier performance
●● Add squeeze pins in area of leakers
●● Move gate closer so more pressure can be applied during
solidification by intensifier

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23
Folds of oxide films,
which assist in creating
localized shrinkage
voids and provides
leakage channels
through the casting
wall (25X).

Typical internal
shrinkage in a fracture
through a leakage area.
Note the continuous
irregular paths (black)
characteristic of
shrinkage voids, which
are interconnected
through the casting wall.
Normally, close inspection
will show evidence of
internal shrinkage by a
frosty appearance or a
minor cold shut on the
casting surface (25X).

The picture shows

the general area of a
leaker, with general
porosity present.

6. Change temperature balance, cool area where leakers occur,

heat areas surrounding leaker location.
7. Keep metal temperature consistent, and run at minimum.
8. Check constituents in metal, don’t allow variation.
9. Keep silicon on low side.
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24
CHAPTER 10
Cracks and Tears

Defect:
Cracks, tears, hot cracks.

Cause:
Many causes, from shrinkage cracks on surface, casting being
stretched in the die, mechanical stress at die opening, ejection, or
from trimming.

Corrections:

Determine the most probable cause first:

1. Shrinkage cracks (surface porosity):
●● Discolored crack
●● Evidence of dendritic structure
2. If shrinkage cracks are the problem:
●● Check for good radii at crack location
●● Cool the hot spot (water cooling or jet cooling)
●● Heat up the adjacent cool spots (oil heating or reduce heat
loss between die components by stepping interface)
●● Add pressure in this area during solidification (see shrinkage
porosity, the same corrections apply here)
3. For castings that crack in the die from being stretched
10
during cooling (stress cracks during cooling and after
solidifying) as shown by:
●● Cracks at a weak point in the shape
●● Cracks at stress concentration points
●● Crack surface in not oxidized

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25
Surface cracking
in a hot area,
typically in an
inside corner of the
casting (1X).

Crack at the
bottom of a sink
(1.5X).

4. If this stress cracking during cooling is the problem, then:

●● Reduce stress risers (add radius as much as possible)
●● Shorten hold time
●● Look for thin wall castings that cool before runner; in this case
cool runner and eject sooner
●● Add wall thickness if possible
●● If biscuit determines hold time, then add cooling to biscuit
●● Change runner shape if necessary to eject sooner
5. Identifying crack problems from mechanical forces or die
shift during die opening:
●● Identified by cracks at bottom of deep walls or cores, stick in the
cover half of cores or walls
●● Usually have some evidence of drags

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26
6. Corrections for castings that crack from die shift during die
opening:
●● Watch as dies separate, look for evidence of die shift (ejector
die drops forward as dies separate)
●● Watch as dies close; If die guide pins carry the load, it is likely
there is stress on the casting during opening
●● Add die carrier under ejector die
●● Reset die to re-align the ejector half better
●● Adjust shoes under moveable platen as needed
●● Check tie bar stress for even locking
●● Check condition of linkage, repair as necessary
●● Check condition of tie bar bushings, repair as necessary
7. Identifying crack problems that are caused by ejection:
●● Drags usually present
●● Sticking problems present often get a “pop” sound during
ejection
●● A visual check shows ejection not straight and even
●● Slow down ejection process to clearly see what is happening
8. Corrections for cracks that occur during ejection:
●● Check that ejection movement is straight, guided, and does not
wobble during ejection
●● Check for drags, lack of draft, or undercuts
●● For thin-walled castings check the polish of any draw surfaces.
Even small areas of poor polish can cause casting to crack.
●● Check that ejector plate is not bending or rocking during
ejection
●● Eject slower and smoother
●● Check slides for proper action, (slides not worn out and wobbly)
9. Check metal constituents:
●● In aluminum, check proportion of Fe, Cu, Si; also check for
presence of silicon modifiers

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27
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28
CHAPTER 11
Inclusions

Defect:
Inclusions, hard spots.

Cause:
In aluminum, inclusions are mostly oxides, usually from poor
melt-cleaning and furnace cleaning practices. Also can be furnace
refractory. In zinc, the iron-aluminum intermetallics can lead to
polishing and machining problems.

Corrections:
1. Aluminum – the oxides were probably made in the
melting furnace; check cleaning procedures:
●● Examine melt line and corners for build up, especially for
corundum
●● Scrape bottom for excessive corundum material on the
bottom of furnace
2. Check wall cleaning procedures:
●● Proper tools?
●● Operators trained?
●● Is cleaning schedule discipline maintained?
3. Check ingots as-received for oxides and dross.
●● Break ingots and review oxides on fractured surface. A USB
microscope can help in this.
●● Carry out reduced pressure test (RPT) on melting furnace.
The number of gas bubbles is related to the cleanliness of
the melt 11

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29
Surface dross laden
with large and
small FeAl3 inter-
metallic particles
(200X).

Sludge can
cause machining
difficulties (1X).

Mushroom shaped
balls of pure
corundum that
were formed under
a electric heater
that was very
close to the bath
surface; excess
air infiltration
contributed to the
build up.

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30
4. Check for a delay after cleaning and before delivering metal –
try to get at least half hour, more is better – very important!
5. Check fluxing procedures – once/shift?
6. Check de-gassing procedures – as often as possible
●● Do not use excessive rotor speed as this can ingest more oxides
●● Check the gas flow rate into the rotor
7. Check filter system:
●● Filters replaced as needed?
●● Filters leaking around the edges?
8. Review temperature at central melting, is it too high?
(probably best be¬tween 1350-1400°F (730-760°C)).Use one
setting; do not allow variations in settings.
9. Check holding furnaces for oxide build up and cleaning
procedures:
●● Does temperature vary too much? (look for high temp swings)
10. It is possible that hard spots (or hard areas) will contain
sludge, check bottom of furnaces and review holding furnace
temperatures for sludge.
11. Some hard spots are refractory material; this came from
cleaning and then tapping the furnace too soon.
12. For zinc and ZA alloys, reduce hot spots in the pot and reduce
excessive fluctuations in furnace temperature.
13. Most of the harder material will rise to the surface as dross
and can be skimmed off (if allowed to form).
14. For ZA alloys, keep the iron content below 0.75%.

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31
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32
CHAPTER 12
Solder

Defect:
Solder.

Cause:
Aluminum or magnesium and die steel combine and cast metal
sticks to die surface. In zinc, the zinc forms a layer on top of the
steel. This only occurs when the steel reaches sufficiently high
temperature to allow the aluminum to react.

Corrections:

Aluminum:
●● Check temperature in solder area, reduce if at all possible –
this is the best solution
●● Jet cooling even small diameter core pins can eradicate
soldering
●● Add fountain (bubbler) in solder area (even a 1/8” diameter
fountain will do a good job)
●● In solder area change die material to a higher heat transfer
material (TZM, ANVILLOY, MITECH)
●● Be sure water lines are functioning (clean of deposits)
●● Increase spray on the solder area
●● Add a PVD (eg TiN orTiC) or similar coating to the core or
die steel. These can act as a chemical barrier to soldering.
Nitriding can reduce soldering in some cases.
●● Reduce speed, increase cycle time (not often an option)
●● Reduce fill time
●● Lower the length of time the metal impacts on the solder
area
●● Check the metal velocity – is it too high?

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33
Solder on a core
pin.

●● Velocity above atomization, but not much (about 1000 to 1400

ips (25-35 m/s))
●● Check PQ2 of die casting machine for proper process settings,
find best plunger size, speed, pressure, etc.
●● Check actual plunger size and speed – are desired conditions
really being met?
●● Check Draft angle at solder point
●● Check for undercuts or rough surface on die at solder point
●● Check iron content of alloy – above 0.75% if possible (some
new alloys limit this to 0.4% or less).
●● Use lower pressure if possible

Zinc (build up):

●● Lower die temperature (if it can be done, this is the best action)
●● Improve die surface finish – reduce surface roughness
●● Increase draft angle
●● Coatings – smooth surface, i.e., tin, crc
●● Polish die (use inhibited acid to keep die damage to minimum,
polish with 600 grit)

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34
 13
CHAPTER 13
Carbon Buildup

Defect:
Carbon Buildup.

Cause:
Build-up of deposits, usually from lubricant, or water mixed with
lubricant.

Corrections:
1. Check lubricant application:
●● Spray volume is at minimum
●● Use a fine mist nozzle on the die sprays where possible
●● Increase die temperature with decrease in cycle time, or
water flow adjustments, or spray adjustments
●● Even out the die temperature, reduce cold or hot areas
●● Spray mixture and amount applied should not be varied
arbitrarily, especially from shift to shift
●● Use the proper lubricant to match the die temperature,
especially when using a cold die (measure die temperature,
verify with the supplier that the lubricant will work at the
die temperature)
●● Do not spray into blind fins and cores and other cold areas
●● Extra spray should be carefully removed with air blow-off
2. Do not use hard water for mixing with lubricant.

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35
Scale buildup.
Rough casting
surface caused by
scale or carbon
buildup on the die
surface (1X).

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36
CHAPTER 14
Die Erosion 14

Defect:
Die erosion, or cavitation, or burn out. Die has worn spots causing
raised spots on the casting; can be small deep cavities (cavitation),
or larger erosion areas at the gate.

Cause:
Die Erosion- High metal velocity onto the die, high oxide or
silicon content in metal. Cavitation- sharp corner in the runners and
excessive runner speed results in vacuum bubbles in incoming metal,
these collapse and pull out grains of die steel.

Corrections:
1. Check gate velocities:
●● Aluminum metal velocities should be about 1000 ips to
16000 ips (25 to 40 m/s)
●● For zinc, gate velocity should be about 1200 ips to 2000 ips
(30 to 50 m/s)
●● For magnesium, gate velocity should be about 1200 ips to
3000 ips (30 to 75 m/s) (Less damage occurs from higher
velocities in magnesium)
2. For cavitation damage: Check runner and gating design
●● Does the cross sectional area of the runner decrease from
shot sleeve or nozzle to the gate(s)?
●● Do the runners change direction with a good radii?
●● Are there any ejector pins protruding into the runner?
●● Is there a fillet between the shot sleeve and the runner?
3. Check metal temperature, should not be high.
4. Check die temperatures in the gate area, reduce with
spray if possible.
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37
Cavitation (10X).

5. Check metal cleanliness, oxide cleaning procedures should be

in place (see hard spots).
6. Check fill times – long fill times accelerate gate erosion.
7. Check alloy – hyper-eutectic (high silicon) alloys require
smaller process window (lower gate velocities).
8. In zinc, trapped air bubbles cause cavitation and “burn out”
(see gas porosity corrections):
●● Check gate design – small design mistakes that do not follow
NADCA guidelines can cause cavitation
●● Change gate locations, try to find a location where gate
does not impinge on die steel
●● Use slow shot speed on plunger to reduce trapped gases- set it so
plunger moves slowly up to sprue

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38
CHAPTER 15
Outgassing

Defect: 15
Outgassing: Defective surface finish occurring when bubbles appear
during a painting or finishing operation.

Cause:
Leak path develops through casting skin when casting is heated during
finishing, allowing the heated and expanding trapped gas to escape.

Corrections:
1. If problem is in overflow gates, then minimize or
combine number or overflow gates used, reduce size of
overflows.
2. Keep overflows away from edge of castings to minimize
heat build up next to casting.
3. Make main gate thinner while still maintaining
appropriate gate area for casting quality needs.
4. Reduce metal temperature, but stay above 790°F
(420°C) for zinc, and above about 1200°F (650°C) for
aluminum.
5. Reduce die temperature at gate.
6. Reduce trapped gas (see gas porosity corrections):
●● Use slow shot speed on plunger (hot chamber)

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39
A blister and a
hole (in the paint)
at the gate from
outgassing (4X).

●● Reduce spray to absolute minimum

7. Make sure there is pressure at the end of the stroke:
●● No thin biscuits or leaking plunger rings
●● Change or correct problems before plunger starts to stick or drag
●● Check for proper metal pressure, both static pressure and
intensified (right size plunger)
●● Accumulator pre-charge correct

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40
CHAPTER 16
Bending, Warping

Defect:
Bending, warping, out of flatness.
16
Cause:
Many operational and design issues.

Corrections:
1. Design issues:
●● Too much tolerance allowance for tool construction (save
most of the available tolerance for process variations)
●● Incorrect shrinkage (one value for all dimensions may not
be accurate enough)
●● Incorrect estimate of process capabilities
2. Operational corrections:
●● The most important factor is a consistent ejection
temperature; The casting and the die must be at the same
temperature each time a casting is ejected
●● Control hold time with a thermocouple instead of a timer
●● Maintain a very consistent process to keep temperatures
consistent:
●● Consistent die spray
●● Consistent cycle time
●● Consistent cooling water flow rates
●● Uneven ejection forces:
●● Poor ejector system design, or worn ejector guide
mechanism
●● Uneven length of bumper pins
●● Incorrect ejector pin locations
●● Drags from worn or heat checked die, or undercuts in
the die

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41
 ●● Stress on casting during die opening
●● Poor die polish in draw direction. This needs careful checking
as even small areas can cause a thin casting to bend.
●● Check for:
●● Worn machine linkage
●● Worn tie bar bushings
●● Worn platen shoes
●● No die support
●● Worn guide pins
●● Not enough draft allowance, especially on short walls and
internal cores
●● Ejection too early
●● If variation is eliminated, and the casting shape is stable, then
change the die dimensions so the casting comes out within
specifications

Bending. Thin
casting bent at
ejection.

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42
CHAPTER 17
Flash

Defect:
Flash – Excessive cast material often accompanied by dimensional
deviation.

Cause:
High metal temperature and either poor die fit or poor machine 17
locking when high pressure is applied.

Corrections:
1. Die fit:
●● Check die fit at operating temperature – use bluing,
electrical solder or other means to check fit with die at
operating temperature
●● Review castings for evidence of die deflection (look for
differences with high and low pressures); review die design
for proper robustness
●● Check shut off or sealing faces to make sure they are
sufficient in size and position. Large slides require a
good shut off or sealing face
2. Machine locking conditions:
●● Measure the strain on the tie bars for equal loading
●● Check condition of machine:
●● Linkage not worn
●● Tie bar bushings and movable platen shoes in proper condition
●● Platens flat, not bent or indented (due to casting with
one die size)
●● Die set up correct
●● Tie bar nuts not loose
●● Tie bars not cracked. A small crack can lead to a loss of
stiffness

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43
Example of
excessive cast
material

Example of very
severe flash.

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44
3. Die opening force centered on machine:
●● Center of load calculated, and load on each tie bar calculated
4. Metal pressure considerations:
●● Static metal pressure in the 3000 to 6000 psi (200-400 bar) range
●● Intensified metal pressure in the 7000 to 12,000 psi (480-800 bar)
range
●● Impact spike high because of accumulator in back or other
considerations
●● Intensifier control not consistent, comes in fast one time, slow
the next
5. Die and casting thermal conditions:
●● Uneven heating, hot spot in casting and/or in the die – this
causes the die to expand unevenly
●● Be sure the hotter areas (such as the biscuit block or the area
around the sprue or sleeve) have cooling – these hotter areas can
expand and hold the die open
●● Heavy section of the casting on parting line in a hot section of
the die
●● Die temperature fluctuate from unstable operating conditions
●● Metal temperatures at the gate fluctuate from unstable holding
furnace or operating conditions

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45
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46
CHAPTER 18
Stained Castings

Defect:
Stained castings, discolored casting.

Cause:
Foreign material in the metal, almost always die lubricant, but can
be other material.

Corrections:
18
1. Review Lubricant practices:
●● Check amount of plunger lubricant – this must be carefully
controlled
●● Check position where plunger lubricant is applied – instead
of in the pouring hole look at application on sides/back of
plunger tip
●● Consistency of application- does the amount vary or does
the applicator move during use (this is a major factor in
many plants)
●● Check amount of die lubricant used- are you using die
lubricant to overcome another problem, with stained
castings the outcome?
●● Check mixture ratio and consistency of dilution
●● Check die lubricant for bacterial growth
●● Possibly look for a different lubricant material
2. Look for other material in liquid metal- possibly from the
scrap

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47
Staining from die
lubrication (0.5X).

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48
CHAPTER 19
Waves and Leaks

Defect:
Waves, lake.

Cause:
Usually seen in decorative zinc castings but can be seen in
aluminum. Usually caused by early metal flows that solidify quickly
leaving a separate skin that is not remelted; the surface of this
area is more fine grained than the rest and has a slightly different
appearance.

Corrections:
1. Correct metal flow: 19
●● Much quicker fill time
●● Change flow pattern to minimize splashing and jetting in the
area. This is the most effective path to take.

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49
Lake seen when a
section of the
casting was
polished; this
would have caused
a defect if the
casting had been
plated.

The microstructure
of two metal
flows on an
aluminum casting.
The different
structure cause
enough appearance
difference that the
casting was not
acceptable after
polishing.

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50
CHAPTER 20
Drags

Defect:
Drags.

Cause:
Deformation of the casting by undercuts or poor die polishing
encountered during ejection. Undercuts may be caused by buildup
on the die or by die erosion due to soldering. When polishing the die,
make sure polishing of critical areas occurs in draw direction.

Corrections:
1. See corrections for build-up, solder and erosion (Chapter
12 and 14).
2. Make sure die surface is smooth, machining marks have
been completely polished out.
3. Check draft angles. 20
4. Reduce the temperature of the steel that has the drag
– this can be done with spot cooling, extra spray (be
careful of stained castings and cold flow) or with high
heat transfer die materials.
5. Check metal temperature.
6. Check die for cavitation damage.

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51
Drag starting in a
hot corner close to
the gate.

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52
CHAPTER 21
Deformation from Ejector Pins

Defect:
Deformation from ejector pins.

Cause:
Caused when the casting is still soft and sticks in the die;
consequently the ejector pins bend the casting trying to eject.

Corrections:
Check the following

1. Undercuts, drags.
2. Casting stays in the die too long or too short (hold or
dwell time not correct for casting).
●● Short dwell time means the casting may be too soft at
ejector pin location and may deform
●● Long dwell time for certain shapes may mean that the part
has contracted onto the die steel, and thus requires extra
ejector force to remove
3. Machine ejection system is “jerky,” with high impact on 21
the casting.
4. Poor die design, check for:
●● Too few ejector pins
●● Pins in the wrong locations (must be balanced force around
cores and other ejection resistant features)
●● Use ribs under ejector pins to spread the load
●● Ejector pins too small
●● Ejection guidance system inadequate or worn out (ejector
plate wobbles during ejection)

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53
Deformation from
ejector pins.

●● Ejection system load not balanced, or if unbalanced ejection

load is required, the ejector plate guidance system design was
not adequate for the off center loading
●● Die thermal balance is wrong so one part of the casting is too hot
at ejection while another is too cold. This leads to a compromise
where reducing the hold or dwell time slightly gives casting bend
in one area (too hot) and extending it slightly results in the part
contracting onto the die in another section (too cold). Measure
die temperature immediately after casting ejection and then
after die spray. Rebalance die temperature as required.

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54
CHAPTER 22
Cold Flakes or Gate Break in

Defect:
Cold flakes off the part or gate break into casting during trimming

Cause:
Cold flakes occur in cold chamber machines when a skin of
aluminum is solidified on the bottom of the shot sleeve after the
metal is poured into the sleeve. This skin is then chipped off in small
chunks (cold flakes) by the plunger as it moves forward, and these
chips are pushed into the runner and the casting.

Corrections:
Check the following

1. Minimize the dwell time in the sleeve as much as

possible; note that this may be difficult when trying to
utilize the proper acceleration schedule to minimize
trapped air during the slow speed plunger acceleration
phase.
2. Keep the percentage fill on the sleeve as high as possible
3. Keep the sleeve temperature as high as possible, (but
not so high that it will cause rapid erosion under the
pour hole). 22
4. If at all possible, do not utilize very low metal pour
temperatures (1200ºF or 650ºC), keep the metal
temperature in the 1250ºF (675ºC) range.

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55
Cold flakes in the
center of a runner.
Note the typical
straight sided
structure.

5. Do not run very small biscuits, keep the biscuit size

comfortably above the minimum (this will keep some of the
cold flakes in the biscuit instead of in the runner or casting)
6. Use a trim to shear the runner off instead of breaking it off.
7. Pre-heat the sleeve with electric heaters or shots; for
sensitive castings, it may be necessary to scrap castings until
the sleeve is up to temperature (about 650ºF or 350ºC).

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56
CHAPTER 23
Excessive Flux

Defect:
Excessive flux.

Cause:
Too much flux causes an increase in porosity and surface corrosion;
this is determined by putting casting in clean water overnight or
examining a fracture through the porosity area for white spots.

Corrections:
Reduce flux usage:

1. Review procedures with experts, determine the correct

amount to use, and the correct application procedures.
2. Write down procedures.
3. Train operators carefully about how much flux to use and
how to apply it.
4. Examine the skimming methods for removal of flux. Change
tools or train operators to maximize clean removal.
5. If using a flux injector in a rotary degassing unit, check
flux not clumping and check rotation speed of the impeller
(excess speed can draw flux into the melt).

23

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57
Flux inclusion in
the shape of an egg
shell, which broke
when a fracture
was made for
examination (15X).

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58
CHAPTER 24
Odd Surface Defects

Defects:
1. Cold flow resulting from poor venting
2. Casting has white appearance on the surface
3. Tree branch shapes on the surface
4. Droplet marks on the surface

Cause of each one:

1. Cold flow- the inadequate venting stops the air being
removed and is trapped between meeting flows.
2. White appearance on surface- If the die becomes too hot
locally then the molten metal does not rapidly freeze
on the die. Hence, there is no skin formed. The lack of
skin results in the aluminum appearing to have a white
appearance.
3. Tree branch shape- the casting forms a skin rapidly and
then excess pressure is applied to the metal. The skin
cracks and liquid metal flows between the casting skin
and the die surface
4. Droplet marks on surface- molten metal enters the die
when there are still small die spray droplets present.
These small droplets then boil and force the steam
between the casting skin and the die. The results can
look like droplet marks on the surface or like channels on
the surface.

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59
Corrections:
1. Cold Flow resulting from Venting- Check venting around the
area of the cold flow. Can modify the flow slightly so that the
two fronts meet at a different area.

2. White Appearance- The solution is to cool the die, preferably

by internal cooling rather than simply increasing the die
spray. Excess die spray can lead to black marks on the surface
of the casting.

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60
3. Tree Branch Shape- The solution is to reduce the metal
or intensification pressure and to control the surface
temperature of the die. If the die is cooled then the skin
becomes thicker and also stronger. It can then withstand the
internal metal pressures applied during intensification.

4. Droplet Marks- The solution is to blow dry the die of all water
droplets. The geometry of the die may lead itself to trapping
water in some locations. This can occur in sliding cores.
Once the cores are moved into position this may inject small
droplets of water into the cavity. It is important to close the
die and then reopen and rapidly check for any water on the
die surface.

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61
 NORTH AMERICAN DIE CASTING ASSOCIATION

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