<h1>A3 Machine Capabilities</h1><p>Dynacast’s machine capabilities are a key factor in our ability to deliver high-quality components. Our proprietary multi-slide technology enables fast cycle times and precision in our A2 machines, as discussed in a previous blog. This blog focuses on another machine type, the A3.</p><h2>A3 SIS</h2><p>The A3 SIS machine was introduced in 2010 and features a reinforced main plate with 28 tons of locking force. It can accommodate a die size up to 160 x 140 mm and a shot weight of up to 180 grams. Using the SIS injection system, the A3 SIS offers faster cycle times and increased cavity capacity compared to traditional machines. This machine excels at filling parts quickly, resulting in improved surface quality and reduced porosity. Its ability to handle four slides plus additional integrated options allows for more complex part designs.</p><h3>A3 MAG SIS</h3><p>The A3 MAG SIS machine shares the A3 SIS’s core specifications but includes a two-chamber melting pot for magnesium alloys. Designed for small, high-quality magnesium parts, this machine eliminates the need for machining and complies with CE safety standards. Similar to the A3 SIS, it offers faster cycle times, better handling of complex parts, and the ability to produce parts with thinner walls and tighter tolerances compared to traditional machines.</p>

Manufacturing employee operating equipment in Peterborough

Dynacast_Resources_Articles.png

Learn how A3 die casting machines enhance part size flexibility, reduce cycle times, and maintain precision for larger components.

Benefits of A3 Die Casting Machines | Dynacast

Discover how Dynacast's A3 die casting machines deliver superior part quality, faster production, and greater complexity compared to traditional methods. 

Benefits of A3 Die Casting Machines

<h1>Reducing Manufacturing Lead Time</h1><p>We understand that there are many important factors design engineers consider every day as they work on a new project. Two of those factors that are becoming even more critical are quick turn around times and getting to the marketplace before your competition.</p><p>Involving Dynacast engineers early in the design process is an important step to reduce lead time and give you a competitive advantage. If our engineers are involved before a print has been finalized, they can use their die casting design for manufacturing expertise to suggest modifications that improve the manufacturability of the part, which may significantly reduce lead time and possibly the cost of the component. Although our customers are very knowledgeable at understanding both their component and the assembly, we have the benefit of years of manufacturing experience that directly relates to creating precision components. </p><p><strong></strong></p><h2>Improve Manufacturability</h2><p>Involving our engineering team early can significantly reduce lead time by allowing us to suggest design changes to improve manufacturability. Take advantage of our manufacturing expertise to ensure the design accounts for high-volume production with design changes such as a simple radius or draft angle modification, which can result in better tool life, higher repeatability, and lower cost.</p><p>When you work with our team we can suggest an alternative material or process that can increase performance and decrease cost. Because our tool design produces complex net-shape parts, it gives us the ability to streamline processes and eliminate unnecessary steps (such as machining or secondary operations). This can result in a reduction of the total cost of the project. </p><h2>Tool Design</h2><p>Our team of toolmakers will design a tool that accounts for critical features. We can optimize our tooling design to accommodate for features that require tighter tolerances, for example we can avoid placing a post using two die halves near the parting line. When designing for cosmetic surfaces, we are able to optimize tool design and avoid gating in this area of the mold.</p><h2>Approval Process Plans</h2><p>At Dynacast, we use dual track approval process plans including predictive analysis software to analyze mold flow, optimize gating, and more. We utilize prototyping (such as 3D printing) to prepare our process for measurement, ensure repeatability and identify potential issues before the first shot from the tool.  With early involvement, we are able to optimize the manufacturing process to ensure the first shot from the tool is nearly perfect, approval is seamless and the shipment meets your deadline.</p>

Learn how early collaboration can streamline your production and give you a competitive edge. 

Reducing Manufacturing Lead Time 

Involving Dynacast engineers early in the design process can significantly reduce lead time and improve the manufacturability of parts. 

Reducing Manufacturing Lead Time

<p>The rapid growth of a new generation of automobiles is driving new engineering innovations and advancements in technology but it is also creating challenges for automotive designers, engineers, and their suppliers. Strategy no longer comes from just removing and replacing a few steel side panels with aluminum, lightweighting is now a whole-vehicle concept to improve not only fuel economy and emissions but performance and handling. At Dynacast, we understand that finding the balance between design, cost and part performance can be very challenging and we’re here to offer design solutions to fit your needs.</p><h2>Sensitivity to Weight Through Design</h2><p>Our thin-wall aluminum casting capabilities are often the solution to many design engineer’s challenges. We can cast aluminum parts that are almost as lightweight as their magnesium counterparts but offer better physical properties like higher tensile strength and additional finishing options. We find the perfect balance between proper overflow placement and runner system and gate design to offer our customers aluminum castings with walls as thin as 0.5mm.</p><p>Additionally, our engineers offer precise design for manufacturing techniques such as removing the core of a component to make the part lighter. With their die casting expertise, they can predict exactly where to remove unnecessary material without compromising the strength of the component. This technique is used time and time again with any of our die casting alloys.</p><h2>Alloy Dependent</h2><p>While we may excel at thin-wall aluminum, it is not the alloy for every project. Fortunately, we offer a variety of alloys that can best suit your project, rather than having your project meet the restrictions of the alloy—or the die casting manufacturer that offers it. If you’re looking for something that has excellent strength-to-weight ratios with outstanding EMI and RFI shielding, consider casting with magnesium. Perfect for electrical housings and connectors, magnesium has been a choice alloy for automotive designers looking to really cut down on weight. Additionally, the accuracy we can obtain casting zinc makes it a great option for wear resistance. Its structural integrity makes it a perfect fit for automotive safety and electrical components. </p><p><strong>Did you know that many of today’s automotive design engineers are turning to aluminum when thermal management is required?</strong></p><h2>Engineering Horsepower</h2><p>Our best-in-class engineering team not only offers expertise in die casting but has decades of experience designing for the automotive industry and we continue to help our customers realize their design potential through rigorous design for manufacturing strategies. Whether it’s our top of the line software to ensure accuracy for your component’s design, tool, and manufacture, or our predictive engineering methodology to identify possible manufacturing problems, by the time your part goes to full production you can rest assured it is fully optimized for the die casting manufacturing process.</p><h2>Stability in a Global Footprint</h2><p>No project is too large or too geographically dispersed for Dynacast. With 23 plants across 16 countries, our global footprint matches yours. So, while many automotive manufacturers are often plagued with shops that close, our customers can rest easy knowing our process stability goes far beyond our casting accuracy. Our 80-years of manufacturing experience is backed by the customer-focused local service you receive in each region. We understand that trust and relationships are very important in terms of support, delivery, and reliability and we believe that we can deliver on that—our top automotive customers have been with us for over 25 years!  With Dynacast, you can seamlessly launch programs anywhere in the world with minimal risk and lower total costs.</p><h2>Your Automotive Die Cast Manufacturer</h2><p>Through years of building relationships with our automotive customers, we've found that by working together on designs from the very beginning we are able to not only offer the best solutions to new-age challenges but also price more effectively. By recommending the best casting solutions up-front with a variety of alloy options and design techniques, we are able to create a better performing part that will be lighter and more reliable. </p>

Discover how lightweight die cast parts can enhance performance, reduce material costs, and improve overall part efficiency in production.

Lightweight Die Cast Parts | Performance & Efficiency

Explore how balancing lightweighting and part performance with advanced design techniques and alloy options leads to optimized automotive components. 

Lightweighting and Part Performance

<p>Does your part design require external gears or threads where a parting line would significantly affect the part performance?</p><p>We know our customers are in the business of strong, high-performing parts, and that the highest level of performance requires optimized production processes. If your project is suffering from part failure due to uneven porosity or weakness around parting lines, our center gate technology could be the answer to your problems.</p><h2>What is center gate technology?</h2><p>As self-evident from the name, center gating is a process in which molten metal is injected into the center of the part, causing the metal to radiate out evenly from the gating system. Once the die has filled and solidified, a center core pin will push the gate away and eject the component.</p><p>With conventional die casting, the gate is often located on the side of the thickest point of the casting with a runner system on the opposite side of the die to force the molten metal through the part to achieve even density throughout. However, for circular components or components with external threads, it can be difficult for this method to achieve the desired strength and density levels evenly throughout the part.</p><p>Currently, our center gate process works best with all zinc alloys due to its high strength and exceptional hardness. Multi-slide zinc components are an ideal alternative to machined, pressed, stamped and fabricated components.</p><h2>Benefits of center gating for your die cast component</h2><p>Optimizing your die cast design with a center gate solves a number of problems for complex part requirements and geometries. See below for a list of benefits you can gain from designing in a center gate.</p><h3>Circular Parts</h3><p>A center gate is a great solution for circular parts with gears and external threads that require tight tolerances. When the gate is designed within the core or hole of the part, components are able to be manufactured with tooth-to-tooth tolerances and very high density.</p><h3>Optimum Material Flow</h3><p>Center gating provides optimum material flow from the center of the part to the outside edges, eliminating micro porosity and providing greater density than other casting alternatives.</p><h3>Flash-free</h3><p>Because the metal is injected through the center of the component, parts are flash-free. By removing parting lines on the outside of the component, secondary operations are eliminated—cutting production time down from other methods.</p><h3>Eliminate Secondary Operations</h3><p>Center gating eliminates the need to trim, thermal deburr, machine the center hole, wash, and more.</p><h3>Cost Savings</h3><p>Machine fixture and tooling costs are greatly reduced when you can design using a center gate.</p><h2>Center gate industry application</h2><p>Gating through the center solves problems for many components found in the automotive industry. Pinions, for example, are crucial components needed for the successful movement of automatic seats. The part must be near perfect and extremely dense to support the weight of the very large seats. In addition to automotive parts, center gating also provides solutions for commodity pieces that we see in industries like fitness and personal care, as well as the electronic industry.</p><h2>Center gate at Dynacast Peterborough</h2><p>Dynacast Peterborough innovated our center gate technology in 2008. Dynacast Peterborough, located just outside of Toronto, serves customers throughout North America. The capabilities the Center Gate technology offered boosted Dynacast's existing repertoire of multi-slide technology, standard die casting with integrated automation, and IMA  (a type of insert molding) precision zinc manufacturing.</p><p>This facility is one of the only manufacturing plants offering Center Gate as a solution. Our expert engineers provide value engineering for all customers and designs, assessing whether or not a part would benefit from transitioning from outside gating.</p>

Explore center gate die casting and how it improves metal flow, reduces porosity, and enhances quality in complex part geometries.

Center Gate Die Casting Method | Dynacast

Center Gate technology, pioneered by Dynacast Peterborough, is an innovative die casting method that enhances the strength and precision of circular components with external gears or threads by optimizing material flow and eliminating parting lines, resulting in superior density, reduced secondary operations, and significant cost savings. 