10 Reasons why Rheocasting is more Sustainable than HPDC

You need to add another machine to the diecasting cell. So energy consumption has to go up instead of down. As energy consumption is linked to the carbon footprint, Rheocasting must be less sustainable?!? No, there are more factors to consider:

1. The furnace’s temperature is lower. Therefore, the heating elements don’t have to maintain such high temperatures. Yet, compared to a closed pump system, a partially open-bath furnace has disadvantages regarding energy consumption.
   
   
2. With Rheocasting, you can reduce wall thicknesses where they are structurally unnecessary. Many castings have high wall thicknesses to feed the solidification shrinkage. Rheocasting slurries have excellent feeding capabilities. So, the weight of the casting can be significantly lowered.
   
   
3. Rheocasting uses low-silicon alloys. Silicon has a high carbon footprint of around 9 kg CO2 per kg Al. For an AlSi10MnMg, there is 0.9 kg of CO2 just from the silicon addition. Also, a higher tolerance for impurities allows for a wider process window and, therefore, a cheaper alloy with a higher scrap rate. This has a massive effect on the carbon footprint.
   
   
4. High-strength alloys can be used to deliver better mechanical properties. This massively impacts the weight of the casting due to the better properties.
   
   
5. Low rejection rates because of the excellent casting quality help you reduce internal scrap. Reduced internal scrap means lower melting energy per kg Al sold. This positively impacts the carbon footprint.
   
   
6. Leveraging these high-strength alloys and outstanding part quality can simplify post-processing. In many cases, an energy-intensive, two-step T6 heat treatment is no longer necessary. A simple, one-step T5 HT delivers the required properties easily.
   
   
7. Because of the lower slurry temperature and the slow filling speed, the erosion on the shot sleeve, plunger, and tool is way lower. A tool life increase of 60 to 200% is achieved in series production. This reduces the carbon emissions from the used steel.
   
   
8. The long flow length of Rheocasting slurries under shear forces is beyond the limit of HPDC. This advantage can be used in the gating design. The projected area is cut in half. As you can see in the picture, the machine size could be reduced by 40% with this approach. A smaller machine has a smaller tool and requires less energy. This massively impacts your carbon footprint and your profit margin.
   
   
9. Rheocasting enables you to find profitable new applications for HPDC. These high-profit margins fund investments in your foundry’s sustainability.
   
   
10. I would have told you if we would have met at the Euroguss 2024. If you still want to know reason nr. 10, schedule a free Consultation Call down below.