Aluminium Cast Tooling Plate Machined Parts

Aluminium Cast Tooling Plate Guide: Properties, Applications and Design Considerations

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What is Aluminium Cast Tooling Plate?

 

As the name implies aluminium cast tooling plate is manufactured using a casting process, giving the material a fine granular structure. The plate’s two main faces have a machined finish to Ra 0.4 - 0.8 ųm, typically protected with thin polycoat film.

Cast tooling plate is most commonly available in the UK in subtly different 5000 series aluminium grades. However cast tooling plate is also available in both 6000 and 7000 series aluminium, although this is not readily available in the UK.

Conventional aluminium plate is manufactured from forged wrought ingots rolled to size and heat treated.

Cast aluminium tooling plate is manufactured close to finish thickness by a horizontal continuous aluminium flow casting process delivering a uniform fine grain structure.

The cast plate is then heat treated above 370°C for close to 10 hours to fully anneal (stress relieve) to remove any manufacturing stresses. The cast plate is then lightly machined to its finished size and protective films applied.

Cast tooling plate is extensively used for machine building, tooling and fixturing applications for the following reasons:

1. It provides a good value, machined finish, flat base material from which to commence manufacture for the majority of low to medium duty applications
2. It is dimensionally stable even when large amounts of material have been removed
3. It is thermally and dimensionally stable in operation applications that involve cyclical heating and cooling

Aluminium Cast Tooling Plate Machinability
 

Cast tooling plate offers very good machinability and trumps other aluminium grades due to its stability. The cast microstructure reduces the “stickiness” compared to wrought aluminium but plenty of flood coolant is still recommended.

Suited to delicate, intricate parts its cast structure is harder and slightly more brittle than conventional wrought plate. Therefore it can chip as a cutter breaks in and out of a cut. To avoid “chipping” easing back in the feed rate at these points in the machining cycle is recommended. Thread milling rather than tapping can lead to better results when forming threaded holes.

Similar or obsolete designation and trade names:

• 5000 Series Cast Tooling Plates: ACP5080 | ACP5080R | ACP5754 | ACP5754R | Alca 5 | ATP-5 | CAL5 | C250 | Kastal 300 | K-100S
• 6000 Series Cast Tooling Plates: ACP6000 (Not readily available in the UK)
• 7000 Series Cast Tooling Plates: ACP7 (Not readily available in the UK), ACP7R (Not readily available in the UK), MIC6

 

Industry Examples: Excellent for precision applications such as electronic bases, mounting plates, vacuum plates, checking fixtures | General jigs and fixtures | Machine side and base plates | Precision parts | Light duty moulding plates | Pattern plates | Index tables | Vacuum chambers

 

Typical Components & Applications: Jigs and fixtures for all industries | OEM Machine builders in many industries | Pharmaceutical, Medical, Healthcare | Electronics, Chip and Circuit Printers | Scientific Instrumentation | Data Processing Equipment | Printing Machinery | Plastics | Robotics | Food Processing Machinery | Automotive Packaging Machinery | Textile Manufacturing

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