March Seminar: Differential Thermal Expansion of Die Components

NADCA’s new Director of Research, Education and Technology, Paul Brancaleon, will be coming to Wisconsin in March to teach a tailored course on die design and fitting.  This course will focus on the differential thermal expansion of die components.  No amount of design will ever completely eliminate thermal expansion of die components.  Therefore, all die designs should be designed to manage this variation.  Topics such as:

- Magnitude of size and shape change for given in temperature changes at reasonable worst case situations

- Effect of size changes on the clearances to mating die members

- Maximum gaps to not flash

- Maximum sizing of cavity blocks and centering cavity blocks in their pockets

- Fitting slides to cover and ejector dies

- Sizing slides to not flash

- Shaping parting surfaces of slides

The course is intended for anyone involved in the engineering, designing, manufacturing, and maintaining of die casting dies.  Engineers oversee the project of creating a new die and must understand these critical design features for success.  The designers realize the concepts in their design.  During the construction of the tooling the tool must go through final fitting to utilize these concepts.  Finally, and probably most importantly die setup and repair teams at the die caster will maintain this die for a long and productive life.  Clearly, every member of your tooling team is critical to die casting success.  Take advantage of this course by sending members throughout your organization.