Until recently, die casting prototypes were widely considered impractical in most instances because of the greater costs involved with die casting and the additional lead time needed to develop the dies necessary to make the prototypes. During the past few years, though, innovations in the die casting industry have made the use of the die casting prototype process more affordable and efficient.
One notable advancement was the introduction of CNC machining. This high-speed machinery makes it possible to produce the tools needed for die casting much faster. Depending on the manufacturer, a company using this technology can produce a four-slide die in just two weeks, an achievement which used to take at least eight to ten weeks using more traditional production methods. If a client has a condensed timeline, CNC machining can be used to produce a prototype in less than two weeks, if circumstances permit.
The use of 3D design and simulation software has also had a positive effect on the die casting industry by making prototype die cast tooling more affordable. With the use of 3D CAD technology, the time necessary for die cast tooling design can be reduced from several days to a few hours. Additional software makes it possible to virtually prototype a concept and prevent models that are destined to fail as a function of their own design from proceeding to hands-on production.