Properties of Cast Aluminum

Cost Effective

• Cast aluminum parts can be made cheaply in large numbers at the least cost. High-volume castings can be made quickly and with close tolerances. Cast parts can be machined, finished or textured as needed after manufacturing.

Lightweight

• Cast aluminum has the advantage of being light in weight, which makes it useful for products where adding additional weight would be detrimental, as in outdoor furniture, cooking equipment and electrical components.

Easily Formed

• The molds used to create cast aluminum parts can be worked into any shape. Intricate designs can be made without adding additional weight. Additional working of the material with welds, bends or connectors can be avoided.

Alloys

• Aluminum, when mixed with other metals, can increase strength and flexibility to allow other manufacturing processes. According to Substech.com, copper can be added to aluminum to increase strength and reduce ductility; silicon can be added to increase wear- and corrosion-resistance; magnesium can be added to increase machinability and improve appearance when anodized; and copper with magnesium and silicon can give aluminum better strength and wear resistance.

Weldable

• Cast aluminum can be welded, that is, joined to other pieces of metal using heat and electrical current, allowing parts to be incorporated into more complex pieces of equipment and machinery. Though some types of cast aluminum alloys are considered unweldable with arc welding, other welding processes can be used, according to TheFabricator.com.

Machineable

• Cast aluminum parts can be machined if the hardness is sufficient for the process. There is often some variability in the hardness of materials that can be overcome with careful quality control testing by the manufacturer, according to the website Today's Machining World.

Corrosion Resistant

• Aluminum's resistance to corrosion is because of the formation of the aluminum oxide layer that forms on the surface. This layer resists attack from the environment and other chemical processes. Corrosion resistance can vary depending on the kind of alloy, as well as environmental and engineering stresses, according to Secat.net.