A356 Aluminum Castings & Treatments
Milwaukee Precision Casting, Inc. is experienced in pouring A356 aluminum casts for various applications.
Why Use A356 For Investment Casting?
A356 aluminum alloy is made up of 92.05% Aluminum, 7% Silicon,0.35% Magnesium, 0.20% Iron, 0.20% Copper, 0.10% Maganese, and 0.10% Zinc. It is lightweight and extremely corrosion-resistant like stainless steel. If needed, A356 aluminum can be used as a substitute for aluminum alloy 6061.
Additional Characteristics of A356:
- Typically heat treated to improve strength
- Very good weldability
- Mechanical properties are excellent, particularly if heat treated
- Low levels of impurities causing high strength and ductility
T5 & T6 Heat Treatments
The two heat treatments for A356 are T5 and T6. T5 treatment is a simpler option where the aluminum extruded from the extruder air cools naturally. T5 treatment results in a cast with Webster Hardness Scale hardness of 8-12.
On the other hand, T6 is more complex and requires the aluminum extruded from the extruder to be instantaneously water cooled. The benefits of the more complex T6 process are an increased hardness of 12-15 on the Webster Hardness Scale and other mechanical properties for the casting.
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