Aluminum alloy
A356 aluminum castings
The higher-purity version of 356: strong, ductile and corrosion resistant, usually heat treated to T6.
A356 has the same excellent casting and machining characteristics as 356, but with fewer impurities, which makes it stronger and more ductile. It is lightweight and highly corrosion resistant.
Most A356 castings are heat treated to T6 to raise their strength, which we do in-house.
We cast A356 in green sand, no-bake and permanent mold, and machine and heat treat it in-house.
- Composition
- About 7% silicon and 0.35% magnesium, with small amounts of iron, copper, zinc and manganese; the balance is aluminum.
- Typical uses
- Structural and pressure-tight parts, housings and brackets.
- Processes
- Green sand, no-bake, permanent mold
Other alloys we pour
- 356The general-purpose workhorse: good castability, weldability and pressure tightness at a good price.
- 333 & A333A permanent mold favorite with better as-cast properties than 319 at a similar price.
- C355Copper-strengthened and pressure-tight, and keeps its strength at higher temperatures than A356.
- 319A versatile aluminum-silicon-copper alloy with good strength as cast.
- 535 (Almag 35)High strength and excellent corrosion resistance without heat treatment.
- 713 (Tenzaloy)Reaches high strength at room temperature, with no heat treatment and high impact strength.
Related reading
Why Aluminum?
Aluminum applications span from everyday items like fuel-efficient vehicles to smart phones to window frames to airplanes. It has a long list of inherent assets that makes it referred to as a “miracle metal” – lightweight, corrosion resistant, easily formed, highly conductive, highly reflective, non-toxic, durable and recyclable – and gives manufacturers and designers a wide range of options for product innovation and process improvements.
Read the article →A Guide To Non-ferrous Metal Alloy Casting
Metal casting is a complicated process that involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, allowing it to cool, and then extracting the product. Depending on the metal used and the required outcome, we utilize sand casting or permanent mold casting to create prototypes and products. Non-ferrous sand casting is highly efficient and cost-effective. Permanent mold utilizes gravity when pouring molten aluminum into molds (or dies) machined from cast iron or steel. Ermak takes pride in producing high-quality castings that are consistent, repeatable, and cost-effective. We customize the casting process to meet your needs using the best, most efficient non-ferrous metal casting process for your product.
Read the article →What Is An Alloy
A metal alloy tends to be harder/stronger and more durable than pure metal because the mixture has atoms of different sizes. Alloys also provide resistance to corrosive environments and can improve appearance of products, as they are lustrous and contain a better finish.
Read the article →
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