In die casting industry, inability to understand or correctly select die casting machine parameters leads to numerous problems, including mold installation issues, material spillage, difficulty in part removal, and low production capacity.
Many novice process engineers and mold makers only understand clamping force and lack knowledge of key indicators such as injection force, tie rod internal dimensions, mold thickness range, and maximum pour volume. They rely on experience for machine selection and intuition for adjustment, resulting in frequent production accidents and low yield rates.
This article strictly adheres to national die casting standards, original professional textbook texts, and practical operational logic, completely breaking down 12 core parameters. It includes a summary table of national standard parameters for horizontal/vertical/hot chamber die casting machines. Even beginners can understand it, experienced operators can save it for future reference. It's applicable to mold design, equipment selection, on-site machine adjustment, and process registration!

Technical parameters of a die casting machine directly determine equipment's process capacity, weight and size of parts it can process, and its production efficiency. These 12 core parameters are broken down, each corresponding to a production pain point:
(1) Clamping Force: Clamping force refers to force with which die casting machine locks two halves of die casting mold during injection. During production, clamping force must be greater than expansion force of liquid metal on mold cavity to ensure normal production. Otherwise, liquid metal will splash out from mold parting surface, causing an accident.
✅ Practical Tips: Insufficient clamping force = inevitable mold expansion, aluminum spillage, and material spraying; clamping force must be greater than expansion force of casting's projected area, with a safety margin.
(2) Injection Force: Injection force refers to force exerted by piston of injection hydraulic cylinder on injection punch during process of liquid metal filling die casting mold cavity. Magnitude of injection force is determined by area of piston in injection hydraulic cylinder and pressure of liquid inside cylinder.
✅ Key Practical Points: Determine aluminum liquid filling pressure. Insufficient pressure results in loose castings and shrinkage cavities; excessive pressure easily erodes sprue bushing and mold.
(3) Internal Dimensions Between Tie Rods: Internal dimensions between tie rods represent maximum mold installation dimensions of die-casting machine. They are indicated as: horizontal dimension * vertical dimension.
✅ Key Practical Points: Mold length and width must be smaller than this dimension; otherwise, mold cannot be installed in equipment. This is primary parameter to check in mold design.
(4) Moving Mold Platen Stroke L: Moving mold platen stroke refers to maximum moving distance of die-casting machine's moving mold platen. It reflects working range of die-casting machine. A larger stroke allows for production of taller die-cast parts and provides greater adaptability.
✅ Key Practical Points: A larger stroke allows for production of taller shell-type and structural parts, and is suitable for complex deep-cavity molds.
(5) Die-casting Mold Thickness H: Die-casting mold thickness refers to thickness of die when it is closed, i.e., distance between moving mold platen and fixed mold platen when mold is closed. Maximum and minimum opening distance between die-casting machine's moving mold base plate and fixed mold base plate are represented by H_max and H_min, respectively. When selecting equipment or designing die-casting molds based on existing factory equipment, die-casting mold thickness should be less than maximum opening distance of die-casting machine and greater than minimum opening distance, i.e., satisfying: H_min < H < H_max.
✅ Practical focus: If mold is too thin, it won't close tightly; if it's too thick, it won't close properly. Mold design must strictly adhere to mold thickness range.
(6) Injection Position: Injection position refers to position of die-casting machine's pressure chamber and injection punch on fixed mold base plate during operation. To enable die-casting machine to adapt to molds with different gate positions, its injection position can be adjusted within a certain range.
✅ Practical focus: Center injection and eccentric injection are adjustable to adapt to different gate types (center gate, side gate).
(7) Injection Chamber Diameter: Injection chamber diameter refers to inner diameter of pressure chamber. Different injection pressure ratios are required for die castings of different metals and shapes. To facilitate rational selection and adjustment of injection pressure ratio according to process requirements of parts, die casting machines are equipped with several injection chambers of different inner diameters for selection.
✅ Key Practical Point: Punch diameter determines injection pressure ratio; use a small diameter for small parts and a large diameter for large parts, precisely matching injection force.
(8) Maximum Metal Pouring Volume: Maximum metal pouring volume refers to maximum amount of liquid metal allowed to be poured into injection chamber of die casting machine. It indicates maximum weight of die casting that die casting machine can die-cast. This parameter can also be used to determine how many die castings are produced in one mold.
✅ Key Practical Point: Directly determines number of parts produced in one mold; exceeding pouring volume limit = unstable injection and a surge in scrap rate.
(9) Injection Punch Ejection Distance: Injection punch ejection distance refers to distance injection punch can extend beyond inner surface of fixed mold base plate. During die casting, some excess molten metal remains in injection chamber, solidifying into excess material. When mold is opened and part is removed, injection punch must continue pushing a distance from its original position to eject excess material along with die casting from fixed mold.
✅ Key Practical Point: Ensure smooth ejection of excess material to avoid material sticking to fixed mold and preventing demolding.
(10) Hydraulic Ejector Ejection Force: Hydraulic ejector ejection force refers to maximum thrust provided by ejector hydraulic cylinder on moving mold plate when removing die casting from mold.
✅ Key Practical Point: Insufficient thrust will result in deep cavities and castings with high clamping forces failing to eject, leading to tearing and deformation.
(11) Hydraulic Ejector Stroke: Hydraulic ejector stroke refers to maximum distance ejector rod can extend beyond inner surface of moving mold plate.
✅ Key Practical Point: Insufficient stroke will prevent casting from completely detaching from mold, resulting in difficulty in removal and potential damage and scrapping.
(12) One Empty Cycle Time: Time required for a die-casting machine to automatically complete one die-casting production cycle in sequence is called one empty cycle time. For a horizontal cold chamber die-casting machine, one empty cycle time refers to the total time taken for actions such as mold closing, injection, mold opening, injection punch ejection, injection punch return, ejection, and ejector return. Based on one empty cycle time, daily output and product production cycle can be estimated to facilitate production scheduling.
✅ Key Practical Points: Directly determines production cycle time and daily capacity, is core basis for cost accounting and capacity planning.

 

Figure 3-5 shows mold installation dimensions of J1140A horizontal cold chamber die-casting machine. Inner dimension between tie rods is 620mm * 620mm. To facilitate mold installation and disassembly, maximum planar dimension of mold should not exceed inner dimension between tie rods.
Structural markings: 1—Ejector cylinder; 2—Top plate; 3—Moving mold base plate; 4—Tie rod; 5—Fixed mold base plate; 6—Injection chamber; 7—Injection punch; 8—Machine base; 9—Safety door
Moving and fixed mold base plates have T-slots on their inner surfaces for fixing mold; moving mold base plate has 16 Φ26mm through holes for installing ejector pins; fixed mold base plate can be adjusted downwards by 100mm/200mm to adjust injection position, adapting to eccentric gate molds.

China's die casting machines follow unified industry standards. This table compiles complete national standard parameters for horizontal cold chamber, vertical cold chamber, and hot chamber die casting machines for direct use in selection, verification, and training:
Table 3-1 Basic Parameters of Horizontal Cold Chamber Die Casting Machines

 

Table 3-2 Basic Parameters of Vertical Cold Chamber Die Casting Machines

 

Table 3-3 Basic Parameters of Hot Chamber Die Casting Machines

 

Note: Based on user needs, horizontal cold chamber die casting machines with a clamping force of 31500 and 40000 kN, horizontal cold chamber die casting machines with a clamping force of 10000 kN, hot chamber die casting machines with clamping forces of 250, 160, 100, and 63 kN are permitted for production.
✅ Mold Design: First, verify internal dimensions of tie rod, mold thickness range, and ejection stroke to avoid molds that cannot be installed on machine;
✅ Equipment Selection: Match clamping force, maximum injection volume, and injection force to accurately adapt to product;
✅ On-site Machine Adjustment: Compare with 12 parameters to prevent problems such as mold expansion, material shortage, inability to eject, and low production capacity.
In die casting production, parameters come first, standards are king. Thoroughly understand core parameters of die casting machine to avoid 90% of production detours!