Competitive coating

Through work to develop a long-life die coat for the low-pressure and gravity die casting industry, a new insulating coating has been developed that can last up to 10 times longer than traditional coatings.

CASTcoat, as it is called, is a low maintenance coating with adaptable insulating properties. The coating – essentially a strong, porous ceramic layer that is resistant to wear and tear – is applied to a die using a thermal spraying technique.

CSIRO scientists Dr. Mahnaz Jahedi and Stefan Gulizia, and a University of Queensland PhD student, Mary Giannos, initially developed CASTcoat. The CSIRO scientists then developed the technology for an industrial environment as part of the Cooperative Research Centres for Cast Metals Manufacturing (CAST) program, from where the product derived its name.

In conventional low pressure and gravity die casting processes, filling the die cavity is slow and the metal die has the capacity to rapidly extract heat from the molten alloy. Traditionally, die coats act as insulators to prevent premature solidification of the casting, but they also control the quality of the end product.