Know the Key Differences between Aluminium and Steel Castings

The two types of castings that you are most likely to encounter in today’s times are going to be made either from aluminium or steel. Both these metals offer specific advantages which, depending on the requirements, are selected for their particular roles. Aluminium casting manufacturers, as well as those of steel castings, keeps in mind the needs of their clients to decide which metal to use. If you are in a fix, not being able to decide which type of castings to get to fulfill your requirement, read on to get a better idea on what the key points of difference between the castings of aluminium and steel are.

What are the Differences between Aluminium and Steel Castings

• Weight

The thing that needs to be noted as far as a comparison of aluminium and steel is concerned is that the former is a far less dense metal than the latter. Steel, in fact, is around 2.5 to 3 times denser than aluminium. If you thought that this difference in density was going to hamper the beneficial nature of aluminium, think again! The lower density does not affect the strength of the metal, and overall, it presents as much utility as much as steel castings, but the weight of the castings is much lower.  This is a good advantage to have as far as castings are concerned.

• Resistance to Corrosion

Another thing that works for aluminium castings is its ability to resist corrosion. You can be sure of the fact that steel, on any given day, will corrode more. This is due to the ferrous nature of steel. However, depending on the type of steel, things can actually go either way. While carbon steel is extremely prone to corrosion, stainless steel trumps aluminium in its corrosion-resistance quality. You also have to keep in mind the metal that aluminium is being alloyed with, for example, aluminium bronze casting manufacturers can swear by their product not getting corroded regardless of the environment they are exposed to.

• Castability

The best thing about aluminium is its ability to be cast as per requirements. You have to understand that steel has a very high melting temperature in general, meaning that more amounts of heat need to be used in order to even melt steel down to be able to cast it into any form. For aluminium though, the temperatures that are required to melt it are considerably lower than those of steel, meaning that it can be cast into the required shapes without too much effort on the parts of the manufacturers. This is another thing that works very much in favour of aluminium castings.

Now that you are aware of the differences between steel and aluminium casting manufacturers, you will be able to make a better decision on which one to get. However, if you are still confused and indecisive, you should consider approaching an expert and take their suggestions in the matter to be able to come to a conclusion.