Lettering, logotypes, trademarks and a range of identification symbols may be reproduced on the surfaces of die cast parts.

Such symbols may be raised or depressed, but note that raised symbols will result in lower die costs. Raised symbols in a depressed panel can be an economical substitute for depressed letters as shown in our video. You may require symbols on parts for any number of reasons: branding purposes, supply line tracking, and other purposes.

Symbols

Unlike other production processes where this type of feature must be performed by a costly secondary operation, symbols can be incorporated directly into the die cast die.

There are two primary ways to incorporate symbols onto a die cast part: as raised symbols or as depressed symbols. For raised symbols on a completed die cast part, the die includes symbols as a depressed feature. To achieve depressed symbols, the die includes raised features.

The raised die features required for depressed symbols on a completed part are susceptible to wear and tear – they protrude into the die, which makes them vulnerable. This wear and tear requires that these dies be repaired or replaced more often, leading to higher tooling costs. For this reason, raised symbols are preferred – the depressed die features used to create them are much less vulnerable to wear and tear.

A third option, a cost-effective alternative to depressed symbols, is to have raised symbols featured in a depressed panel or field. Instead of thin protrusions, like the easily damaged ones required to create letters, the protrusion that creates a depressed field is larger and sturdier. On the completed part, the depression can be filled with paint or other finish to create a contrast similar to depressed symbols.

Learn More

To learn more about the inclusion of symbols and other unique die casting capabilities, contact NADCA today.