DIE-CASTING DIE PEENING PROCESS UPDATE

Die casting dies usually fall in the 44-48 Rc hardness range, which makes them ideal candidates for the METALIFE peening process. When the surface of the die is impacted with special media, a temporary plastic flow of metal on the surface causes the metal, by nature of its memory, to seek its normal equilibrium state, which closes minor cracks and most heat checks. A shadow is all that remains to show where the cracks existed. These same shadows sometimes show up on the casting; however, the risers are gone, and so are the sticking and rejected castings.