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Pros / Cons

Advantages:

• High rate of production.
• High accuracy in sustaining dimensions part to part.
• Smooth surface finish for minimum mechanical finishing.
• Able to incorporate cast-in details as holes, openings, slots, trademarks, numbers, etc,..
• Intricate shapes and details don't add to the cost of production once the die is constructed.
• Can produce thinner walls than those produced by other casting processes.
• Able to cast in inserts such as pins, studs, shafts, linings, bushings, fasteners, strengtheners, and heating elements.
• Uses a range of alloys that fit many design requirements.

• Dies are complicated and costly to construct so that high rates of usage are needed to justify the use of this process.
• As the die is filled violently and solidification happens quickly, typically within half a second, air and die lubricant can be trapped in the cavity. This results in microporosity in the castings.
• Generally, walls and other details perpendicular to the parting line can not be made since taper is needed to get the part out of the die. This problem can be solved for by use of expensive core slides.

Source: Bralla, Design for Manufacturing Handbook.

Following is a comparative table of the advantages and disadvantages of all metal casting processes discussed in MAS.