A piston of a die-casting apparatus comprises: a piston head fabricated of a first material; an elongate, inner carrier coupled to the piston head; a generally annular body seated on the carrier adjacent the piston head; and a wear ring disposed on the piston head, the wear ring being fabricated of a second material. The first material has a higher toughness and a lower hardness than the second material.

An oil separating device is provided in an intake path through which a cavity of a mold and an intake port of a vacuum pump communicate with each other and the oil separating device is configured to separate oil from a combustion gas flowing through the intake path. The oil separating device includes a first tubular body and a spiral plate accommodated in the first tubular body. The spiral plate and the first tubular body define a spiral flow path.

An oil separating device is provided in an intake path through which a cavity of a mold and an intake port of a vacuum pump communicate with each other and the oil separating device is configured to separate oil from a combustion gas flowing through the intake path. The oil separating device includes a first tubular body and a spiral plate accommodated in the first tubular body. The spiral plate and the first tubular body define a spiral flow path.

A die casting system includes a die including at least one die component that defines a die cavity, a spar received within a portion of said die cavity, a shot tube in fluid communication with the die cavity, and a shot tube plunger moveable within the shot tube to communicate a molten metal into the die cavity to cast a hybrid component. The spar establishes an internal structure of the hybrid component, and one of the internal structures and an outer structure of said hybrid component is an equiaxed structure.

A die casting system includes a die including at least one die component that defines a die cavity, a spar received within a portion of said die cavity, a shot tube in fluid communication with the die cavity, and a shot tube plunger moveable within the shot tube to communicate a molten metal into the die cavity to cast a hybrid component. The spar establishes an internal structure of the hybrid component, and one of the internal structures and an outer structure of said hybrid component is an equiaxed structure.

A die casting machine of an embodiment includes: a holding furnace holding molten metal; a sleeve located outside the holding furnace and having a molten metal supply port passing through a mold; a plunger sliding through the sleeve and including a plunger rod and a plunger tip fixed to a tip of the plunger rod; a molten metal supply pipe pushed against the sleeve to cover the molten metal supply port and supplying the molten metal into the sleeve; and a pushing force variable mechanism reducing a pushing force for the sleeve in the molten metal supply pipe when the plunger is sliding.

A die casting machine of an embodiment includes: a holding furnace holding molten metal; a sleeve located outside the holding furnace and having a molten metal supply port passing through a mold; a plunger sliding through the sleeve and including a plunger rod and a plunger tip fixed to a tip of the plunger rod; a molten metal supply pipe supplying the molten metal into the sleeve and attachable to and detachable from the molten metal supply port; and a moving mechanism detaching the molten metal supply pipe from the molten metal supply port when the plunger is sliding.

A light metal injection molding machine includes a melting unit, a material supply device, and an inert gas supplier. The material supply device includes a supply cylinder and a lower shutter. The supply cylinder includes a passage which communicates vertically, a supply opening disposed on an upper side of the passage and to which a molding material is fed, and a discharge opening which is disposed on a lower side of the passage and discharges the molding material to a material supply port of the melting unit. The lower shutter is disposed in the supply cylinder to open and close the passage, and the molding material is placed on the lower shutter when the passage is closed. The lower shutter has at least one vent-hole that allows an inert gas supplied from below the lower shutter to pass when the passage is closed.

A die casting insert for producing die casted metal parts from liquid metal. The die casting insert has an outer casing shaped to be fixed in the die block of the die casting apparatus. The die casting insert also has a stopper with a purge opening that is adapted to evacuate contaminants topping the liquid metal as pressure is applied to the liquid metal. The stopper, fitted to mate with the hollow inner cavity of the injection sleeve, is constructed to seal the hollow inner cavity of the injection sleeve except at the purge opening when in a first position; and to permit the flow of the liquid metal into at least one molding cavity when the stopper is in a second position. The die casting insert also has an activation mechanism configured to shift the stopper between the first position and the second position.

A die casting insert for producing die casted metal parts from liquid metal. The die casting insert has an outer casing shaped to be fixed in the die block of the die casting apparatus. The die casting insert also has a stopper with a purge opening that is adapted to evacuate contaminants topping the liquid metal as pressure is applied to the liquid metal. The stopper, fitted to mate with the hollow inner cavity of the injection sleeve, is constructed to seal the hollow inner cavity of the injection sleeve except at the purge opening when in a first position; and to permit the flow of the liquid metal into at least one molding cavity when the stopper is in a second position. The die casting insert also has an activation mechanism configured to shift the stopper between the first position and the second position.