Casting Study: MX housing bottom shell

A product extension has been developed for an innovative modular control cabinet solution from Beckhoff, based on the plug-and-play principle. A cast base shell has been designed for a new module that can be plugged into the modular system. Since control cabinets and their modules are located in direct industrial environments, the highest demands are placed on robustness and, in particular, on sealing according to IP67 standards. Due to the robustness and the possibility of producing components with tight tolerances in zinc die casting, as well as the properties of electromagnetic shielding and thermal conductivity, the base shell of the additional module was again manufactured from zinc. The component is characterized by its exceptional size for zinc die casting, its weight, and the achieved flow length in the mold. Despite the part’s weight, it features numerous intricate details and openings that contribute to its complexity. The difficult-to-cast quills and sealing surfaces represent a high-quality implementation. The mold concept is compelling due to the arrangement of the sprue via an underfloor slide