How is cast aluminum furniture made?

Cast aluminium is one of those materials that we often think we know what it is but many of us are unsure as to why it is the perfect material for UK gardens.

The company is the world’s best furniture cast aluminum part supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

By taking a closer look at how our cast aluminium garden furniture is made, we can hopefully highlight the advantages of this weatherproof metal and explain why we selected it as the core material for our range of garden tables, chairs, benches and loungers.

The Royal Society of Chemistry defines aluminium as:

“Aluminium is a silvery-white, lightweight metal. It is soft and malleable. Uses. Aluminium is used in a huge variety of products including cans, foils, kitchen utensils, window frames, beer kegs and aeroplane parts. This is because of its particular properties.”

Wikipedia’s entry, on the other hand, defines it as: 

“Aluminium is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one-third that of steel. It has a great affinity towards oxygen, and forms a protective layer of oxide on the surface when exposed to air.”

What is cast aluminium?

In our reasons to purchase cast aluminium garden furniture article from way back in 2012, we defined cast aluminium as:

“Cast aluminium is, in a nutshell, a metal alloy that's gone through one of the various processes known as casting. Essentially, it is created when molten aluminium is poured into a die-cast, mould or sand cast to temper the metal for use in creating the components that make up a piece of garden furniture.”

There are 3 common types of cast aluminium utilised in the construction of garden furniture in the UK: 

1. Wrought Aluminium

   
   Wrought Aluminium is made when the alloy is formed into shapes by rolling, extrusion or forging (essentially worked with tools). The furniture created is often classic in style, similar to the traditional pieces made from wrought iron.

2. Tubular Aluminium

   
   The tubular aluminium technique is probably one of the most common (and cheapest) as it is the lightest, quickest and easiest to form. Style is limited and it is mostly found in the framework of popular synthetic rattan-style furniture sets.

3. Cast Aluminium

   
   Cast aluminium patio furniture is made using a process, called casting, where molten aluminium is poured into a mould. This process produces the purest and most resilient form of aluminium, allowing for more intricate patterns and shapes. 

As the casting of aluminium forms a solid piece of metal, the resulting product is heavier and arguably stronger than wrought and tubular aluminium, so it creates furniture that is better suited to the UK climate and the modern Great British garden.

These 3 different methods of production create metals with varying strengths and weaknesses, none of them will rust, but casting forms pieces that are more substantial (in weight and feel) and better suited to outdoor use, which is why it is the predominant metal/production method in our industry. 

The most common alloy used in casting is aluminium-silicon, where silicon is added to ensure great casting characteristics and produce a metal that has a higher tensile strength. In other words, cast aluminium can withstand a higher degree of stress before breaking.

The result of this production process is a metal alloy that when melted has excellent fluidity, which basically means the liquid metal flows easily and evenly into the moulds, so you get little to no defects (we quality check every piece), excellent grain structure and a nice surface finish. 

How is our cast aluminium garden furniture made?

Our designs are classic in design, and so is the traditional sand-casting process we use to build them.

Sand casting is an ancient moulding method that can be traced all the way back to 4000 BC.

The process starts by creating wooden moulds or patterns, impressing them into the sand and then pouring the melted alloy to form the cast that is made. 

Once set, the material is removed and the details are carved, creating the individual parts of our furniture such as the legs, tabletops (as shown in photo below), etc.

The sand casting process is repeated with these moulds and the parts are harvested. 

Finally, they travel through each workshop being cleaned, polished, powder-coated and detailed.

Are you interested in learning more about furniture casting part manufacturer? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Why is cast aluminium the best material for garden furniture?

The unique qualities of cast aluminium and our method of production are what make it most appealing when it comes to choosing a material for making garden furniture. 

It is perfectly suited to the ever-changing UK climate. The special painted finish we apply as a final stage is designed to not only look good but will also further protect the metal from the elements.  

The finished products are fully weatherproof and as strong as you'd expect metal furniture to be. However, whilst designed to not blow over, it is still not as heavy as wrought iron, so can easily be picked up and moved if needed.

That painted finish (the close-up above shows our Antique Bronze) also significantly reduces the need for any maintenance. 

An occasional wash with warm soapy water is really all it will need to remove any dirt. Our preference is to just use a good quality car shampoo. 

If you want to keep it cleaner for longer and give the paintwork a nice lustre, then we would also recommend a light coat of carnauba-style car wax. Just as it would on your car, this will help the rain and dirt run off better.

If you do find a scratch in the paintwork, then you can easily touch it up with our Touch Up Paint. Super simple to apply just follow the steps in the video below: 

The great thing about cast aluminium garden furniture though is it is a great all-rounder. As we say; it is designed to live in the heart of your garden, with no rust, no rot, whatever the weather. 

All garden furniture materials have their pros and cons but the reason we selected cast aluminium as our core material is that it ticked more cons for us when it came to how we use our gardens in the UK. 

Our rigorous testing showed that it was not only the most durable outdoor furniture material but it was also the easiest to maintain and, if you keep it well-maintained (thanks to that protective painted finish) it is fully weatherproof.

The high-tensile cast aluminium we use in the construction of our garden furniture range gives us furniture that is not only beautifully crafted, but it is also low maintenance and perfectly suited to wind, rain, snow and sun. It will not split, warp, fade, rust, or rot and can be left outside uncovered if you wish.

We have created a range of dining table-style sets that not only look great on your patio but are designed for family use. Combining cast aluminium with a powder-coated protective finish produces beautiful yet highly durable furniture that has many benefits over other materials such as steel, iron, rattan, wood and plastic:

1. It will not pit, rot or rust
2. Low maintenance
3. Long-life guarantee
4. Designed to be left outside all year
5. Protective painted finish
6. UV & water-resistant
7. Easy to assemble
8. Safe to ship
9. Aesthetically stylish and sophisticated
10. Ergonomically designed
11. High-quality look, finish and feel

How our cast aluminium garden furniture is made, in terms of the quality of our raw material and meticulous production process, is critical in ensuring the end product is, in our opinion, the best garden furniture money can buy.

If you have any photos of our Cast Aluminium Garden Furniture in your garden, then we’d love to see a few snaps for our Do Some Good charity campaign. You can tag us @LazySusanFurniture on Instagram or Facebook or email them to us at [email protected].

One of the most abundant frame materials for outdoor patio furniture in today’s market is cast aluminum. If you’ve been out shopping recently, you may have noticed that there is a wide variety of styles, designs, prices and comfort. But why? A brief look at the different types of cast aluminum will help explain. Essentially, there are two different types of cast aluminum production used for patio furniture: sand cast and die cast. Each type offers a variety of benefits and features making it tough to say that one type is superior to the other.

Sand Casting

Sand casting is the by far the most common type of cast aluminum you’ll find being used in patio furniture today. Because manufacturers can build these casts quickly and at a relatively low cost, they tend to be very popular among newer companies as well as those experimenting with new styles and designs. Another feature that makes sand casts common is that they can usually produce thicker, more substantial pieces because they’re not limited by the capacity of the casting machines used the in die cast process. Hollow, tubular pieces that are typically welded to the piece for decoration and ornamentation are often sand casted as well.

Die Casting

A second type of cast aluminum is made from die casting which is made from a hardened tool steel because it must withstand the high temperature and pressure of forcing the molten metal into the mold. Because of this high pressure, die castings typically have a uniform wall thickness, more defined details and a wide variety of surface finishes or textures that can be applied. The set up time for die casting outdoor furniture is much longer than sand casting molds and the cost is much higher. However, if the furniture collection is very successful and will be around for a long time, manufacturers can find there is a better payoff in investing in the die cast process because the same molds can be used over and over before replacement or re-tooling is needed. Additionally, because the entire process is automated, high speed production can be achieved.

Which Method Is Better

As mentioned earlier, you’d be hard pressed to claim, definitively, one method is better than the other. It’s all depends on what a manufacturer is trying to achieve with their patio furniture. Are they trying to produce a lower cost product? Does the product feature fine detailing? Will the furniture collection be around for a long time, or is it something they’ll produce for one season? Most patio furniture brands such as Hanamint, Mallin, Woodard, Veranda Classics and Agio will all use a combination of sand and die cast in their products. From a consumer perspective, either will be long lasting and a great choice for outdoor patio furniture.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website garden iron decor.