How to Choose Aluminum Die-Casting Alloys? A Complete Guide to ADC12, A380 and A360 (With International Grade Comparison)

2026-05-05
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In the die-casting industry, customers ask almost the same question for every project: Which aluminum alloy should we actually use for this part? ADC12? A380? Or A360?
Many new projects tend to focus more on structural design and appearance effects in the early stage, while overlooking the critical importance of material selection. Problems gradually emerge when moving to trial production or mass production:
❌ Insufficient product strength, resulting in fracture during assembly
❌ Unstable surface treatment quality, with defects in anodizing and electroplating
❌ Excessively high material costs squeezing profit margins
❌ Fluctuating production yield rates and rising scrap rates
❌ Forced adjustments to product structure, delaying overall delivery schedules
We have verified repeatedly in practical projects that material selection is the true starting point of any die-casting project.
The right material ensures smooth follow-up production; the wrong material will only lead to endless remedial work in the later stage.

01 Core Analysis of the Three Mainstream Die-Casting Aluminum Alloys

The three most widely used aluminum alloys in the die-casting industry are ADC12, A380 and A360, each with completely different market positioning.

① ADC12 – General Grade, Stability First

Positioning: General-purpose economical alloy, prioritizing stability and cost.
ADC12 is one of the most commonly adopted die-casting aluminum alloys. It is usually a reliable option when there are no special performance requirements.
Application Scenarios:
General industrial structural parts, lamp housings, electric vehicle components, equipment enclosures and other standard functional parts.
Material Characteristics:
Excellent fluidity, easy formability, high production stability, relatively low cost, mature process and stable supply chain.
Limitations:
Low elongation, limited high-load bearing capacity, and not suitable for high-standard anodized appearance requirements.
✅ Summary: ADC12 is usually the safest choice when high strength or premium appearance is not required.

② A380 – Preferred for High-Strength Structural Parts

Positioning: Superior overall performance, ideal for load-bearing structural components.
A380 is widely used in international projects, especially for automotive and mechanical parts.
Application Scenarios:
Load-bearing structural parts, precision automotive components, construction machinery parts.
Material Characteristics:
Better mechanical properties than ADC12, superior heat resistance, and well-balanced comprehensive performance.
Limitations:
Slightly lower fluidity than ADC12, higher requirements for mold design and process parameters, and marginally higher material cost.
✅ Summary: A380 is the usual upgrade from ADC12 when higher structural strength is required.

③ A360 – Ideal for High-End Anodized Appearance Parts

Positioning: Optimized for appearance quality and ductility.
For projects requiring anodizing or strict appearance consistency, A360 delivers far more stable surface finishing results.
Application Scenarios:
Anodized housings, 3C electronic product enclosures, medical equipment panels, high-end equipment cosmetic parts.
Material Characteristics:
Lower silicon content, more uniform metallographic structure, better ductility, and highly stable anodizing performance.
Limitations:
Poor fluidity, higher difficulty in die-casting forming, stricter process control requirements, and higher material cost.
✅ Summary: A360 is generally the most suitable option for projects with high-standard anodized appearance requirements.


02 Core Comparison of the Three Materials

📌 Simple Conclusion:
Choose ADC12 for general use, A380 for high strength, and A360 prioritized for anodized appearance parts.

03 International Grade Comparison (Avoid Communication Misunderstandings)

Many customers wonder why the same alloy has different designations.
The reason lies in different national standards, though their material systems are mutually equivalent.

04 Simplified Material Selection Logic (Quick Judgment Guide)

If you have no prior clear experience, follow this simple rule first:
Ordinary structural parts → ADC12
High-strength load-bearing parts → A380
Anodized appearance parts → A360
Thin-wall complex parts → A413
Special requirements → Custom alloy

05 Common Misconception: Is More Expensive Material Always Better?

In daily communication, many customers directly ask:
👉 "Can we just use A360 directly?"
But the reality is:
Higher material cost comes with increased die-casting difficulty and potentially lower yield rate.
Upgrading to a higher-grade material usually means a simultaneous rise in process complexity.
Therefore, for most projects:
Choosing the right material matters far more than choosing the expensive one.

06 A Practical Engineering Conclusion

In real projects, we rarely discuss which material is simply "the best".
Instead, we balance three key factors:

  • Stable mass production feasibility

  • Structural strength compliance

  • Compatibility with surface treatment requirements

Many project failures are not caused by poor material quality,
but by:
Material selection exceeding the capability limits of existing production processes.

07 Material Selection Must Combine with Process Technology

Material cannot be considered in isolation. It must match:
Mold structural design, die-casting process parameters,
surface treatment (powder coating / anodizing / electroplating), service environment, cost budget, etc.
We have encountered many typical problems:
❌ Correctly selected A360, but mismatched runner design leads to low yield
❌ Forcing ADC12 for anodizing, resulting in batch rework
❌ Unreasonable structural design for A380 causes hot cracking issues
👉 All these problems can actually be avoided at the product design stage.

Closing Remarks

Once the wrong material is chosen,
endless remedial work will be required in the follow-up stage.
If the right material is selected upfront,
production, quality and delivery lead time will all run smoothly.
Our recommendation:
In the early stage of product design, involve the die-casting manufacturer in material selection.
Victor Metal – Kete Metal
16 years of focus on magnesium alloy / aluminum alloy / zinc alloy die-casting
One-stop service covering mold design → die-casting → CNC machining → surface treatment
If you are evaluating material solutions for a new project,
feel free to send us your drawings, and we will work together to solidify the preliminary solution.


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