In the pressure die casting process the metal is forced into a high grade steel tool at high speed and pressure. The casting temperature is roughly 700°C when casting aluminum and 650°C when casting magnesium. The use of vacuum casting technique is a must in order to achieve superior quality for extremely light and thin walled components.

Pressure die casting is a competitive casting method when the components are needed at high volumes or when better tolerances and surface finish are required than can be achieved by gravity die casting. The need for machining is very low due to the close casting tolerances. Heat treatment of pressure die casting is not possible but due to the high rate of solidification the mechanical properties are good. The tooling costs are considerably higher than for gravity die casting.