This paper is presented for showing the effect of cooling rate on dendrite arm spacing, correlated with the chilling power of molding materials (conventional plaster, foamed plaster, silica sand) and section thickness, and also showing relationship between dendrite arm spacing and mechanical properties for an aluminum - 8.6 percent silicon - 3.6 percent copper alloy. Local solidification time (t_f) and secondary dendrite arm spacing (d) could be varied widely in accordance with the molding materials and casting thickness, and the following relationship is obtained: d=9.4t_f＾(0.31) A good correlation between dendrite arm spacing and mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, hardness was found, that is, mechanical properties decreased in a linear manner with increase in log of secondary dendrite arm spacing. Ultimate tensile strength in conventional plaster mold casting decreased by 15 percent comparing with the sand casting, where as in foamed plaster mold casting, it decreased by 30 percent comparing with the sand casting. From those results, it has been verified that DAS might be the most representative parameter for predicting mechanical properties varing with the different cooling condition.