Die Casting News

1. Weilai successfully developed large-scale die casting materials without heat treatment.
On October 18, 2021, Weilai announced that it has successfully developed a material without heat treatment which can be used to manufacture large-scale die casting structural parts. This is the first time that a Chinese car company has verified and applied this material to large structural parts. The new material will be applied to Weilai's second-generation platform models.
 
As the first car company in China to develop and independently design an all-aluminum body, Weilai has been committed to improving the integration level of body die-casting parts to achieve the purpose of better design and manufacturing efficiency so far. The successful release of materials without heat treatment will lay a more solid foundation for Weilai to promote low-carbon emission reduction and continuous innovation in designing body structure.
 
2. Lizhong Group has developed casting aluminum alloy materials without heat treatment.
On November 1, 2021, Lizhong Si Tong Light Alloy Group Co., Ltd. announced on the reception of investors' research activities, saying that it has developed a casting aluminum alloy material without heat treatment, which has become a breakthrough in the field of new materials.
 
In recent years, the company has been focusing on the core technology of casting aluminum alloy and secondary aluminum industry, accelerating the pace of independent research and development and technological innovation. Facing the new changes in the market demand for auto parts, it has successfully developed alloys without heat treatment, replacing steel with aluminum for auto parts in the integrated, large-size, thin-walled, complex structural and easily deformed new energy vehicle structural parts. While reducing the production cost and heat treatment cost of aluminum castings, it will play a crucial role in promoting vehicle lightweight, energy conservation and emission reduction, and increasing the cruising ability of new energy vehicles. At present, the product has obtained a patent certificate, and the patent number is ZL2020100184617.
 
3. Human Horizons and Shanghai Communication University launched the world's first new low-carbon aluminum alloy.
On December 20, 2021, Human Horizons announced that it has reached strategic cooperation with the National Engineering Center for Light Alloys of Shanghai Communication University in the development of new materials and new processes, industrial application of low-carbon light alloys, and personnel training. Substantial progress has been made in the development. The two parties have launched the world's first low-carbon aluminum alloy for TechCastTM super large castings, which will be used in large quantities in the follow-up models of Gaohe Automobiles.
 
The two parties have created TechCastTM, a new aluminum alloy casting material based on the characteristics of rare earth and its optimization. After multiple rounds of R&D research and verification of parts, the two parties have achieved 100% in material development, performance optimization, manufacturing process and system integration verification. The material performance indicators are excellent. The fluidity of the material is 15% higher than that of the same type of materials, and the strength and elongation are 30% higher, reaching the international leading level. The material is expected to play an important role in large-scale castings such as one-piece large-scale die-cast body thin-walled structural parts, door cover inner panels, and battery pack casings, which will be used in large quantities in the follow-up models of Gaohe Automobile.
 
4. Hubei Xinjinyang made a breakthrough in high-impact and tough die-cast aluminum alloys without heat treatment.
On January 13, 2022, Hubei Xinjinyang Resources Co., Ltd. announced that the company has made important breakthroughs in the research and development of high-impact and tough die-cast aluminum alloys without heat treatment. Xin Jinyang said that through the whole process control of optimization design of alloy composition, refinement pretreatment of raw materials, refining purification of the melt and metamorphism treatment, the alloy performance after die casting was stable. The tensile strength is 280MPa, yield strength 130MPa and elongation 13%. All performance indicators are excellent. At present, the product has completed verification for stability for multiple batches in the company, and has been delivered to customers for trial production in small batches.
 
The high-impact and tough die-cast aluminum alloy is a flagship product of Xinjinyang aiming at the development trend of large-scale integrated structural parts in the lightweight automotive market, which is conducive to further expanding the application of die-cast aluminum alloys in the automobile market, assisting the energy conservation, emission reduction and green development of the transportation field under the premise of safety.
 
High-impact and tough alloys without heat treatment can not only solve the deformation of large integrated structural parts. Compared with traditional heat-treated aluminum alloys, it can save production processes and energy, so that the cost and performance of body structural parts have greater advantages, and carbon emissions can be reduced. The heat treatment process doesn't need to be performed after the parts are die-casted. As carbon peaking and carbon neutralization are gradually put on the agenda by enterprises, high-impact and tough die casting aluminum alloys without heat treatment will be the new favorite in the automotive industry.