Automotive Die Casting – The Ultimate Guide (2022)
Automotive part with die casting
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Die casting as a manufacturing technique involves pouring or forcing molten metal into a steel mold. This production technique has numerous benefits, including high part accuracy and repeatability. This is why the automotive industry uses it to manufacture some auto parts.
In this article, we will provide great insight into automotive die casting, highlighting its benefits and application in the automotive industry. We would also provide great information on the cost considerations for automotive die-casting components and common materials used for the process. So, read on.
WHY IS DIE CASTING USED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY?
Die Casting in Automotive Industry
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What are the Common Materials Used for Automotive Die Casting?
There are a variety of materials used for die casting for automotive parts. However, the preferred materials in the automotive industry are magnesium, aluminum, and zinc.
So, why these materials? What makes them ideal for automotive die casting? Let’s examine them individually.
Zinc
High Precision Zinc Die Casting Part
Zinc is a popular material in the automotive industry due to its high castability. Its major strengths include high ductility and impact strength. This material has wide acceptability in the automotive die-casting industry, with almost 28% share of the total materials used for the process.
Automotive components produced using zinc have very high precision, resulting in the manufacture of parts that do not require additional processing.
As an automotive die-casting material, zinc is ideal for producing parts with strict tolerances and aesthetic finishes. This gives it a wide application in producing pulleys in seat belts, retractor gears, door lock housing, and others.
Advantages of Zinc Die Casting
High Corrosion Resistance: Zinc has high corrosion resistance, making it highly durable. Its ability to resist corrosion rests on the fact that it reacts minimally on exposure to atmospheric conditions. So, parts made using zinc die casting do not require regular maintenance.
- Eco-Friendly and Sustainable:These days, it is important to make components from sustainable resources. Zinc is recyclable. It is easy to recycle old zinc parts into new ones and alloys, thereby cutting down on waste.
- High Flexibility: Zinc has high fluidity, making it easier to use when casting parts. It also makes producing parts with thinner walls and complex shapes easier.
- Greater Die Casting Speed:With zinc die casting, engineers can produce four or five shots per minute. This is due to the use of hot chamber die casting for manufacturing zinc components. It helps save money, and time, while speeding up the manufacturing process.
- Excellent conductivity (electrical and thermal):Zinc has excellent electrical conductivity, and this property has become more important since vehicles rapidly advanced toward electronics.
- Better Dimensional Stability and Finishing:Zinc is more dimensionally stable than other materials used for die casting. Also, its finishing is more aesthetically pleasing than most metals.
Aluminum
Aluminum Automotive Die Casting Part
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Regarding producing thin-walled machine parts, aluminum is one of the top choices due to its excellent dimensional stability as well as its lightweight. Aluminum also has high corrosion resistance, which means castings made from this material are durable. Other properties that make aluminum ideal for use in the automotive industry, include excellent thermal and electrical conductivity and mechanical properties.
Additionally, aluminum die-casting is used in the production of brake pads, seat belt clips, and other vehicle parts.
Advantages of aluminum die casting
- Production of Lightweight Parts:Aluminum facilitates the production of automotive lightweight components and structures that make vehicles more efficient, hence its numerous use in the automotive industry. Using this material for automotive manufacture makes vehicles lighter and more energy efficient.
- Sustainable and Eco-friendly:Using aluminum die casting for producing automobile parts ensures sustainability due to its high recyclability. To explain better, engineers can produce new automotive components from aluminum without damaging the environment by recycling old parts.
- High Durability and Reliability:die casting for truck parts or other vehicles tend to last longer. They also do not cause damage to the vehicle and have better thermal resistance. Aluminum also has a high castability, allowing the production of automotive components of different sizes and styles.
- High flexibility:it aids the production of parts with complex designs due to its high flexibility. With this property, engineers can efficiently and effectively manufacture parts with intricate, complex, or unique designs.
Magnesium
Magnesium Die Casting for Automotive
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This is another lightweight material used for automotive die-casting components. It is 33% lighter than aluminum. Its high flexibility makes it ideal for manufacturing thin-walled and complex automotive parts.
Magnesium has excellent heat resistance as well as a strength-to-weight ratio. Moreover, it has excellent dimensional stability and can serve as an additive to other metals, aiding the creation of stronger parts.
Advantages of Magnesium die Casting
● Eco-friendly and High Recyclability: This metal is naturally occurring with high availability. There are large deposits of minerals, brines, and seawater. It also has a high recyclability rate and does not leave toxic traces in the ecosystem. These qualities make them ideal for use in the manufacture of commercial vehicle castings as they engender sustainable production.
● High Corrosion Resistance: This metal and its alloys have high resistance to rust and corrosion. This is because they do not absorb moisture. Therefore magnesium is ideal for die casting automotive components in China or other countries with high exposure to atmospheric forces like humidity and rainfall.
● Lightweight: Like other materials in this list, magnesium is also lightweight. It is lighter than aluminum and has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.
Automotive Lightweight Requirement for Automotive die casting
Lightweight Aluminum Die Cast
Lightweight automobiles follow the world’s current trend of energy-saving and environmental protection. Besides, reducing the weight of a vehicle by 15% increases its fuel efficiency by 25%. Magnesium, zinc, and aluminum are lightweight, giving them natural advantages in producing and replacing automotive components.
There are three aspects of automobile lightweight;
● Body lightweight
● Chassis lightweight
● Engine lightweight
These lightweight areas reduce vehicular weight while improving performance, protecting the environment, and saving energy. Using lightweight materials also improves passenger comfort and safety.
Various Automotive Parts Manufactured Using Aluminum Die Casting
Automotive Aluminum Die Casting Part
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There are different automotive parts that are manufactured using aluminum die-casting techniques. This technique has application in the manufacturing of parts like impellers, carburetors, alternator and transmission housing, forks, heat sinks, china die-casting engine block, etc. Besides, let’s examine the major automotive parts manufacturers that use aluminum die-casting produce.
Mounting Brackets
These brackets made using aluminum die casting techniques help keep the motor of a vehicle in place. Engineers use this technique to design and manufacture mounting brackets that check the movement of the starter, stepper, and electric motors of a vehicle
Electronic Covers
Manufacturers make covers used for protecting the motor, shade poles, gearbox, and stepper motors with the aluminum die-casting technique.
Engine Parts
Die casting is an efficient and cost-effective method for producing engineer parts like cylinder heads. It also offers these parts an aesthetic finish.
Stator
Stators come in different dimensions and sizes. They are the immobile parts of a motor. Die casting is a great technique for manufacturing these parts.
Different Automotive Die Cast Components
Die Cast Component for Automotive
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Using die casting technique allows manufacturers to produce components that are both aesthetic in appearance and efficient in performance. It facilitates the production of parts with strict tolerance and high durability. Below are the major automotive parts produced using die casting.
- Chassis Parts
- Brake system
- Seat Beltcomponents
- Sunroof parts
- Headlight parts
- Car audio parts
- Wiper parts
- Power steering components
- Air conditioning parts
- Automobile interior parts
- Fuel Intake parts
- Heat sinks
- Engine parts
- Transmission parts
Applications of Die Casting to the Automotive Industry
Die casting has a wide range of applications in the automotive industry. Primarily, they help manufacture quality components that meet safety standards.
There are two major applications of die casting in the automotive industry;
- Structural Components
- Customization
Structural Components
Manufacturers apply to die casting when producing the auto parts casting. These parts often find application in high-end cars. They provide a much-needed boost to the automobile production industry, improving their efficiency at a lower cost.
Parts produced using die-casting techniques have thinner walls. Also, since thinning the walls of parts require high expertise and technical know-how, it results in the production of vehicles with higher standards
Customization
With Die casting, it is easier to produce custom parts. Therefore, it provides manufacturers with several possibilities, making the development of vehicular parts easier. Besides, customization does not harm the strength or affect the surface finish of die-cast automotive components.
Die Casting Electric Vehicle Parts
Die Casting Parts for Electric Vehicle
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Electric vehicles, due to their structure, demand lightweight components. Besides, die-casting is becoming a common technique used to manufacture all vehicle parts due to the current trend. But currently, there are two major applications of die casting on electric vehicles;
- Battery Cases: Electric vehicles use battery cases produced using die casting. These battery cases are thin-walled and lightweight while integrating different components. Using the die-casting technique in producing these battery cases improves design functionality and flexibility.
- Structural Applications:Suspension domes and cross-members are all parts of electric vehicles produced using aluminum die casting. Other parts include longitudinal carriers, A-B-C pillars, and doors/gates. These lightweight parts reduce the weight of the electric vehicle while improving its battery efficiency.
Automotive Integrated Die Casting
Integrated Die Casting technology introduced by NI0
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Automotive integrated die casting (IDC) is a manufacturing process used by the automotive industry. It involves the use of die-casting techniques to produce single-piece parts with thin walls, eliminating the use of conventional multi-piece parts.
Automotive IDC reduces material usage, process steps, and the number of parts used in production, thereby reducing the energy consumed in the manufacturing chain.
This technique helps boost energy productivity and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the materials used here are recyclable
What are the Cost Considerations for Automotive Die Casting Components?
Manufacturers consider the following factors when estimating the cost of die-casted automotive parts
Wall Thickness
How thick or thin the wall of a part determines its cost. The thinner the wall of a part is, the less material is required for its production. The lower the material requirement, the lower the cost.
Tolerance
Another factor determining an automotive component’s cost is its tolerance level. Manufacturing automotive parts using die-casting techniques requires high tolerance. The inability to achieve this tolerance level often leads to part failure and an increment in the cost of manufacturing
Material
The material type used to manufacture die-cast automotive parts impacts the cost directly. The material used often depends on the contracting company and the automotive part produced.
Size Of Automotive Component
The size of the automotive part is another factor that determines its cost. The bigger the size, the more expensive producing it would be.
Automotive Die Casting Market Trends
Aluminum Die Casting Market Size
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The automotive die-casting industry earned 11.1 billion dollars in 2021. By 2028, reports state that it should grow beyond 20.31 billion dollars, with an estimated annual growth of 7.8% from 2022 to 2028.
The rise in the value of automotive die-casting is due to an increase in sales of passenger cars. This rise in sales is subject to an increase in the income received by groups in the middle-income bracket.
Additionally, automotive die-cast parts impact the environment positively. Its ability to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions will play a huge role in spurring the market’s growth in the coming years.
Requirements for Manufacturing Die Castings For Modern Automotive Parts?
Automotive Die Casting- High Precision Modern Parts
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Manufacturing modern automotive parts require the adoption of the die-casting technique on a large scale. This is especially true for the production of modern hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles.
Features considered important in the die casting of modern automobiles include high conductivity and high yield strength. When die casting for these parts, manufacturers also consider material weight as lower weight translates to better energy saving for modern hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles.
Besides, shielding properties and electrical performance are core requirements in the die-casting of modern automotive parts. The technique used in producing parts for these vehicles gears towards seamless transition, ensuring parts produced have a wide range of mechanical, aesthetics, and physical qualities.
Jlautocasting Automotive Die Casting Services
Getting the right auto castings supplier or manufacturer is difficult, as it is a technique that requires expert hands. Jl Autocasting is a leader and a trusted company when it comes to die casting automotive parts. We have an excellent track record of producing parts that meet and surpass industry standards. At Jl Autocasting, we develop die casts working closely with your design, requirements, and specifications.
Are you finding it difficult to choose the ideal material for die casting for truck parts or other automotive components you want to produce? No worries. Our team of professionals with extensive material knowledge offer valuable recommendations on the best material for your project.
Besides, we offer an extremely fast lead time with competitive prices. All you need to do is upload your design to our platform to get a rapid quote.
Conclusion
Die casting has impacted the automotive industry positively, as it aids in the production of high-quality parts that are also lightweight. It also enables manufacturers to produce parts that meet industry standards without cutting down on efficiency and quality.
If you are looking for a trusted and reliable automotive die casting company to produce your auto parts, do contact JlAutocasting today.