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TREND REPORT Megacasting: Experts talk about possibilities and limits
An increasing number of car manufacturers want to use ever larger structural parts made of die-cast aluminium in vehicle production. The trend towards megacasting appears to be unstoppable. However, opinions differ on the possibilities, limits and effects of the technology. This is the essence of the current TREND REPORT, for which the EUROGUSS 365 editorial team interviewed numerous industry experts.
Tesla has shown the way, and other car manufacturers such as Volvo and Chinese suppliers are following suit: By reducing the number of parts in the car, manufacturing costs are to be saved and the reduced weight could increase the range of electric vehicles in particular.
The large structural parts are moulded using correspondingly powerful casting systems. In addition to the question of technological feasibility, however, the question of whether further growth in size makes sense must also be asked and answered. Not everything that is technically possible is also economically viable. And the possibilities of smaller casting machines do not yet appear to be exhausted.
Another exciting question is whether suppliers from the foundry industry can benefit from the trend towards the increased use of cast aluminium in the automotive industry - or whether, on the contrary, they could even be among the losers of this development.
Other aspects that we examine in our TREND REPORT are the effects of megacasting on the model policy of car manufacturers and on the ecological footprint of automotive engineering. We also look at the question of whether megacasting can gain a foothold outside the automotive industry and what this means for material and process competition with the steel industry.
Experts who have their say in the TREND REPORT:
- Martin Fehlbier, Chair of Foundry Technology at the University of Kassel
- Günther Schuh, Chair of Production Systems at RWTH Aachen University and CEO of e.Volution GmbH
- Helena Wisbert, Director at the Duisburg CAR Centre Automotive Research and Professor of Automotive Economics at Ostfalia University in Wolfsburg
- Siegfried Heinrich, Managing Director at Schaufler Tooling
- Cornel Mendler, Managing Director Die Casting at Bühler
- Mirco Wöllenstein, Head of Foundry at the VW plant in Kassel
- Dirk Seckler, Managing Director of Handtmann Leichtmetallguss
- Achim Keidies, Consultant for non-ferrous metal casting, Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry
Want to find out more? Download the TREND REPORT Megacasting now!
