Aluminum High-Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) for Automotive Parts

Automotive Parts Group Summary

1. Engine Accessories: Lightweight and precision-critical parts

Throttle body, fuel pump, fuel nozzle, tensioner, cylinder block, bearing bush, water pump, fuel injection, gasket, camshaft, valve plate, crankshaft, connecting rod assembly, piston, carburetor, fuel tank, water tank, fan, radiator, Pistons

2. Powertrain Accessories

  • Precision gears and shafts: Gears, intermediate shaft, drive shaft assembly, drive shaft flange, synchronizer ring.
  • Brake System Accessories: Brake disc, brake drum, brake master cylinder, brake cylinder.
  • Steering System Accessories: Steering gear, steering knuckle, power pump.
  • Suspension and Axle Accessories: Rear axle, half axle, balance weight.
  • Electrical and Instrumentation Accessories: Precision and heat-dissipation-critical parts ( Ignition module, ignition coil, alternator housing )
  • Automotive Lighting and Exterior Parts: Headlight housing, decoder housing, decorative automotive exterior parts.
  • Body and Safety Components: Wiper housing, airbag casing, instrument panel housing.
  • Maintenance Equipment and Others: Precision equipment casings and tool housings.
  • Complex structural components:Transfer case, clutch disc, flange, planetary gear, wheel carrier.
Frontal cross braceFrontal cross braceRHT folding levers
RHT folding levers

Automotive Parts Advantages:

High-pressure aluminum die casting has revolutionized the production of automotive parts, offering numerous advantages such as lightweighting, high strength, and the ability to create complex shapes.

Rear connector sill frame member
Rear connector sill frame member

1. Weight Reduction (Lightweighting):

One of the core challenges in the automotive industry is reducing vehicle weight to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Aluminum is a lightweight material, approximately one-third the weight of steel, while still maintaining excellent strength. Producing aluminum parts through high-pressure die casting significantly reduces the overall vehicle weight, leading to improved fuel economy, acceleration performance, and handling. Lightweighting is even more critical for electric vehicles (EVs) as it directly impacts battery efficiency and driving range.

2. High Strength and Durability:

High-pressure die casting involves injecting molten aluminum into a mold under high pressure. This process results in a dense metal structure with minimized porosity, leading to parts with high strength and durability. Aluminum also exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, reducing the likelihood of part damage due to rust. These characteristics make high-pressure aluminum die-cast parts suitable for components subjected to high loads and stress, such as engine blocks, transmission housings, and chassis components.

3. Complex Shape Capability:

High-pressure die casting is highly effective for mass-producing parts with complex and precise shapes. If the mold's precision is ensured, parts with intricate internal structures, curves, and thin walls can be produced with high accuracy. This allows for the integration of multiple parts into a single die-cast component, simplifying assembly processes and reducing production costs. It also increases design freedom, allowing for complex shapes that improve aerodynamic performance or differentiate designs.

4. High Productivity and Cost-Effectiveness:

High-pressure die casting is a very rapid production process. Large quantities of parts can be produced in a short time, making it suitable for mass production and leading to cost reductions. The use of precise molds minimizes the need for post-machining, further reducing additional processing costs. This cost-effectiveness makes high-pressure aluminum die casting widely used in the automotive industry.

5. Precise Dimensions and Excellent Surface Finish:

Because high-pressure die casting uses high-precision molds to form parts, dimensional accuracy is very high. Additionally, the molten aluminum conforms closely to the mold surface during solidification, resulting in parts with an excellent surface finish. This helps reduce the need for additional surface treatment processes, further lowering production costs.

6. Wide Range of Applications:

High-pressure aluminum die casting can be applied to produce various automotive parts. Typical examples include engine blocks, cylinder heads, transmission housings, oil pans, pump housings, chassis components, and structural parts. Recently, high-pressure aluminum die casting has also been actively applied to battery cases and motor housings for electric vehicles.

7. Thin-Wall Casting:

The high pressure used in this process allows for the creation of thin-walled castings, which further contributes to weight reduction without sacrificing structural integrity. This is particularly important for body and structural components where minimizing weight is crucial.

8. Integration and Consolidation:

As mentioned earlier, high-pressure die casting enables the integration of multiple parts into a single casting. This reduces the number of individual components, fasteners, and assembly operations, leading to cost savings, improved structural rigidity, and simplified logistics.

9. Recyclability:

Aluminum is a highly recyclable material, making high-pressure aluminum die casting a more sustainable manufacturing process. Recycled aluminum can be used to produce new parts, reducing the demand for primary aluminum production and its associated environmental impact.

10. Tight Tolerances and Repeatability:

The process offers excellent repeatability, ensuring consistent part quality and tight tolerances. This is crucial for automotive applications where precise fit and function are essential.

General classification of the most common aluminium automotive parts
General classification of the most common aluminium automotive parts

HPDC Automotive Parts Lists Examples:

Transmission Related:

Engine mounting
Engine mounting
Integral engine mountingIntegral engine mounting
Integral crossbeam
Integral crossbeam
Suspension strut bracket for SUVs
Suspension strut bracket for SUVs

Body Related:

Door frame
Door frame
High-pressure die-casting nodes of the A-pillar
High-pressure die-casting nodes of the A-pillar
Gearbox crossbeams
Gearbox crossbeams
Inner door panels
Inner door panels
Rear lid frames
Rear lid frames
Side door panel
Side door panel
Housing for vibration dampersHousing for vibration dampersSteering wheel
Steering wheel
from "6 - High-pressure die-cast (HPDC) aluminium alloys for automotive applications"
Side door cast nodesSide door cast nodesHinge and latch door panels
Hinge and latch door panels

Technical Resource For Automotive

FIG. 6.1 Portions of tensile stress -strain  curves in metals.1 (a) Elastic behavior. (b) Elastic and plastic behaviors.

Properties of Engineering Materials

A Design Engineer's Guide to Material Properties: Mastering the Fundamentals for Optimal Performance This technical brief is based on the ...
Figure 2 ñ Supporting Frame with wall thickness up to 0.6mm (project Fohl, Germany)

Properties of Diecasting Alloys and a Comparison of Hot and Cold Chamber Processes for Magnesium Die Casting

Hot vs. Cold Chamber for Magnesium: A Data-Driven Guide to Choosing the Right HPDC Process This technical brief is based ...
Figure 2. Integration of Value Stream Mapping with Simulation

Unlocking Hidden Efficiency: How Value Stream Mapping Transforms Die Casting Operations

This technical brief is based on the academic paper "Productivity Improvement by Value Stream Mapping in Die Casting Industry" by ...
PRODUCTION OF SINGLE CYLINDER ENGINE COMPONENTS THROUGH HIGH PRESSURE DIE CASTING IN SEDI ENUGU.

PRODUCTION OF SINGLE CYLINDER ENGINE COMPONENTS THROUGH HIGH PRESSURE DIE CASTING IN SEDI ENUGU

From Theory to Production: A Practical Guide to High-Pressure Die Casting for Engine Components This technical brief is based on ...
Figure 4. Cold Chamber Process (Groover, 2007)

Process and Tool Design for the High Integrity Die Casting of Aluminum and Magnesium Alloys

A Blueprint for High-Integrity HPDC: Tackling Porosity in Structural Aluminum & Magnesium Castings This technical brief is based on the ...
Figure 2. Alternator resonance frequency characterization test setup

Prevention of the Fracture Problem Occurring in Automotive Alternator Heatsink Blocks Using Artificial Intelligence

AI-Powered Design: Eliminating Heatsink Fracture Before It Happens This technical brief is based on the academic paper "Prevention of the ...
Figure 2.2 Die casting machine

Proto Die Casting vs. 3D Printing: A Data-Driven Guide to Smarter Aluminum Prototyping

This technical brief is based on the academic paper "Process Selection on the Basis of Time Cost and Quality for ...
Fig. 7. Example of typical injection mold for automotive industry holding geometry for mirrored parts (left and right side of the vehicle)

Neural Network-Based Model for Supporting the Expert Driven Project Estimation Process in Mold Manufacturing

This introduction paper is based on the paper "Neural Network-Based Model for Supporting the Expert Driven Project Estimation Process in ...
Figure 4 Use Case Diagram

Slash Downtime, Boost Reliability: A Data-Driven Model for Die Casting Machine Maintenance

This technical brief is based on the academic paper "Preventive Maintenance Modeling on Die Casting Machines with Information Systems" by ...
Figure 1: Diagram of changing the cooling module material.

A New Hybrid Approach to Cooling High-Power Electronics with HPDC

This technical brief is based on the academic paper "Optimizing the Structural Design of Computing Units in Autonomous Driving Systems ...
Fig. 1. Examples of automotive components made of Mg alloys a) engine block, b) oil pump

Microstructures of Mg-Al-Zn and Al-Si-Cu cast alloys

This introduction paper is based on the paper "Microstructures of Mg-Al-Zn and Al-Si-Cu cast alloys" published by "Journal of Achievements ...
Figure 1: Mechanisms of morphology change in the solid phase during isothermal holding of semi-solid alloy. [6] a) Coarsening mechanisms (b) Coalescence mechanisms

Microstructure Evolution in Al-7Si-0.3Mg Alloy During Partial Melting and Solidification from Melt: A Comparison

This introduction paper is based on the paper "Microstructure Evolution in Al-7Si-0.3Mg Alloy During Partial Melting and Solidification from Melt: ...
Fig. 2. (a) Family and shapes of terminals used ((1) spherical, (2) cylinders, (3) L shapes, (4) S shape or cranks, (5) modified cylinders, (6) special shapes); (b) Piece to be studied.

Optimisation of die casting process in Zamak alloys

This introduction paper is based on the paper "Optimisation of die casting process in Zamak alloys" published by "Procedia Manufacturing" ...
Photo 3.3 Manufactured copper rotors

Novel Method of Improving Squirrel Cage Induction Motor Performance by using Mixed Conductivity Fabricated Rotors (MCFR)

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Mega and Giga Casting: A New Technological Paradigmfor DieMaterialand Design

Mega and Giga Casting: A New Technological Paradigm for Die Material and Design

This introduction paper is based on the paper "Mega and Giga Casting: A New Technological Paradigm for Die Material and ...

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