The Leading Role of Aluminium in the Growing Production of Castings Made of the Non-Ferrous Alloys

The Rise of Aluminum: Why Aluminum Castings are Dominating the Non-Ferrous Market

This technical summary is based on the academic paper "The Leading Role of Aluminium in the Growing Production of Castings Made of the Non-Ferrous Alloys" by M.S. Soiński and A. Jakubus, published in ARCHIVES of FOUNDRY ENGINEERING (2021).

Keywords

• Primary Keyword: Aluminum Castings
• Secondary Keywords: Foundry production, Non-ferrous alloys, Aluminium alloys, Casting production trends, Global casting market

Executive Summary

• The Challenge: To understand the shifting production dynamics within the global foundry industry and identify the key materials driving growth.
• The Method: An in-depth analysis of global and Polish foundry production data from 2000 to 2019, comparing total casting volumes with the specific output of non-ferrous alloys.
• The Key Breakthrough: The production of non-ferrous castings, led overwhelmingly by aluminum, has grown at a significantly faster rate than the overall casting market, with Poland emerging as a leader in growth percentage.
• The Bottom Line: Aluminum alloys are the primary engine of growth in the non-ferrous casting sector, making expertise in aluminum casting a critical competitive advantage in the modern foundry industry.

The Challenge: Why This Research Matters for HPDC Professionals

For over five thousand years, casting has been a fundamental manufacturing method. In the modern era, the relentless drive for product perfection—especially the reduction of component mass for everything from vehicles to consumer electronics—has intensified the focus on lightweight materials. This unceasing demand for lighter, stronger components puts pressure on engineers and procurement managers to move beyond traditional ferrous materials. The research presented in this paper was conducted to quantify this shift, providing a clear, data-backed view of how non-ferrous alloys, particularly aluminum, are reshaping the global and regional casting landscape. For any professional involved in HPDC, understanding this macro-trend is essential for strategic planning, material selection, and staying ahead of the competition.

The Approach: Unpacking the Methodology

To provide a robust analysis, the researchers undertook a longitudinal study of foundry production data spanning two decades (2000-2019). The methodology was centered on a comprehensive review of secondary data.

Method 1: Data Aggregation and Analysis: The core of the study involved collecting and analyzing production volume data from the annual "Census of World Casting Production," published by the American journal Modern Casting. This provided a consistent and respected data source covering global and country-specific production volumes in metric tons.

Method 2: Comparative Growth Rate Calculation: The researchers calculated and compared the average annual growth rates for multiple categories over three distinct timeframes (2000-2010, 2010-2019, and the full 2000-2019 period). This allowed for a nuanced comparison between the growth of total casting production versus the growth of non-ferrous castings. The analysis was further broken down to examine the individual performance of key alloys: aluminum, copper, magnesium, and zinc.

The Breakthrough: Key Findings & Data

The analysis revealed a clear and powerful trend: the strategic importance of non-ferrous alloys, especially aluminum, is growing rapidly.

Finding 1: Non-Ferrous Castings Are Significantly Outpacing Overall Market Growth

The data shows a decisive shift in the composition of the global casting market. While the total production of all castings has grown, the non-ferrous segment has grown much faster. As detailed in Table 1, the global share of non-ferrous castings in total production rose from less than 16% in the early 2000s to over 20% by 2016. The trend in Poland was even more dramatic, with the share exploding from approximately 10% in 2000 to over 33% in the latter half of the decade. This indicates a fundamental change in material demand.

Finding 2: Aluminum is the Undisputed Engine of Non-Ferrous Growth

Within the non-ferrous category, aluminum is the clear leader. The study found that aluminum alloys recorded the greatest average annual growth rate on both a global scale and in Poland. As shown in Table 5, the global average annual growth rate for aluminum castings was 4.08% over the 2000-2019 period. In Poland, this growth was an exceptional 10.6% (Table 6), a rate comparable to industrial powerhouses like China (11.97%) and India (10.35%) (Table 7). In 2019, the total global production of aluminum castings reached approximately 17.2 million metric tons.

Practical Implications for R&D and Operations

The findings of this paper offer clear, actionable insights for professionals across the manufacturing spectrum.

• For Process Engineers: The sustained, high-growth demand for aluminum castings underscores the need to continuously optimize die casting processes for light alloys. Efficiency, cycle time reduction, and process stability for aluminum are no longer just advantages but essential components of a competitive operation.
• For Quality Control Teams: As production volumes for aluminum castings increase, maintaining stringent quality standards at scale becomes a paramount challenge. The data suggests that foundries specializing in aluminum will face increasing pressure to perfect their quality assurance protocols to meet the demands of industries like automotive and electronics.
• For Design Engineers: This research confirms that designing for lightweighting is synonymous with designing for aluminum. The findings should encourage designers to fully leverage the unique properties of aluminum alloys in the early stages of product development to maximize performance, reduce weight, and meet market expectations.

Paper Details

The Leading Role of Aluminium in the Growing Production of Castings Made of the Non-Ferrous Alloys

1. Overview:

• Title: The Leading Role of Aluminium in the Growing Production of Castings Made of the Non-Ferrous Alloys
• Author: M.S. Soiński, A. Jakubus
• Year of publication: 2021
• Journal/academic society of publication: ARCHIVES of FOUNDRY ENGINEERING, Volume 21, Issue 3/2021
• Keywords: Foundry production, Non-ferrous alloys, Aluminium alloys

2. Abstract:

The paper presents changes in the production volume of castings made of non-ferrous alloys on the background of changes in total production of casting over the 2000-2019 period, both on a global scale and in Poland. It was found that the dynamics of increase in the production volume of castings made of non-ferrous alloys was distinctly greater than the dynamics of increase in the total production volume of castings over the considered period of time. Insofar as the share of production of the non-ferrous castings in the total production of castings was less than 16% during the first two years of the considered period, it reached the level of 20% in the last four years analysed. This share, when it comes to Poland, increased even to the greater degree; it grew from about 10% of domestic production of castings to over 33% within the regarded 2000-2019 period. The greatest average annual growth rate of production, both on a global scale and in Poland, was recorded for aluminium alloys as compared with other basic non-ferrous alloys. This growth rate for all the world was 4.08%, and for Poland 10.6% over the 2000-2019 period. The value of the average annual growth rate of the production of aluminium castings in Poland was close to the results achieved by China (12%), India (10.3%) and the South Korea (15.4%) over the same period of time. In 2019, the total production of castings in the world was equal to about 109 million tonnes, including over 21 million tonnes of castings made of non-ferrous alloys. The corresponding data with respect to Poland are about 1 million tonnes and about 350 thousand tonnes, respectively. In the same year, the production of castings made of aluminium alloys was equal to about 17.2 million tonnes in the world, and about 340 thousand tonnes in Poland.

3. Introduction:

Castings have been integral to human civilization for approximately five thousand years, and modern casting technologies are considered fundamental production methods for a wide range of products, from machine elements to medical and artistic items. Over time, both the materials and the methods have evolved. The continuous effort to optimize product structures, particularly through mass reduction—a critical factor for transport, IT, household appliances, and recreational equipment—has consistently driven interest in light metals and their alloys. This paper analyzes the changes in the production of castings, both globally and in Poland, with a specific focus on the production of castings made from non-ferrous alloys, which have gained increasing importance in recent years.

4. Summary of the study:

Background of the research topic:

The foundry industry has seen a progressive shift in material usage. Alongside traditional iron-based alloys, non-ferrous alloys are increasingly applied in casting production. This trend is largely driven by the demand for specific material properties, most notably a lower density for lightweighting applications. Aluminum alloys, in particular, have become significant in both global and Polish casting production.

Status of previous research:

The authors note that data concerning casting production volumes have been published annually in the American monthly 'Modern Casting' since 1966. The authors themselves have previously reported on changes in ferrous alloy casting production and broader trends in the casting industry [16-21], and this paper serves as a valuable complement to those studies.

Purpose of the study:

The study aims to analyze the changes in the production volume of castings made of non-ferrous alloys against the backdrop of changes in total casting production over the 2000-2019 period. The analysis is conducted on both a global scale and specifically for Poland, with particular attention given to the role of aluminum alloys.

Core study:

The core of the study is a quantitative analysis of foundry production data from 2000 to 2019. It examines the total production volume of castings and the production volume of non-ferrous castings. The study calculates and compares the average annual growth rates for these categories and for specific non-ferrous alloys (aluminum, copper, magnesium, zinc, and others). This analysis is performed for the world as a whole, for Poland, and for other leading producer countries to identify and quantify key industry trends.

5. Research Methodology

Research Design:

The study employs a descriptive, longitudinal research design based on the analysis of secondary data. It tracks production volumes over a twenty-year period to identify long-term trends and dynamics.

Data Collection and Analysis Methods:

Data was collected from the annual "Census of World Casting Production" published in Modern Casting magazine for the years covering the 2000-2019 period (references [22-41]). The analysis involved compiling production volumes in tonnes and calculating average annual growth rates for the periods 2000-2010, 2010-2019, and the entire 2000-2019 span. The share of non-ferrous castings in the total production volume was also calculated to illustrate its changing significance.

Research Topics and Scope:

The research scope is both global and national, with a primary focus on worldwide production trends and a detailed case study of Poland. The study covers total casting production, total non-ferrous casting production, and the specific production volumes of castings made from aluminum, copper, magnesium, and zinc alloys, as well as a category for "other non-ferrous alloys."

6. Key Results:

Key Results:

• The share of non-ferrous castings in total global production increased from under 16% in 2000-2001 to approximately 20% in 2016-2019. In Poland, this share grew more substantially, from about 10% in 2000 to over 33% by 2019.
• Over the 2000-2019 period, the average annual growth rate for non-ferrous castings was distinctly greater than for total castings, both globally (3.9% vs. 2.8%) and in Poland (8.3% vs. 1.5%).
• Aluminum alloys recorded the highest average annual growth rate among the basic non-ferrous alloys for the 2000-2019 period, at 4.08% globally and 10.6% in Poland.
• In 2019, global production of castings was about 109 million tonnes, of which over 21 million tonnes were non-ferrous. Aluminum castings accounted for approximately 17.2 million tonnes of this non-ferrous production.
• In 2019, Poland's total casting production was about 1 million tonnes, with non-ferrous castings making up about 350 thousand tonnes. Aluminum castings constituted the vast majority of this, at about 340 thousand tonnes.

Figure Name List:

• Fig. 1. World foundry production volume with respect to the ferrous and the non-ferrous castings over the years 2000-2019; based on Refs. [22-41]
• Fig. 2. Foundry production volume in Poland with respect to the ferrous and the non-ferrous castings over the years 2000-2019; based on Refs. [22-41]

7. Conclusion:

The gathered data and their analysis allow to notice that the production of castings made of the non-ferrous alloys distinctly increased over the years 2000-2019, both on a global scale and in Poland. The dynamics of this increase was greater than the dynamics of increase of the total production of castings for both the global and the domestic scale. If the share of production of the non-ferrous castings in the total production of castings was about 16% on a global scale (and about 10% in Poland) in the first years of the current century, it reached the level of about 20% (about 33% in Poland) in years 2016-2019. The annual production volume of castings made of aluminium alloys amounted to about 18 million tonnes on a global scale in last two years of the analysed period; as for Poland, this value reached about 335 thousand tonnes. Taking into account the initial and the final data recorded for the considered period, one can find that the global production of castings made of aluminium alloys increased by more than twice (the average annual growth rate slightly exceeded 4%), while in Poland it increased almost seven times (the average annual growth rate exceeded 10.6%). It is worth mentioning that if the share of Polish foundry industry in total production of castings in the world amounted to about 0.92% in 2019, simultaneously its share in global production of castings made of aluminium alloys reached about 1.98%.

8. References:

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Expert Q&A: Your Top Questions Answered

Q1: Why was the 2000-2019 period chosen for this analysis, and why was it split into two sub-periods?

A1: The paper analyzes the full 2000-2019 period to establish a two-decade trend. This period is also split into 2000-2010 and 2010-2019 to provide a more granular view of the market dynamics. This approach allows for a comparison of growth rates before and after the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and highlights how trends may have accelerated or changed in the most recent decade.

Q2: The paper highlights Poland's exceptional growth in non-ferrous casting. Does it explain the reasons for this rapid expansion?

A2: The paper's primary focus is to quantify and report the production trends, not to analyze the specific economic drivers behind them. However, the data itself is revealing. As shown in Table 2, Poland's average annual growth rate for non-ferrous castings was 13.03% from 2000-2010 and 8.29% for the entire 2000-2019 period. This sustained, high-level growth, especially in aluminum castings, strongly suggests significant industrial investment and integration into global supply chains, particularly in sectors like automotive.

Q3: What was the production trend for zinc alloy castings during this period?

A3: In contrast to the strong growth in aluminum, the global production of zinc alloy castings experienced a decline over the 2000-2019 period. According to Table 5, the average annual growth rate was -1.37%. Production levels were also volatile, decreasing from about 830 thousand tonnes in 2000 to a low of 473 thousand tonnes in 2009 before recovering, ultimately ending at about 638 thousand tonnes in 2019 (Table 3).

Q4: How did the production of aluminum castings in the USA and Japan change over the two decades?

A4: Both the USA and Japan saw a decrease in their production of aluminum castings over the 2000-2019 period. As detailed in Table 7, the USA's production went from 1.85 million tonnes in 2000 to 1.80 million tonnes in 2019, resulting in a slight negative average annual growth rate of -0.15%. Japan experienced a more significant decline, with production falling from 1.20 million tonnes to 437 thousand tonnes, corresponding to an average annual growth rate of -5.19%.

Q5: The paper mentions "other non-ferrous alloys." What was the trend for this category?

A5: The "other non-ferrous alloys" category, which includes materials not based on Al, Cu, Mg, or Zn, showed the highest average annual growth rate on a global scale at 10.63% (Table 5). However, the authors note that the data for this category is inconsistent, with footnotes in Table 3 indicating that some reported values differ distinctly from others and may be flawed. Therefore, while the trend appears positive, the data should be interpreted with caution.

Conclusion: Paving the Way for Higher Quality and Productivity

This comprehensive analysis confirms what many in the industry have experienced firsthand: the demand for non-ferrous castings is not just growing, it's accelerating, and Aluminum Castings are at the forefront of this transformation. The data clearly shows that foundries and manufacturers must prioritize their capabilities in aluminum to meet the market's demand for lightweight, high-performance components. The insights from this research provide a strategic roadmap, highlighting where the industry is headed and why expertise in aluminum is more critical than ever.

At CASTMAN, we are committed to applying the latest industry research to help our customers achieve higher productivity and quality. If the challenges discussed in this paper align with your operational goals, contact our engineering team to explore how these principles can be implemented in your components.

Copyright Information

This content is a summary and analysis based on the paper "The Leading Role of Aluminium in the Growing Production of Castings Made of the Non-Ferrous Alloys" by "M.S. Soiński, A. Jakubus".

Source: https://doi.org/10.24425/afe.2021.136110

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