Lightweighting and component performance

The rapid growth of a new generation of vehicles is driving engineering innovation and technological advances, but it is also creating challenges for automotive designers, engineers and their suppliers. Strategy is no longer limited to removing and replacing a few steel side panels with aluminium; lightweighting is now a whole-vehicle concept for improving not only fuel economy and emissions, but also performance and handling. At Dynacast, we understand that finding the balance between design, cost and component performance can be challenging, and we are here to offer design solutions that meet your needs.

Weight sensitivity through design

Our thin-wall aluminium casting capabilities are often the solution to many design engineers' challenges. We can cast aluminium parts that are almost as lightweight as their magnesium counterparts, while offering better physical properties such as higher tensile strength and additional finishing options. We achieve the ideal balance of overflow placement, runner system and gate design to provide our customers with aluminium castings with walls as thin as 0.5mm.

In addition, our engineers offer precise design for manufacturing techniques, such as removing the core of a component to make the part lighter. With their die casting expertise, they can predict exactly where unnecessary material can be removed without compromising component strength. This technique is used repeatedly with any of our die casting alloys.

Dependent on the alloy

While we may excel in thin-wall aluminium casting, it is not the right alloy for every project. Fortunately, we offer a range of alloys that can best suit your project, rather than requiring your project to meet the restrictions of the alloy—or the die casting manufacturer that offers it. If you require excellent strength-to-weight ratios with outstanding EMI and RFI shielding, consider casting with magnesium. Ideal for electrical housings and connectors, magnesium has been an alloy of choice for automotive designers seeking to reduce weight significantly. In addition, the accuracy achievable with zinc die casting makes it an excellent option for wear resistance. Its structural integrity makes it ideally suited to automotive safety and electrical components.

Did you know that many of today's automotive design engineers are turning to aluminium when thermal management is required?

Engineering expertise

Our best-in-class engineering team not only offers die casting expertise, but also has decades of experience designing for the automotive industry. We continue to help our customers realise their design potential through rigorous design for manufacturing strategies. Whether it is our state-of-the-art software that ensures accuracy in your component's design, tooling and manufacture, or our predictive engineering methodology for identifying potential manufacturing issues, by the time your part enters full production, you can be assured that it is fully optimised for the die casting manufacturing process.

Stability across a global footprint

No project is too large or too geographically dispersed for Dynacast. With 23 plants across 16 countries, our global footprint matches yours. While many automotive manufacturers are affected by facilities closing, our customers can rest assured that our process stability extends far beyond casting accuracy. Our 80 years of manufacturing experience is supported by the customer-focused local service you receive in each region. We understand that trust and relationships are important for support, delivery and reliability, and we believe we can deliver on these—our leading automotive customers have been with us for over 25 years! With Dynacast, you can launch programmes seamlessly anywhere in the world with minimal risk and lower total costs.

Your automotive die cast manufacturer

Through years of building relationships with our automotive customers, we have found that working together on designs from the very beginning enables us not only to offer the best solutions to modern challenges, but also to price more effectively. By recommending the best casting solutions from the outset, with a range of alloy options and design techniques, we can create a higher-performing part that is lighter and more reliable.