SAG - Rheocasting

How Salzburger Aluminium Group contributes with rheocasting to achieving climate targets - In order to sustainably reduce the CO2 emissions of vehicles, the reduction of vehicle weight is playing an increasingly important role.

Source:  Salzburger Aluminium Group

Aluminum components – especially those produced by the rheocasting process – combine lightness and excellent material properties, thus becoming a key to the automotive industry’s ability to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Aluminum is already used in many areas of a vehicle. In future it will play an even more important role, be it in

  • Chassis parts for trucks and cars or
  • for battery and body parts for electric vehicles.

Because one advantage is obvious: the lighter a vehicle is, the greater its range, payload and fuel consumption. And this also reduces CO2 emissions.

This special casting process makes it possible to optimize the material properties of aluminum in such a way that durable components with very different material thicknesses can be produced. As numerous otherwise common finishing steps are no longer necessary for technological reasons, the competitiveness is also ensured in comparison with comparable, but significantly heavier steel parts.  Salzburg Aluminium Group was the first company in the world to make rheocasting ready for series production. Many OEMs in Europe are already being supplied with, for example, safety cab suspensions for trucks or air reservoirs for passenger cars.

Rheocasting is a casting process in which aluminum is processed in a semi-solid state (semi-solid casting). The term “semi-solid” means that the molten metal is converted into a viscous state. In rheocasting, therefore, the shape is formed in a semi-solid state, i.e. 50% of the molten metal is already in the solid state. Due to the doughy consistency, the aluminum flows into the casting mold without turbulence. This prevents gas inclusions, which guarantees a particularly high casting quality, optimum mechanical properties and best weldability. Shrinkage effects are also avoided. Rheocasting is a high-quality casting process. Rheocasting parts have the strength and durability of iron parts but are up to 60% lighter.

Source: Salzburger Aluminium Group