The global market for precision aluminium castings is constantly developing. This development is pushing foundries to develop technologically. Modern castings are often sophisticated components, ready-made for the assembly line.
The main industries driving the growing number of outputs in aluminium foundries are aerospace, machinery, automotive and packaging.
Nowadays, as the most popular industry metal, aluminium is second only to steel. It is assumed that the yearly global consumption of that metal will exceed 120 million tonnes by 2025. The rapid rise in demand for aluminium has caused modern foundries to begin adapting.
Stricter environmental regulations have also had an effect on the demand. There has been a lot of pressure to make reductions in various areas: fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in vehicles, axle load in agricultural machinery and railway vehicles, soil firming or tolls. Choosing light aluminium over heavy steel makes sense for many applications. It is estimated that aluminium use in automotive alone will double by 2025.
Growing Demand for High Quality Aluminium
Aluminium foundries are experiencing a growth in demand in domestic markets. China, the biggest manufacturer and consumer of aluminium in the world, is seeing a growth in production every year.
In the US, the aluminium casting market is worth about $50 billion a year. Even though there was an increase in duty tax in 2018, the market is expected to grow even more.
India is the third largest manufacturer of aluminium castings in the world and one of the fastest growing large economies. A huge part of India’s industry uses aluminium-based solutions.
Europe also uses aluminium widely. The metal is found in vehicles, medical and construction equipment, white goods etc. There has been a rapid transition from steel to aluminium. Since castings are more and more sophisticated, the casting process requires professional equipment which allows for improved quality and surface finish. Foundries must invest and implement innovations in order to improve the quality and competitiveness of their services.
Aluminium Castings
Low Pressure Casting Foundries
Low Pressure Castings
In order to be competitive, aluminium foundries are constantly improving their efficiency. Manufacturing perfect products with ideal mechanical properties requires a lot of Low Pressure Casting machines. Clients expect their castings to be mechanically strong and easy to weld and machine. Every stage of the casting process must be monitored like never before. What is more, energy efficiency, cost reduction per part and occupational safety are growing in importance.
Aluminium Sand Casting
Aluminium sand castings entail much lower tooling costs and much quicker tooling changes compared to low pressure casting. However, this isn’t true for all applications. Sand casting guarantees much greater freedom of design, so design engineers can let their imagination run wild.
In terms of safety critical components and components which require high mechanical properties, the best solution is low pressure sand casting. The furnace pumps aluminium into the mould, creating a controlled laminar flow, which minimizes metal exposure to air. This, in turn, lowers oxide build-up, allowing for perfect mechanical properties.
Production of castings with the use of sand cores is another advantage of sand casting. The proven and economical sand core technology helps produce complex, hollow and thin-wall aluminium components. It gives a lot of freedom in creating sophisticated geometries with hollow sections and precise wall thicknesses. Sand casting with sand cores is best suited for castings with strict mechanical requirements and dimensional tolerances.
