December - 20199MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSWhile the foundation of die-casting has remained largely unchanged, crucial advances supporting this market are evolving to meet the needs of modern product designThese characteristics make it ideal for producing heat exchanging enclosures for electronics. Complexity Modern product design is almost defined by ever-increasing complexity. All types of products today take advantage of manufacturing advances that have improved the look, feel, and performance of all types of manufactured goods. Shapely design aesthetic is also important to metal part manufacturers and modern 3D design allows designers more tools to express their creativity. Casting provides a low-cost solution to complex shapes. Weight Automotive and robotic applications are requiring lighter systems in their moving parts, which is leading to the displacement of steel and iron for large cast parts. Not only are these lighter mechanical parts easier to move, but they are essentially required for today's high-speed dynamic application. Both magnesium and aluminum have about the same strength to weight ratio as steel but are lighter by volume. These light metals have been associated with high-end, lightweight sports equipment for decades. Automotive and robotic parts and cases using frames, chassis, and linkages are more popular than ever. Engineered materials like carbon-fiber and super-performing synthetics also compete in these areas but the economy of die casting over these super-materials gives casting the commercial advantage. It is important to point out that there are a handful of disadvantages to using large metal casting processes. For example, larger equipment and tools mean high costs of investment and a widening of the gap of cost between high volume and low volume parts. Volumes of parts produced generally need to run into the tens of thousands in order to provide return investment on tooling. Time to develop these processes and equipment equates to increased time to market for new products. However, the benefits we have discussed greatly outweigh these downsides which will continue to drive designers and manufacturers of a wide range of modern products to invest in the improvement and use of these techniques. In the future, we will see the suppliers who have committed to not only embracing new technology, but in hiring highly skilled employees take a higher position amongst its competition. We are already seeing customers demand more than simply reliability and low cost. The most highly sought-after will be those who can add value by providing more than just metal casting. Additional capabilities providing a well-rounded suite of services, such as design, engineering and distribution, will be most attractive for customers. While the foundation of die-casting has remained largely unchanged, crucial advances supporting this market are evolving to meet the needs of modern product design. Michelle Jones
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