Integral die-casting, that is, the integration of car body parts, redesigns a number of small parts that are scattered separately in the original design and then forms them once with a large die-casting machine, omitting the welding process and directly obtaining complete large parts.
Integral die casting technology originates from the trend of automobile lightweight. For new energy vehicles, integrated die casting technology can not only reduce the weight of the car body, reduce production costs, but also indirectly improve the cruising range. TF Securities predicted that by 2025, the domestic integrated die casting market will reach more than 30 billion, and the compound annual growth rate from 2022 to 2025 is expected to reach 238%.
Demand for new aluminum alloy materials by integral die casting
Generally, the integral aluminum alloy structure is used for integral die casting. Guohai Securities said that among all kinds of lightweight materials, aluminum alloy has obvious comprehensive advantages in performance, density and price, and is the most cost-effective lightweight material. TF Securities said that with the development of integrated die-casting technology, the application of aluminum alloy die-casting in body and chassis structure and battery shell is expected to be gradually improved, thus enhancing the bicycle value of aluminum alloy die-casting.
At present, a number of listed companies have laid out aluminum alloy materials dedicated to integral die casting.
"The large and thin integrated die-casting products on new energy vehicles are prone to deformation and bubbles during heat treatment. High-toughness non-heat treatment die-casting aluminum alloy material is one of the basic conditions for integral die-casting. Jin Fei Kaida, an aluminum alloy wheel manufacturer, said in an investigation by an organization that the development of the new high-toughness, non-heat treatment integral die-casting aluminum alloy material is progressing normally and will be applied to integral die-casting parts and large-scale integral die-casting parts of new energy vehicles.
Lizhong Group, an aluminum alloy manufacturer, has been studied by more than 200 institutions in the past month. The company said that 2022 is a year of deep cooperation and mass production in the integrated die casting industry, and it is also the first year of the company's development of athermal alloys. The company's heat-resistant alloy materials have good and balanced mechanical properties, which can be better applied to the production of high-strength, high-toughness and super-large integrated die castings.
"In the future, as the overall die casting industry expands from a new power brand to a traditional passenger car brand, and from a new energy vehicle to a fuel vehicle, the demand for heat-free alloys is expected to increase substantially. In 2023, it will enter a stage of rapid development, and in 2024-2026, it will enter a market outbreak period." Lizhong Group said.
Yongmaotai has held four institutional research activities since late July, involving 46 institutions. Yongmaotai said that the company is independently developing or cooperating with universities and downstream auto parts customers to develop products such as athermal high elongation aluminum alloy materials and high-strength integrated die-casting aluminum alloy materials. Some materials are in the stage of sample delivery and trial production to auto parts customers, and the final applications include new energy vehicles, traditional fuel vehicles and 5G communication.
In July 15, Yongmaotai announced that it planned to invest about 570 million yuan (ultimately subject to the amount filed by the competent authorities) by Anhui Aluminum, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to build a "high-performance aluminum alloy material project", a new type of recycled aluminum project with an annual output of 654.38 million tons and a liquid aluminum alloy project for automobiles with an annual output of 60,000 tons. The construction period of the project is 2 years. Regarding the prospect of this new project, Yong Maotai said that the trend of integrated die casting will drive the rapid growth of demand for athermal aluminum alloy materials. This new project of the company will improve the supply capacity and meet the growth needs of existing customers and the needs of newly developed customers.
New magnesium alloy materials may usher in great development.
In addition to using integral aluminum alloy materials for integral die casting, listed companies also focus on thinner magnesium alloy materials.
Feng Wan Aowei, an automobile parts manufacturer, said that magnesium alloy has good castability, the die-casting speed is faster than that of aluminum, and the die-casting parts are thinner than that of aluminum alloy. Magnesium alloy has excellent characteristics such as low density, high specific strength and better vibration and noise reduction effect, and is a very valuable lightweight structural metal material.
"Magnesium alloy material technology has basic performance advantages such as ductility and plasticity compared with aluminum alloy in the process of integral die casting of automobile parts, and it is an important material development direction after aluminum alloy material is applied to integral die casting." Feng Wan Orwell said.
Haiyun Metal, a leading magnesium enterprise, said in an institutional investigation on August 3 that companies, universities and automobile manufacturers * * * started to intervene from the design end, focusing on the development of the whole die-casting industry chain and the simultaneous development of magnesium and aluminum materials. From magnesium and aluminum materials for integral die casting to the production of integral die casting automobile parts. The company will cooperate with customers in research and development, trial production and mass production.
Integrated die-casting products of some companies will be mass-produced.
Hu Rui Mould, which is mainly engaged in automobile manufacturing equipment business, has been investigated by institutions twice recently, with more than 70 participating institutions. At the end of 20021,Hu Rui Mould announced the establishment of Wuhu Hu Rui Automobile Lightweight Technology Co., Ltd., aiming at newly cultivating lightweight parts business, involving integrated die casting technology.
In the research activities, Hu Rui Mould said that the lightweight parts business is currently in the stage of engineering construction and production preparation, some products have received customer orders, and product sample development and trial production have been completed. It is expected that some products will be put into production in the second half of the year; At present, the whole die-casting products are mainly body structural parts, and the products have been ordered by customers. Future plans include battery boxes. According to reports, the single tonnage of the first batch of integrated die-casting equipment is mainly 3,500 tons and 4,500 tons, with a total tonnage of nearly 20,000 tons. At the same time, according to the business development planning and customer product planning, the company reserved 6600-8000 tons of die casting machine space.
According to Hu Rui Mould, the annual production capacity of the above lightweight components is 500,000 sets, including powertrain, three electric systems and body structural parts. It is estimated that some mass production and supply will be realized before the end of 2022, and all of them will be put into production in 2023, and the production capacity will climb. The company has planned the future production capacity, and started the construction of the second production capacity according to the market development and the utilization of the first production capacity.
When answering investors' questions on the interactive platform on July 27, Minglida said that the company started the research and development of integral die-casting technology for new energy vehicles as early as 20 17, and was one of the earliest manufacturers in China to develop integral die-casting structural parts. The earliest aluminum alloy structural parts used in the front and rear longitudinal beams of Beiqi Polar Fox have been mass-produced and the output is increasing.
"In addition, the integrated battery tray structure being developed by the company is applied to the end customer Daimler-Benz, which is currently in the process of small batch delivery and is expected to start mass production in 2023." Ming Lida said.
Xu Sheng Co., Ltd. said in the institutional investigation in August 15 that the company recognized the prospect of integrated die casting and had made a good reserve of materials, molds and equipment supporting facilities. At present, the whole die casting is still in its early stage, and the commercial terms such as the confirmation of product acceptance standards, the stability of product output, and the mode of self-made by the main factory or delivery to suppliers need to be confirmed. After all the commercial terms are put into practice, the company will make quick cuts in due course.
Zheshang Securities believes that at present, the general application scope of integral die casting technology is the body under the white body, and the bicycle is worth more than 8,000 yuan. With the expansion of application scope and the application of more car companies and models, the market space will expand rapidly. In the medium term, when the industry penetration rate reaches about 20%, the market space will exceed 654.38+000 billion yuan.
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