Thixoforming is a hybrid technology used to manufacture net shape components from a variety of alloys ranging from low melting temperature aluminum and magnesium to steel and Co-base alloys.

The key obstacle to industrial scale magnesium rolling is the element’s inherently poor formability at room temperature. To address this challenge, the search is on for new magnesium alloys that feature improved formability along with novel rolling techniques. This article describes R&D activities at CanmetMaterials aimed at expanding manufacturing capabilities of magnesium-based sheet materials for future applications in transport vehicles.

This article addresses work to develop core technology for high pressure die casting in order to enable high volume and low-cost manufacturing of lightweight automotive components with complex hollow structural shapes. Although experimental verification of the concept using a part with simplified geometry looks promising, the technique requires further testing using commercial components with internal cavities of complex geometry.

Production techniques based on net shape forming from the liquid or semisolid state offer advantages in terms of manufacturing simplicity, cost, and energy consumption compared with current complex solid state forming processes. Engineering molten alloys to change their solidification process improves part integrity and alloy microstructure, leading to better component performance.

This article describes research aimed at developing cast aluminum alloys with the necessary high-temperature tensile and fatigue strengths to withstand the modern automotive engine environment. Micro-additions of Ti, V, and Zr were added to an Al-7Si-1Cu-0.5Mg cast alloy, leading to the formation of phases that increase stability at high temperatures, positively affecting alloy strength.

The application potential of magnesium alloys as lightweight structural materials in aerospace and especially inside the aircraft cabin are hindered by their high surface reactivity at increased temperatures with particular concerns of ignition and flammability during a potential contact with a flame or other heat source. This article describes global efforts to develop ignition-resistant and nonflammable magnesium alloys. A widely explored avenue involves microalloying magnesium with rare earth metals and other elements having a high affinity to oxygen. As demonstrated by experimental alloys, this approach allows shifting the ignition temperature well above the liquidus, not only easing requirements on protective atmospheres during liquid-state processing, but also increasing the safety margin for possible aerospace applications.