Gigacasting / megacasting

New manufacturing technologies such as giga- and megacasting are revolutionising the automotive
industry. Instead of multiple individual parts, complex structural components are now
produced in a single casting. Aluminium alloys are used to manufacture components that are
bigger, more lightweight, yet resilient. These processes promise to reduce weight, boost performance
and help ensure safety in future vehicles.

Structural component for Gigacasting manufacturing technology

Features and Machining Requirements

Wall thickness between 2 and 5 mm
Newly developed aluminium alloy for improved flow characteristics
Large component dimensions (L=160 cm x B=160 cm x H=130 cm)
Defined surfaces for adhesive surfaces
Diameter tolerance ±0.05 mm or 5±50 μm

Deep machining contours
Low-burr drilling without cover formation at the bore outlet
Low-burr milling
Production of various bore diameters
Increased non-productive time and longer travel distances between different machining steps
Low cutting pressure leads to deformation of component
Vibration-prone due to long projection lengths
Lubrication through MQL and aluminium alloy