The winners of the International Aluminium Die-Casting Award 2020 have been announced
four castings were awarded prizes at EUROGUSS 2020 in Nuremberg
while two others received special commendations
The ninth International Alumini-um Die-Casting Competition was organised by Düsseldorf-based Gesamtverband der Alumini-umindustrie e
It was run in partnership with the German Foundrymen’s Association (Bundesverband der Deutschen Gießerei-Industrie
the Swiss aluminium association (alu.ch) and the non-ferrous metals trade association of the Austrian Economic Chambers (Fachverband Nichteisenmetalle in der Wirtschaftskammer Österreich)
Die-casting has been a successful industrial casting process for series or mass production of structural parts for decades
Die-casting foundries have become increasingly important as sup-pliers to automobile manufacturers
companies engaged in mechanical and plant engineering and other branches of industry
the furniture industry and the electrical and electronics industries
The development of ever-newer die-cast components is advancing rapidly
parts for electric cars or intelligent compo-nents for conventional vehicles
attempts are being made everywhere to make use of the out-standing options that die-casting has to offer
die-casters are constantly pushing forward the limits of the process by means of innovations
It is remarkable what innovative solutions and components have been developed
The International Aluminium Die-Casting Competition has been a successful platform for demonstrating the high standard of quality of aluminium die-casting for many years
The aim of the competition is to increase interest in the versatile material aluminium and to highlight innova-tive areas of use
The criteria for evaluating the castings submitted to the International Alumini-um Die-Casting Competition 2020 were compatibility with the die-casting process and the re-source-efficiency of the design
A jury of experts from research and practice awarded prizes to the following six entries
Germany Alloy: AISi9Cu3(Fe) Weight: 8 655 g Dimensions: L 443 mm
The first prize is being awarded for the consistent development methodology used from the design of the casting via the tool design through to the casting process
and which clearly has no taboos and is aimed at achieving optimum results
Decisive aspects were the complex ge-ometry
with inner slides and the smallest possible demoulding drafts and low tolerances
which at the same time meets the most exacting demands for pressure tightness
The intensive tem-pering using all technical means available is particularly impressive
Germany Alloy: EN AC-AISi10MnMg Weight: 2 785 g Dimensions: L 344 mm
The winner of the second prize is a die-casting with a large number of integrated functions that is subject to the most stringent sealing requirements because it has water-conducting cooling zones arranged next to zones with electricity at high voltage
high stiffness and dimensional accuracy were achieved using stiffening ribs
The low-copper aluminium alloy used ensures the part has high corrosion resistance and strength in the as-cast condition
3rd Prize: Upper part of housing for dual-channel EBS
Italy Alloy: EN AC-47100 Weight: 780 g Dimensions: L 193 mm
The winner here is a die-casting that must comply with stringent safety requirements
The alu-minium die-casting has won through against injection-moulded plastic parts thanks to dimen-sional accuracy
with the smallest of tolerances and minimum radii
impermeability and the good finish of the as-cast sealing surface
The innovative and efficient tempering system with additively manufactured mould segments was also rated highly
Slovakia Alloy: AlSi9Mn (non-heat-treatable alloy) Weight: 15,900 g
Casting with extruded baseplate: 38 000 g Dimensions: L 1 045 mm
Another third prize is going to a hybrid battery housing cast on a 4400 tonne machine using a complex 3-platen tool with four outer slides and a vacuum die-casting process
The casting is joined by friction stir welding to three extruded profiles that form the base of the housing
This provides the best possible guarantee of adherence to the stringent tightness requirements (heli-um tightness test)
The use of a non-heat-treatable alloy eliminates the need for thermal treat-ment
Special Commendation: Housing components for electric-vehicle control device
Italy Alloy: AISi12(Fe)a Weight: 1 450 g Dimensions: L 350 mm
This casting is receiving a special commendation for the savings of up to 30% on installation space and weight that result from the integration of a large number of functions
The casting has an intelligent liquid cooling system with a laser-welded housing cover
this meant adapting the original design and reducing the mass locally
A significant reduc-tion in cycle time could be achieved by the use of laser welding for joining
the overall concept provided a cost-effective solution
Italy Alloy: EN AC-46000 Dimensions Inner parts (2) L 533 mm
H 266 mm Weight: 9 700 g / 9 600 g Dimensions Outer parts (2) L 705 x / 704 mm
H 150 / 150 mm Weight: 12 000 g / 7 000 g  A four-piece string inverter with a large number of integrated functions and mounting options for the internal electrical components is also receiving a special commendation
The castings are characterised by deep ribs to cool the housing
The consistent method of developing the casting system with the aim of reducing porosity or distributing it to a non-critical area is also highly commendable
The award-winning castings were exhibited at EUROGUSS 2020 and will also be on show this year at the ALUMINIUM trade fair in Düsseldorf (6-8 October 2020
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