Today we think of aluminum as a lightweight material, but what if we told you that there is a material that is 30% lighter than aluminum?

higher specific stiffness
For bars of the same weight and width, magnesium is 18 times harder than steel and twice as hard as aluminum. In practice, it is not always possible to increase the section thickness to these levels. With just a slight increase in section, the redesigned part can be 20-25% lighter than an aluminum part and 65-70% lighter when replacing a steel design.

Versatile
Lightweight magnesium alloys can be rolled into thin sheets and extruded into solid and hollow profiles. These can be further shaped by forging, pressing, bending or simply working from a solid.

highly machinable
Magnesium alloys are the easiest of all structural metals to machine.

Advantages include:

Low power consumption (45% lower than aluminum)

Fast processing speed (55%)

excellent surface finish

Reduced tool wear

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high strength
Alloys with properties comparable to other structural metals can be used and have excellent performance at elevated temperatures (good creep resistance and tensile strength).

Vibration reduction
Magnesium alloys have excellent vibration damping properties.

preservative
Modern alloys have good corrosion resistance. For harsher environments, there is a range of surface passivation and surface treatments on the market.

Magnesium Die Casting: A Compelling Case

Of course, saving weight is an attractive reason when choosing magnesium components or other materials.

However, the main explanation is that magnesium is well-suited for use in the hot chamber die casting process as it eliminates or reduces machining operations to a minimum and achieves the highest finishing accuracy (close to net shape).

Application of Magnesium Alloy in Aviation Industry
Magnesium alloys are gaining popularity in the aerospace industry and must be able to withstand very harsh conditions. Magnesium alloys are popular for their high strength-to-weight ratio, dimensional stability and low density, about one-fourth that of steel and two-thirds that of aluminum. Thanks to these properties, these alloys can significantly reduce the weight of aircraft, thereby reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

We’d love to hear about your application, so why not contact us now to discuss how we can help improve the performance of your design?