How New Energy Vehicles Drive the Technological Upgrades of Aluminum Alloy Casting? Three Trends and Solutions

I. The Lightweight Demand of New Energy Vehicles: A Golden Opportunity for Aluminum Alloy Castings

With the global carbon neutrality goal, new energy vehicles (NEVs) are increasingly demanding lightweight solutions. Aluminum alloy, characterized by low density, high specific strength, and corrosion resistance, has become the primary alternative to traditional cast iron/steel. According to the 2025 Global Casting Market Report, the annual growth rate of aluminum alloy castings for NEVs exceeds 15%, particularly in battery housings, motor casings, and body structural components.

Tiegu's Technical Advantages:

• Adopts low-pressure casting (minimum wall thickness 0.8mm) to meet the high-precision requirements of NEV thin-walled parts

• Ensures structural stability of battery molds through ASTM B26/B108-certified aluminum gravity casting technology

• Supports 3D-printed sand mold technology for rapid prototyping of complex cavities (e.g., liquid cooling channels)

II. Three Technological Upgrades in Aluminum Alloy Casting Driven by NEVs

1. Material Performance Iteration: From Conventional Alloys to Special Formulations

Traditional aluminum alloys (e.g., A356) struggle to meet extreme operating conditions in NEVs. Tiegu has developed specialized solutions for battery thermal management and high-voltage electric drives:

• High thermal conductivity aluminum (30% higher thermal conductivity) to optimize battery cooling efficiency

• High-strength corrosion-resistant alloy (yield strength >280MPa) to withstand electrolyte corrosion

Case Study: Customized lightweight battery housings for a U.S. battery company using special aluminum alloy and vacuum die casting, achieving 25% weight reduction while passing IP68 waterproof testing.

2. Precision Breakthrough: From Millimeter to Micrometer Levels

NEVs impose strict requirements on dimensional stability and surface finish of castings:

• Motor casings require coaxiality ≤0.05mm to avoid operational vibration

• Battery liquid cooling plates demand channel roughness Ra ≤1.6μm to reduce pressure drop

Tiegu's Solutions:

• Implements digital factory management systems for closed-loop process parameter control

• Uses CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) for 100% dimensional inspection of critical features

3. Green Manufacturing Transformation: Eco-Friendly Processes and Circular Economy

EU’s New Battery Law and China’s "dual carbon" policy are pushing foundries to adopt cleaner technologies:

• Tiegu reduces carbon emissions through green casting processes with reclaimed sand utilization exceeding 90%

• Develops heat-treatment-free aluminum alloys to cut high-temperature energy consumption

III. Tiegu’s Success Story: Helping a German Client Achieve 30% Cost Optimization

A German NEV manufacturer faced challenges of high battery housing costs and long lead times. Tiegu provided:

1. DFM (Design for Manufacturability) analysis to simplify designs and reduce mold costs

2. Low-pressure casting replacing high-pressure casting to improve material utilization by 40%

3. Localized packaging solutions to minimize transportation damage

Results: 32% cost reduction per unit, lead time reduced from 12 to 8 weeks, and products certified under TS 16949.

IV. Future Outlook: NEVs Shaping the Next Decade of Casting Technology

• Solid-state batteries will drive demand for higher-strength, heat-resistant aluminum materials

• Integral die casting (e.g., Tesla’s "body floor") will accelerate foundry automation

• Digital twin technology will enable virtual trial casting to shorten R&D cycles

Tiegu’s Innovations:

• Invested in an Aluminum Lightweight R&D Center to develop next-gen battery housing materials

• Deployed industrial robots and AI vision inspection systems for complex component production

Conclusion
The explosive growth of NEVs presents a historic opportunity for the aluminum casting industry. Tiegu continues to deliver cost-effective lightweight solutions globally through special material expertise, precision casting technologies, and green manufacturing systems.  Ccontact our technical advisors to explore more case studies and technical details.