Thin-walled and large-sized magnesium alloy die castings for passenger car cockpit: Application, materials, and manufacture

In order to effectively reduce energy consumption and increase range mile, new energy vehicles represented by Tesla have greatly aroused the application of integrated magnesium (Mg) alloy die casting technology in automobiles. Previously, the application of Mg alloys in automobiles, especially in automotive cockpit components, is quite extensive, while it has almost disappeared for a period of time due to its relatively high cost, causing a certain degree of information loss in the application technology of Mg alloy parts in automobiles. The rapid development of automotive technology has led to a higher requirement for the automotive components compared with those traditional one. Therefore, whatever the components themselves, or the Mg alloy materials and die casting process have to face an increasing challenge, needing to be upgraded. In addition, owing to its high integration characteristics, the application of Mg alloy die casting technology in large-sized and thin-walled automotive parts has inherent advantages and needs to be expanded urgently. Indeed, it necessitates exploring advance Mg alloys and new product structures and optimizing die casting processes. This article summarizes and analyzes the development status of thin-walled and large-sized die casting Mg alloy parts in passenger car cockpit and corresponding material selection methods, die casting processes as well as mold design techniques. Furthermore, this work will aid researchers in establishing a comprehensive understanding of the manufacture of thin-walled and large-sized die casting Mg alloy parts in automobile cockpit. It will also assist them in developing new Mg alloys with improved comprehensive performance and new processes to meet the high requirements for die casting automotive components.