Aluminum industry takes a first-quarter hit. A weak automobile market has put a dent in figures for Switzerland’s aluminium manufacturers who say business in early 2009 slipped 40 per cent.

The Swiss Aluminum Association announced on Monday that factories processed 3,700 tons of light metal in the first quarter compared to 6,100 tons for the same period last year.

The die-casting sector, which is closely tied to the struggling automobile industry, was hit particularly hard, the association said.

The figures show that the industry has slipped further into a recession that began in mid-2008. Global orders for rolling mills and presses slipped 5.8 per cent to 166,400 tons compared to a record year in 2007.

Most of Switzerland’s aluminum is exported, largely to the European Union. But domestic use in 2008 also appears to have slipped about four per cent to 183,800 tons compared to the previous year.

As a result, producers have had to layoff workers and cut back on hours. Industry experts say they do not expect business to turnaround until 2010 at the earliest.

Strontium in A380 Affects Mechanical Properties Favorably
Recent research funded by the Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency and performed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute has shown that different levels of magnesium in A380 changes tensile, yield and elongation properties. Strontium has also been found to affect properties. The research has identified properties in the following ranges: Tensile from 45.5 to 47.0 ksi, yield from 23.8 to 28.5 ksi and elongation from 2.4 to 2.8% For more details see page 3-7 the new 7th edition of the NADCA Product Specification Standards for Die Castings, this book also includes many more useful updates and revisions.

The 2009 Seventh Edition of the “NADCA Product Specification Standards for Die Castings” publication, Item 402, has recently been released. Current corporate members can receive a free print or CD copy, and additional copies discounted by 80%. Individual members receive a 25% discount. For your print copy, please visit www.diecasting.org/publications.

The most abundant metals found on earth is aluminum. Aluminum die casting is strong, flexible, lightweight, recyclable, malleable, and corrosion-resistant. These properties are factors that make the aluminum a great choice for material in producing cars and aluminum die casting car parts.

Die Casting, rolling, extrusion, or forging can be used to manufacturing with aluminum. When rolled under extreme pressure, the aluminum becomes thinner and longer. It becomes any of the three widely used forms: plate, sheet, and foil.

In North America, transportation is representative of the largest market for aluminum manufacturing. Where manufacturing of cars and trucks are concerned, the aluminum is the second most widely used component. Top reason for this is because producers are keen in improving the gas mileages of their vehicles. Since aluminum is about one-third the weight of steel, the entire vehicle mass can be reduced significantly. Aluminum Auto Parts Manufacturing will Gain Momentum.

As car manufacturing continue to conduct research about aluminum die casting and how best they can use this metal to manufacture excellent quality vehicles, more companies will start turning to aluminum as an alternative material to steel and iron.

These days, aluminum auto parts made of aluminum die castings include: valve covers, aluminum alloy wheels, carburetors, as well as body and closure panels, or flooring. Aluminum die casting manufacturing is still used at a very low volume. Mass manufacturing production will only be feasible once research finds out how aluminum die casting can really become more useful than steel or as strong as steel.

Concerns for reliability and safety are the major factors that inhibit the full blast manufacturing of major car parts. As car makers gain more confidence in the methods and techniques to manufacture high-quality aluminum die casting auto parts, the public is yet to drive the more economical cars made out of aluminum die casting.

Aluminum Enclosure Boxes and the many other uses of Aluminum. Aluminum enclosure boxes are becoming a preference for many enclosure manufacturing companies for their packaging requirements. The custom enclosure boxes are used as enclosure housings for various products like electronic enclosure components.

The usual packaging types are made of corrugated paper materials, plastic, turned edge, or wood. The aluminum enclosure is a relatively new option for packaging. The enclosure boxes can be in tote style, two-piece set up, or those similar to the CD/DVD boxes.

Aluminum Alloy is a silvery white metal that is ductile, malleable, and conductive of heat and electricity. In its pure state, this metal is soft. It becomes stronger and harder once alloyed with many other elements. Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on earth, but it does not occur without combining with others. It can be found in many minerals like clay, bauxite, mica, feldspar, alum, and others like sapphire and ruby.

This metal is lightweight and is commonly found at home, in the kitchen specifically. Pots, pans, beverage cans, and the aluminum foil are made from aluminum. Many of its properties make it the a very good choice for a raw material in making housings or enclosures:
- Attractive
- Non-toxic
- Resistant to corrosion
- Non-magnetic
- Easy to form, cast, or process into different shapes
- Lightweight
- Electrically conductive

Aluminum alloys are commonly used in airplane enclosures, highway enclosures and road signs, bridges, storage tanks, and buildings too. Auto manufactures prefer aluminum enclosures because it is 1/3 as heavy as steel enclosures and that means lower consumption of fuel.

It is not surprising that aluminum enclosure boxes are becoming a new preference for enclosures even for smaller items because of its many beneficial properties.

Aluminum Recyclability Die Casting Parts and Their Planet-Saving Value. These days, many manufacturers belonging to the vast metalworking industry are turning to aluminum die casting in order to provide their businesses with excellent products that can boost sales. Die casting aluminum is more than just an aluminum production means; it is considered both as an art and a craft. There are a number of reasons why manufacturers and those who are thinking of setting up their own aluminum die casting company now go for the die casting process as opposed to other aluminum casting processes around.

One of these reasons is the power of the aluminum die casting process to promote significant reusability, a characteristic that is highly longed for in industrial activities, given the deteriorating state of the planet today. Recyclables, a term that was borne out of desperate attempts at product greenery and the present recycling infrastructure for metal have together created more reasons for engineering-based decisions in favor of the aluminum die casting process and die casting aluminum parts. Recyclability is a top reason why a die casting aluminum company can be proud of its chosen casting aluminum method.

The aluminum die casting alloys used in the aluminum die casting process offer designers that are heavily concerned with post-consumer recyclability a highly favorable material option by way of the die cast parts’ reusability feature. Die cast aluminum parts these days, as well as the entire die casting process itself, give product engineers the chance to create and develop aluminum designs that can save the environment. Thus, components in the die casting process are now made to maintain their integrity and quality through disassembly and the consequent tasks of repair, remanufacturing, and reassembly – major options that were not available or possible in past years.

What does all this mean? It means that once the lives of die casting aluminum parts end, they are armed with the potential to return to usefulness by becoming part of some other industrial application, and an aluminum die casting company can indeed help save the planet.