For the traditional automobile manufacturing industry, according to the function and performance of each part of the body, the bearing capacity of automobile metal & plastic parts is determined, the correct material and manufacturing process are selected, and all the parts are reasonably combined to complete the The composition of the car safety system.
Excluding interior decoration parts, the automobile manufacturing industry is the industry that has the most stringent requirements on all aspects (materials, performance, manufacturing methods) of parts in the current industrial system. Customized metal & plastic parts in many industries borrow from the implementation standards of the automobile manufacturing industry (TS16949 Etc.) as the acceptance criteria for custom parts.
The main processing methods include: metal stamping, metal die-casting, metal forging and so on.
1. Metal stamping.
The widely used manufacturing process of automobile parts uses stamping equipment to generate a huge external force in an instant to press the metal sheet into the mold cavity to form a specific contour. The metal stamping process can generate stress inside the material, enhance the mechanical strength of the part, and become plastic strengthening. The shorter the shaping process, the stronger the strengthening ability of the material. For example, some high-end sports cars use blasting and stamping, and the metal sheet is pressed into the cavity at the moment of explosion to increase the mechanical strength of the material.
The characteristics of automobile parts metal stamping forming are widely used: low cost, high efficiency production, effective improvement of product performance, and the most effective forming method for thin plates.
2. Die casting:
pressure casting refers to a casting method in which liquid or semi-solid metal is squeezed into a mold under high pressure. Compared with ordinary (atmospheric pressure) casting, the casting defects of die casting are greatly reduced and the yield rate is increased, but it cannot solve the inherent defects of castings: the difficulty of heat treatment leads to poor overall mechanical properties, and the mechanical properties in all directions are the same, which cannot be based on demand. Obtained directional strengthening, but the cost of die casting is the lowest among various manufacturing methods, and various complex shapes can be manufactured, such as all-aluminum engines, brake housings, turbine components, etc.
3. Forging:
Use a mold to force a blow to the material at a certain temperature. The most basic method of forging is to continuously strike the iron bar with a hammer. Forging, through plastic strengthening, produces forging streamlines with different densities and directions in the material. With heat treatment, the material can show different mechanical properties in various directions and positions according to needs: for example, after forging gear blanks are processed, they can reach the teeth. The characteristics of high hardness, high wear resistance, and high toughness of the wheel. The forging material has the best mechanical properties and the highest cost. And some high-end automobile wheel parts are also forged with aluminum alloy and other metals, which can reduce weight and maintain strength.
It is generally used in core components with high bearing capacity, and is widely used in large construction machinery.
In general, the forging processing performance is the best but the cost is the highest, the stamping processing performance and cost are the most balanced, and the die-casting cost is the lowest and the performance is the worst.
In the latest electric vehicle manufacturing industry, integrated die-casting molding will occupy the most important position in the auto parts manufacturing industry, which will greatly reduce the weight of the car body, balance the weight difference caused by the huge battery, and reduce the manufacturing cost and shorten the manufacturing line.
But have the disadvantages of die-casting parts, such as poor mechanical properties, difficult maintenance, and high maintenance costs, not been noticed by automakers?
Will the future electric cars use one-piece die-casting molding?
Will it be possible to replace the car shell as a whole when repairing a car?
For these questions, please click “Can the integrated metal die-casting process become the mainstream manufacturing process for electric vehicle parts” to learn more about metal die-casting technical articles.