What were the hottest topics at China Diecasting 2026?

I think everyone agrees that the hottest topic was the weather. Around 40 degrees and high humidity. Every time you went outside, it felt like a sauna. At least the exhibition halls were cooled well. Nearly as cool as the castings and machines you could see.

Magnesium Thixomolding is everywhere

The Chinese die-casting market and magnesium are inseparable. You could see magnesium castings and solutions everywhere. The typical thixomolding machine makers presented their equipment as expected. The unexpected was that countless new machine makers now also developed their own systems. Some even said that there is already an overcapacity in the market as machines are installed faster than the applications can be developed. Let’s see how that situation changes until next year.

Many, like me, automatically associated thixomolding with semi-solid casting. However, that is not always the case. Some manufacturers sell equipment to be used fully liquid to avoid buying a multi-chamber furnace and to reduce fire risk.

Gigacasting has met reality

The drive to use gigacastings for front and rear underbodies as well as the battery is unbroken. Large machines are sold left and right, reaching sizes of 16.000 tons. However, there is a change in the approach and the execution.

Over the past years, we saw more and more parts getting integrated. More integration means more complex tools and, oftentimes, higher wall thicknesses to feed metal to the end of the part. But now even Gigacastings need to be efficient. The designs become simpler, the tools easier to manage, and the machine sizes don’t climb anymore. Battery housings switch from full enclosures (floor and sides) to casting only the inner structure and then welding the bottom and top plates onto it.

After years of investments, trials, and low utilizations, it seems that now even gigacastings have to be optimized for efficiency.

The Mentality has changed

What I summarized for you is information that you’re not seeing in the brochures. You get these insights by talking to people. I was amazed at how openly everyone spoke about their products and showed castings. When you entered a booth and asked about equipment or the parts, someone sat down with you and explained their machines, process, and equipment in detail. You will see it in the upcoming podcast. And everyone took their time to answer detailed questions.

That openness was refreshing. As in other exhibitions, you rarely see the whole machine or the complete casting. Sections are converted or cut off before being put in the booth. Not at the China Diecasting! Everybody was proud of what they achieved and shared what it took to get there. It didn’t matter who was asking. Could be a competitor or an overseas visitor that doesn’t buy machines or castings, like me.

Content, Content, Content

Another topic that came up in so many conversations is the visibility of die-casting to existing and new customers. We, as an industry, don’t do enough to position our highly effective process against other production and casting processes. We need to teach what die-casting can do. In China, people understand this, and it was apparent after the Gala Dinner. After the event officially ended, a small circle gathered around the last beers. Among those foundry influencers from China, Thailand, Italy, and Switzerland, with millions of views combined each week. The rest were the organizers, software vendors, and machine makers. But the whole conversation showed that the future of our industry depends on how we approach and cultivate new business.

Summary

In summary, it was an amazing experience visiting China Die-Casting. I’m grateful for the invitation from FICMES and the possibility to present business development through content marketing and Rheocasting. You will find insights from my presentation in my newsletter over the coming weeks. If you’re not already signed up, do it today so you don’t miss it.