Your Ticket out of the Automotive Crisis

Sustainability becomes a priority subliminally. In most OEM purchasing processes, it is not a necessity yet. It is more of a feature that will be dropped when it comes to last cents. Especially in the current automotive crisis. That will change soon. As of 2026, imports in the EU cost actual money based on their carbon footprint.

So, when you can present innovative solutions for higher-quality parts with a lower carbon footprint, you can have an edge over your competition. Soon, OEMs will start looking for innovative ways to minimize their environmental impact without compromising on quality or performance. I give you the way to be the first in line.

Lower Speeds, Temperatures, and a smaller DCM

The opportunity lies in Rheocasting, a casting process that distinguishes itself from conventional HPDC through its semi-solid slurry. Due to its thixotropic properties, Rheocasting allows for lower filling speeds, reduced temperatures, and remarkable flow lengths. Let’s see how these features benefit your production.

• First, the obvious thing is that a slurry is around 60 to 100 Kelvin cooler than the liquid melt. The lower casting temperature reduces the tool’s thermal fatigue. Also, the holding and melting furnaces consume less energy in the process.
  
  
• Secondly, it is the casting process itself. In HPDC, achieving the necessary filling speed requires plunger velocities of 3-5 m/s. High-temperature metal travelling at high speeds through the cavity causes erosion, which reduces the tool’s lifetime. Rheocasting operates at a slower pace, with plunger speeds between 0.2 and 1.5 m/s in the second phase. This also gives your vacuum system more time to suck out the air in the cavity, reducing porosity even more.
  
  
• Thirdly, the machine size can be drastically reduced in Rheocasting. There are two main factors in this reduction. On one side, the projected area is smaller, as long flow length capabilities allow for a shrinkage of the gating system. The hydrostatic pressure that wants to break open the tool is on the other side. As the name suggests, it only works on the liquid part of the slurry. When you bring in 40% of solidified material on a smaller projected area, the locking force can be reduced by 30 to 50%. Or you can directly go for a 2 cavity design if the slider design allows it.
  
  

Where is the bottleneck into series production?

There are more factors that benefit your Rheocasting production and directly boost your foundry’s margin, which is too long for this article. I want to focus the ending more on the biggest bottleneck in utilizing these advantages. That is the business development side of casting, which is rarely existent, as 99% of all automotive castings run through the portals.

Talking to your customers seems easy but is often neglected. These uncomfortable conversations are crucial to make the future greener and your bank account bigger!

If that sounds like your foundry, schedule a meeting and let’s discuss how we can grow your foundry sustainably in an automotive crisis.