A recent article in Die Casting Engineer magazine (Sept 2004 p40) discusses the problem facing magnesium die casters relating to cavity fill.  In the article, solidification analysis is discussed along with its relationship to trapped gases that affect porosity levels.  These trapped gases negatively affect the casting quality and integrity.

Magnesium is the metal of the future NOW.  More automotive components and parts are being made from this plentiful material to reduce vehicle weight without reducing strength.

As a member of the magnesium die

casting community, we want to make you aware of two benefits that MetaLL ifeÒ provides that relate directly to this problem.

The MetaLL ifeÒ resultant die's topography provides a mechanism that enhances metal flow and at the same time helps break up the trapped gases in the molten magnesium metal.

Magnesium castings, in most instances, are thinner than aluminum.  Magnesium pour temperature is also lower, which is a benefit in reducing thermal cracking.

As the metal flows into a magnesium die, the lower temperature causes the molten magnesium to solidify at a faster rate with the trapped gases causing porosity problems.

After a MetaLLifeÒ application, however, the molten metal flow is equalized, and interrupted so that any trapped gases that are present  are broken down by the micro topography into smaller and more homogeneous levels.

Many in the die casting community have been using this benefit to their advantage for years.

We had thought that this was common knowledge to the general magnesium die casting industry. 

From the article, however, we see that many still struggle with the porosity problem.  That is the reasoning behind our doing a follow-up to the Die Casting Engineer magazine article.

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