Magnesium Alloys Successively Deployed in Complete Vehicles and Robot Skeletons, High-End Equipment Applications Speed Up [SMM Survey]

Magnesium alloy lightweight applications have recently achieved landmark breakthroughs, with simultaneous industrialisation advances in two high-growth sectors—NEVs and humanoid robots—making the industry’s scale-up trajectory increasingly clear.

In the NEV space, Geely Automobile Research Institute joined Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s National Engineering Research Center of Light Alloy Net Forming for focused technical exchanges on 30 July, working with Fengyang Gokin Solar to advance the mass production of large magnesium alloy die-cast components. Leveraging the JDM series of high-performance magnesium alloy materials and large thin-walled high-density die-casting technology, the enterprise has reached volume production of automotive die-cast parts such as shock towers, subframes, electric drive housings and transmission housings ; supported by over 100 die-casting units ranging from 280T to 4,000T, its annual casting capacity has reached 30 million components. The two parties have jointly tackled industrialisation pain points—including yield-rate fluctuations, bolt loosening caused by high-temperature creep, and insufficient anti-corrosion and wear resistance—optimising product performance through an integrated R&D approach of “material selection – simulation – mould design.” Academician Ding Wenjiang proposed the “three-specialisation-to-one-transfer” concept, coupling AI-driven industrial upgrading to help magnesium alloy structural parts deeply support complete NEV builds.

On the humanoid robot track, Wuling Industrial delivered China’s first magnesium alloy embodied-robot skeleton on 4 August. Utilising semi-solid die-casting, the team overcame challenges such as incomplete filling of thin-walled complex parts and elevated defect rates; the finished component achieved a weight reduction exceeding 30% compared with its aluminum alloy counterpart, with standout advantages in shock absorption and electromagnetic shielding. After micro-arc oxidation treatment, it delivers excellent wear and weather resistance, effectively improving robot agility and driving range.

The two scenarios together confirm that magnesium alloy die-cast parts balance lightweighting with mechanical properties. As industry‑academia‑research collaboration deepens and process bottlenecks are progressively resolved, they are expected to unlock further growth in a broader range of high-end equipment fields going forward.