Dongfeng Motor launches major die-casting project

With the domestic new energy vehicle business on the rise, Dongfeng Motor recently launched a project to enhance its strength in car body construction.

The project will introduce the world's largest integrated die-casting machine — a 16,000-metric-ton behemoth — to produce chassis components and battery housings for NEVs.

Integrated die-casting technology enables consolidation of hundreds of autoparts into a single and large aluminum component through a one-time die-casting process, which helps reduce costs and improve efficiency, said the company, adding that many automakers have applied this technology, including Tesla, Aito and Xiaomi.

Compared with traditional manufacturing, integrated die-casting technology can reduce the number of parts and welding points, simplify the body assembly process and reduce manufacturing costs, said Wu Xiaofei, general manager of Dongfeng Electronic Technology Co's Wuhan branch.

"The technology can not only reduce the overall weight of vehicles through streamlining stamping and welding processes, but also strengthens rigidity of car bodies, extending the duration and enhancing the safety of NEVs," Wu said during the signing and groundbreaking ceremony for the Dongfeng Integrated Die-Casting Industrialization project in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone on Nov 22.

Citing the tonnage of the introduced die-casting machine, the manager said the larger the machine is, the higher precision the production can achieve.

According to the company, there are only about 100 die-casting machines above 6,000 tons in China at present, indicating an insufficient supply of such heavy machines in the country.

The project will be developed in two phases. The initial comprehensive plan is to build six ultra-large intelligent die-casting production lines which will be capable of producing integrated front cabins, rear floors and battery housings for vehicle models.

The project aims to produce 600,000 units annually, Dongfeng Motor said.

The total investment of the first phase of the project is expected to be 1 billion yuan ($137.25 million), Wu said.

Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone said implementation of the technology will improve the capacity and efficiency of NEV production, help upgrade and further expand the trillion-yuan automobile industry.

Looking ahead, Dongfeng Motor said that it will continue to develop key technologies of its own and reduce reliance on imported solutions in the next three years through cooperation with research partners.