The Process
Magnesium Thixomolding is accomplished by feeding small chips of magnesium alloy into the molding machine’s barrel, which brings the alloy up to the necessary temperature (~1,040 – 1,100°F). Combined with the machine’s rotating screw, the alloy chips become a mixture of liquid and solid, or “thixotropic” slush, and is rapidly injected (start to finish ~40 milliseconds) into the mold cavity where the magnesium cools. This process eliminates additional thermal processing and the need for additional machining as components can be molded with greater detail, much thinner walls, and to near net shapes. In addition, less energy is consumed than magnesium die casting, harmful gases aren’t emitted, and fire hazards are reduced, and results in a finished product with far less porosity and improved fracture mechanics compared to die casting.
