Squeeze casting, also known as liquid metal forging or low-speed high-pressure casting, is a hybrid manufacturing process combining casting and forging. It involves shaping molten metal under high pressure with minor plastic deformation, effectively reducing shrinkage defects, improving microstructural density, and enhancing mechanical properties via heat treatment. Widely compatible with materials such as aluminum, zinc, and copper alloys, this study focuses primarily on aluminum-based squeeze casting given the author’s expertise. Squeeze casting finds extensive applications in automotive, motorcycle, high-speed rail, telecommunications, military, aerospace, and hardware industries. Current processes are performed using squeeze casting machines (horizontal or vertical) or hydraulic presses, categorized into indirect and direct squeezing methods.
The importance of squeeze casting is reflected in two key aspects:
(1) Alignment with Automotive Lightweighting Trends (“Replace Steel with Aluminum, Replace Forging with Casting”)
Against the backdrop of “carbon peak” and “carbon neutrality” policies, traditional fuel-powered vehicles face scrutiny due to high emissions, driving demand for electric vehicles (EVs). However, limited EV range and charging infrastructure remain challenges. Reducing vehicle weight directly improves range, prompting interest in replacing steel components with aluminum alloys and integrating parts to save weight. Squeeze casting perfectly supports this “aluminum-for-steel, casting-for-forging” shift, explaining its rapid recent growth.
(2) Combining Casting Efficiency with Forging Performance
While other processes (e.g., low-pressure casting, forging, gravity casting) aim for lightweighting, they suffer from drawbacks: forging/low-pressure casting have low efficiency; others lack consistency in airtightness or qualification rates. Squeeze casting, as a casting-forging hybrid, produces parts with minimal porosity/shrinkage, dense microstructures, and forge-level mechanical properties (enhanced via heat treatment). It offers casting-like efficiency and cost-effectiveness alongside forging-quality performance, positioning it as a rising star in casting.
(1) Superior Quality
Compared to traditional die castings, squeeze-cast parts exhibit fewer pores/shrinkage cavities, denser and more uniform microstructures, and forge-equivalent quality. They feature clearer contours, higher dimensional accuracy, and suitability for complex shapes (though unsuitable for thin-walled components). Heat treatment further boosts mechanical properties.
(2) High Efficiency
Squeeze casting scales well for mechanization, with short production cycles, high output, and elevated qualification rates, significantly improving productivity.
(3) Cost Savings
Direct squeeze casting eliminates gating systems, reducing alloy consumption by >10% and lowering melting energy/time costs. Higher qualification rates minimize material waste, while efficient production increases profit margins.
The workflow includes: metal melting → purification → mold preparation → pouring → closing/applying pressure → extrusion → casting ejection → sawing/grinding → heat treatment → X-ray inspection → shot blasting → CNC machining → inspection/packaging.
Squeeze casting holds vast potential in new energy vehicles, though challenges remain: improving heat treatment pass rates, developing heat-treatment-free alloys, reducing costs, advancing mold design, and optimizing release agents (e.g., ultra-low-speed die casting release agents) to enhance part density. Progress requires industry collaboration on heat-treatment-free materials, mold engineering, and release agent R&D. Kezhiying’s squeeze casting release agents form a protective film on molds during high-temperature exposure, preventing rapid aluminum solidification (and cold shuts) during extrusion while improving airtightness.
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