Copyright: CeramTec

With a new generation of electric cars requiring different production techniques and technologies, the automotive industry is in a fundamental process of change characterised by ongoing development. Standard solutions are often no longer adequate and suppliers need to adapt their products accordingly.

With its customised ceramic component solutions for the non-ferrous molten metal industry, Germany-based CeramTec is supporting the global automotive industry on its way towards e-mobility. Using its advanced ceramic material, aluminum titanate (ALUTIT), the company manufactures components that are used in foundries for the production of lightweight aluminium car parts.

Stefan Vollborn, CeramTec account manager industrial applications, said: “Weight reduction is crucial for viable e-mobility solutions and the make-up of compact e-drives, for example, is very different to the conventional combustion engine with a multitude of parts.

“We therefore see increasing demand for customised products that we develop in cooperation with car manufacturers in order to come up with the perfect fit for their requirements and moulding concept.

High productivity and low machine down-time
“Our ceramic components are the connector between the liquid metal and the mould – be it for gearbox, engine box or structural parts – and basically enable transporting the liquid aluminium within the machine. We specialise in high-quality products to ensure a minimum scrap rate and, ultimately, help our customers achieve high productivity and low machine downtime.”

As the result of decades of ongoing refinement, CeramTec’s ALUTIT material optimises the natural properties of aluminum titanate such as resistance to thermal shock, which is crucial for the extreme conditions found in non-ferrous molten metal applications with temperatures of up to 1,000°C.

Mr Vollborn added: “ALUTIT exhibits unparalleled thermal shock behaviour and, importantly, also shows above=average durability which is key for our customers as a longer lifetime of such wear parts means less machine maintenance and cost.”

Apart from its specialised aluminum titanate products co-developed with customers according to their specifications, CeramTec also manufactures standard foundry components such as riser tubes and aluminium casting nozzles.

CeramTec is a world-leading manufacturer of technical ceramics and is specialised in the development, manufacturing and sale of parts, components and products made from ceramic materials.

With over a century of developmental and production experience, CeramTec is a world leader in the manufacturing of advanced ceramics and engineers these materials for use in a wide variety of applications. The company has production sites and subsidiaries in Europe, the UK, America and Asia and employs 3,500 people world-wide.