Duoli Technology, a Chinese manufacturer of automotive stampings and related molds, has ordered four Carat 920 cells from Bühler Group, one of the largest individual orders for the Swiss business’s megacasting technology. It also stands to position Duoli as one the world’s largest operators of megacasting technology.
Megacasting, also called gigacasting, is high-pressure diecasting of large structural components, especially for automaking. Bühler introduced its Carat 840 and Carat 920 megacasting machines in 2021. These have been adopted by automakers to produce large-dimension, unitary components that require minimal welding to assemble into finished vehicle structures.
The two-platen Carat technology offers die-locking forces of 10,500-92,000 kilonewton (kN) to produce large, complex parts like rear and front underbodies cast as a single piece.
Bühler did not reveal the value of its new order. The Carat machines are being produced in China and will be delivered to Duoli during Q2 and Q3 2024.
“This order for four Carat 920 underlines our ambition to be a driving force in the megacasting business,” stated general manager and director Jianqiang Jiang. “With these new capacities, we can reliably produce rear underbodies in one shot for our customers.”
Duoli megacasts parts for automotive OEMs from three foundries in China, having entered the diecasting business in late 2020. It installed its first Bühler megacasting machine, a Carat 610, in 2021.
Last year it ordered two more Carat 610s and a Carat 920, the last of which started up in December 2023.