Thixomat to launch magnesium sheet technology

Ralph Vining, director of engineering at Thixomat, told MPW a thixomolded plate is the “core” of the NanoMag process, which entails running that molded plate through a series of steps to “mechanically work the material.” It is then heat treated to further optimize mechanical properties. Vining said Thixomat is in the process of developing a properties database for the products, which should be available by the end of the second quarter.

“The current status of our business is in the development stages,” Vining said, “however, we have identified several key areas where the material can add value to an existing product. We will be scaling up the operation during the next few months to produce a larger sheet size that will ultimately open up our potential market.”

Vining said the size of the plate is currently limited by the clamp tonnage of the injection molding machine. At this time, Thixomat is creating plates that measure 4-by-6-by-.236 inches in an ASTM corrosion panel tool. Once the sheet is created, one of its intended uses will in be stamping applications.

The technology, which was developed in conjunction with the at the University of Michigan’s Department of Material Science & Engineering under a National Science Foundation sponsorship, will be formally introduced at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ SAE 2009 (April 20-23; Cobo Center, Detroit).

NanoMag is based on Thixomat’s Thixomolding Thermal Mechanical Process (TTMP). The company says the net result is a stronger, more formable, and lighter weight magnesium sheet with a strength-to-density ratio comparable to steel but at one-fourth the weight. Because of its lighter weight, magnesium sheet can reduce vehicle weight and thereby cut fuel consumption. —[email protected]