{"contentJson":"

Although magnesium is lighter than aluminum, its industrial use has long remained relatively limited. This is particularly surprising in today’s context, where lightweighting is strongly emphasized to reduce fuel and energy consumption. One reason is that magnesium processing has traditionally been considered complex and energy-intensive. In addition, once magnesium ignites, the consequences can be severe, as conventional extinguishing agents cannot effectively put out magnesium fires. However, at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), researchers are working to transform magnesium into not only an attractive industrial material, but also a more climate-friendly one, injecting new momentum into lightweight manufacturing development.

Reducing Energy Consumption in Magnesium Processing

Research teams from multiple disciplines at TUBAF, together with industrial partners, have established an end-to-end process chain for magnesium lightweight components. According to the researchers, both energy demand and CO2 emissions can be reduced throughout the entire manufacturing process. This includes the introduction of hydrogen into melting and heating technologies, particularly through shortened process routes and the use of cold-formable magnesium alloys.

The consortium has successfully developed several lightweight product examples, including magnesium laptop housings, rear seat partition walls for high-speed trains such as the TGV, transport container hinge components, and airflow ducts for hovercraft rescue boats.

$\"1\"$

Twin-Roll Casting Reduces Forming Complexity

Beginning with sheet production, the TUBAF team adopted an innovative manufacturing approach. Through twin-roll casting technology, magnesium sheets with a thickness of approximately 5 mm can be produced directly, reducing the need for downstream forming operations. The resulting magnesium components retain comparable strength while weighing roughly one-third less than equivalent aluminum parts.

This further unlocks magnesium’s potential as a lightweight material for applications such as electric vehicles, machinery and vehicle manufacturing, and medical technology.

Three Core Modules Enable Climate-Friendly Magnesium Processing

The first major component of the new manufacturing process is replacing fossil fuels with up to 100% climate-neutral hydrogen. Converting melting and heating operations to hydrogen energy, combined with optimized energy structures, represents a key step toward achieving climate-neutral and cost-efficient magnesium production. Researchers again leveraged digital twin technology to better understand process behavior and optimize operational performance.

The second key element is the dramatic shortening of the process chain. To rapidly convert magnesium melt into semi-finished products, the team utilized twin-roll casting technology integrated within the Institute of Metal Forming. In this process, heat generated during casting is directly used for subsequent forming operations, allowing sheets or wires to approach final component geometry and dimensions at an early stage. This significantly reduces energy-intensive and time-consuming downstream processing.

The third component involves the use of the calcium-containing magnesium alloy ZAX210. This alloy can be processed effectively at relatively low forming temperatures of around 200°C, enabling manufacturing at substantially lower temperatures without compromising component performance.

Innovations in Magnesium Alloy Processing Technology

For magnesium wire production, the research team developed the GieWaCon process, combining wire twin-roll casting technology with the well-established Conform process widely used in copper processing. This approach was successfully applied to magnesium for the first time.

Because the process can operate at room temperature, it fully utilizes residual heat retained from casting, enabling wire products to be manufactured directly through only a few processing steps. The produced magnesium wires can reach diameters as small as 1.6 mm and may either be obtained directly through the Conform process or through subsequent drawing operations.

In addition, the project demonstrated that the principle of shortened process routes can also be extended to other forming technologies. For example, the magnesium alloy used in the project was successfully forged, and the formed components could immediately undergo subsequent operations such as deburring or milling. Meanwhile, one industrial partner developed a new extrusion process in which billets are first cast and then directly extruded using retained casting heat. The resulting tubes are subsequently cut open and flattened into sheets without requiring additional reheating.

$\"2\"$

Welding and Coating Technologies Complete the Magnesium Research System

The research team also conducted surface coating studies for all prototype products to ensure good corrosion resistance and operational reliability under real-world conditions. At the same time, the project team analyzed and optimized multiple welding processes to match the selected magnesium alloys and developed specialized solutions for different demonstration products.

Looking ahead, the researchers and industrial partners will continue advancing the developed manufacturing process routes and expand them to additional components and forming methods. To support this effort, the project also developed a dedicated CO2 calculation tool that enables companies to build and compare different magnesium forming process chains.

The tool, named CLEAN-Mag App, aims to reduce carbon emissions in industrial manufacturing processes.

Ringier Perspective

From industrial developments since the beginning of 2026, several important signals have become increasingly clear.

First is the diversification and competition of technological pathways. TUBAF has chosen a gradual improvement strategy centered on “short-process routes + low-temperature alloys,” while Chinese companies are pursuing a more aggressive approach. Chinese company Yizumi, together with Chongqing YUJIANG Die Casting and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is advancing semi-solid magnesium alloy injection molding technology in an attempt to bypass many pain points associated with conventional casting. This divergence in technological routes essentially reflects the contrast between Europe’s “deep process optimization” and China’s “application-driven innovation.”

Second is the substantial breakthrough in safety limitations. Magnesium’s long-standing reputation for flammability is being mitigated through advanced material technologies. Flame-retardant magnesium alloy patents authorized to Ka Shui International Holdings have significantly increased ignition temperatures, fundamentally changing the safety logic of magnesium processing and application. Meanwhile, Xi'an Jiaotong University has developed a fully inert-gas-protected chamber, creating an engineering-level safety environment for magnesium melting and welding operations. As safety ceases to be a major barrier, magnesium’s application scenarios are expected to expand rapidly.

Third is the continuous evolution of application scenarios. From Henan University of Science and Technology helping reduce the weight of China’s Chang’e lunar probes, to researchers at Harbin Institute of Technology applying magnesium matrix composites to radar systems, magnesium alloys are moving beyond the “civilian track” of 3C electronics and automotive parts into high-end sectors such as aerospace. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nippon Kinzoku has rolled magnesium alloy foil down to just 0.044 mm for XR device applications, demonstrating the material’s vast potential in precision manufacturing.

In the past, magnesium’s industrialization was constrained by two major obstacles: cost and safety. Today, Germans are lowering costs through hydrogen energy and shortened process routes; Chinese companies are improving efficiency and safety through semi-solid processing and flame-retardant technologies; and Japanese manufacturers are expanding application boundaries through ultra-precision rolling.

This wave of cross-border collaborative innovation is transforming magnesium from “the most promising lightweight material” into “the most certain rising industrial favorite.”

The next era of lightweight manufacturing may truly belong to magnesium.

","styleType":0}

Climate-Friendly Magnesium Processing New Breakthroughs in Lightweighting

GSG-Tech

Ready to Produce?