Young Technology Inc. Brings Magnesium Die Casting Technology to AAIW 1998
5 November 1998
We write and speak of The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week as a single show, but the event as a whole is actually made up of several different shows hosted by various professional organizations (SEMA, APAA, ASIA, etc.). All these groups can unite under the AAIW umbrella because they share a common focus: the automotive aftermarket. The fact that AAIW specifically addresses the aftermarket, however, doesn't leave original equipment manufacturers out in the cold. In fact, the OEM presence at the show continues to grow each year: this year booths set up by Detroit's Big Three auto makers are among the biggest at the show, and Ford chose AAIW 1998 as the venue to debut its new F 650 Super Duty truck.
One would expect the car makers to
have impressive booths, but OEM presence at AAIW 1998 isn't limited to
industry giants like Ford and GM. The Illinois-based company Young
Technology Inc. (YTI) is also here at AAIW 1998, and although its
exhibit is small in comparison to some, it presents one of the most
interesting OEM developments of the show: magnesium die cast
components. The magnesium-based parts are light and strong, and thus
reflect an important trend in car making, where engineers try to shave
off an ounce here or there, and look furiously for alternatives to
aluminum and steel.
YTI sales manager John Wenstrup, Jr., explained that magnesium die cast parts can weigh less than plastic, and that they have excellent tensile strength, which derives from the process of alloying magnesium with other substances. YTI targets its alloys to specific applications, depending on the requirements of that component.
YTI's aftermarket business consists mainly of rings and seals, and Wenstrup is primarily here to sell that hat line of products. Wenstrup explains that it is still important for him to show his new OEM line, and the magnesium die cast process. Many aftermarket parts makers have OEM lines, and the new technology spreads as more people get exposed to it. Wenstrup says that AAIW "fills the gap between the OE and the aftermarket."
Wenstrup is excited about the magnesium die cast process not only because it makes light and strong parts, but also because of its implications for the environment. Magnesium is a readily available resource that can be easily extracted from sea water. The process doesn't involve the use of petroleum, and the finished parts are recyclable.
YTI is already working with Korean OEMs to put magnesium die cast parts into autos. With naturally high concentrations of magnesium and a well developed auto manufacturing infrastructure, Korea is a good place for YTI to explore and use the new magnesium die casting processes for automotive applications.
Consider the increasing organization of the auto industry as a global venture and the fact that magnesium die casting's principal advantages dovetail well with growing trends within the automotive industry (weight reduction combined with tensile strength and recyclability). Its no leap to project the expansion of the technique based on the effort of companies like Young Technology Inc.
