We participated in the 2007 Annual Meeting commemorating the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, and presented our research results.
Theme: "Development of magnesium alloy thin sheets by twin-roll casting"
Date | September 9, 2007 (Sun) - 12 (Wed) |
Venue | Kansai University Senriyama Campus |
Organizer | Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers |
Presenter | Magnesium Department, Dai Ohno |
Mr. Ohno (center), in charge of magnesium, presenting his research results
Our company reported on the results of our research and development efforts to date in the Technology Development Report of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. Our presentation was attended by a large number of people (approximately 30 people), including university professors, automobile manufacturers, and industry peers. We also brought magnesium plates (material AZ61, dimensions t0.6 x W400 x L1200, t1.5 x W400 x L1200) manufactured by our company to the venue, allowing attendees to see the actual products. Many people seemed very interested in seeing such large magnesium plates, as they were unusual for them.
As the title suggests, our company has been researching magnesium alloy sheet manufacturing methods since 2002. As a result, we have improved the twin-roll casting method to suit magnesium and developed equipment that can manufacture sheet metal at more than 10 times the conventional speed. Furthermore, we have solved the issue of corrosion resistance by using alloys with a high aluminum content, which had previously been difficult to cast. While alloys have a characteristic where workability deteriorates as the aluminum content increases, by implementing quality control at the organizational level, we have achieved workability equivalent to that of alloys with a low aluminum content. Therefore, we installed mass production equipment in 2007 and are currently conducting research and development with the aim of starting mass production at the end of this year.
I am glad that by participating in this conference, many people were able to learn about Gonda Metal Industry. I was also able to see firsthand the high level of interest in magnesium, and felt that we must work harder than ever to get mass production on track as soon as possible.