Magnesium becomes a viable solution as product features increase and assemblies are consolidated into single castings. This case study presents the benefits and complexities associated with the conversion of instrument panel substructures from steel stamped cross member components into a single magnesium die cast structure. Previous designs for full cross-vehicle instrument panels have included steel-stamped cross-members that were assembled to form the associated substructure. The ability to effectively merge all of these components into one full cross-car magnesium substructure has been proven to drive a resultant weight reduction, maintain or enhance structural integrity, and reduce assembly costs. This conversion has also inherently increased the complexity of the die design and casting process. The complexity of the casting is driven by the consolidation of multiple features, previously found in multiple assembly components, into a single cross-vehicle casting die. Large cross-vehicle instrument panels generally require a 3,000 to 4,000 ton die cast machine. Castings of this size also require full automation for metal delivery and part manipulation. The case study outlined herein demonstrates how minimal work in process is achieved with less material handling which, in turn, leads to scrap reduction.
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