A typical problem that the German die casting industry had to deal with in 2018 was obstacles to approval under the WLPT standard, which resulted in a significant reduction in call-off figures. A new set of requirements for alloy development and process technologies presents opportunities for foundries.
In Germany's die casting industry, the year 2018 began with high capacity utilization and optimistic outlooks for the coming year. However, the difficulties that OEMs were experiencing throughout 2018, particularly in the second half, custom die casting caused production figures to fall below the levels achieved in 2017. Due to obstacles to approval under the WLPT standard (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure), call-off figures were significantly reduced, which was the reason for the decrease.
Current Situation: The situation has stabilized.
Germany's die casting foundries were able to maintain the high level of production achieved in the preceding year during the first eight months of 2019. The same period saw a decrease of more than 3% in new passenger car registrations across Europe. German die casting foundries have a stellar track record, and this is an impressive illustration of that performance. Production forecasts for 2019 can be broken down into the following categories:
Die Casting - Permanent Mold Casting Processes.
