Alloys availability:

E12 has the largest selection of standard engineering sections in various magnesium alloys. While the majority of distributors will only carry one or two grades of magnesium such as AZ31 and AZ61, we can offer, Elektron ZW3, Elektron ZM21, Elektron WE43, Elektron 675 and 21, beside the usual ASTM alloys such as ZK60, AZ31, AZ61 and AZ80.  Elektron alloys can also be offered to ASTM B and AA class.

 

Hard to find alloys and Process parameter Locator:

In addition to our large inventory of magnesium alloys, E12 can provide technical assistance to locating hard to find magnesium alloys; data sheets and processing parameters, now long forgotten by an industry trying to come back to its former glory. Please contact us with your requirements for assistance.

Fast track your project:

Many companies claim to have the capability to supply magnesium alloys in wrought and extruded forms. This is usually not the case and may result in the loss of valuable time and resources. If you need magnesium extrusions, extrusion blanks for forgings and machining, E12 is your best and safest route. We can provide technical assistance during early design stages, and produce parts to spec quickly and at a reasonable cost.

 

E12 can deliver experimental extruded magnesium section in less than 3 weeks, using our low cost experimental die approach for small production runs not exceeding 50Kg per run. 

Heavy duty dies for heavy production runs are usually completed in 4~6 weeks.

Standard engineering sections are usually produced within 7 working days from stock billets.

 

E12 can produce machined magnesium components within 2~3 weeks depending on size and complexity, Additionally surface finishing such as Mag pass / Mag oxide corrosion protection can also be applied upon request. 

 

E12 can deliver custom designed forging blanks using our experimental die approach. Forged components however take longer to produce, which is necessitated by the need to simulate material flow at the early stages of die design. Forged components are usually delivered within 6~8 weeks.

 

Magnesium resurgence for the new century:

Magnesium is one of nature’s most abundant elements on earth. Whether extracted from dolomite or sea water, pure magnesium has limited uses outside chemistry. However when it is alloyed with other elements, it offers a unique combination of strength to weight ratio, and high damping characteristics un-equaled by any other alloy.

 

Even though Magnesium alloys were commonly used in industry at the turn of the century, the art of magnesium processing has been lost to years of neglect and little work was done on wrought alloys since the late 50’s, except in those rare cases when demanded by the aerospace  and the defense establishment.

 

Now with the resurgence of magnesium in industry for a host of reasons, whether ecological (recycling and energy conservation), economical (faster machining and higher tolerances achievable) or engineered requirements (High stiffness and high damping characteristics), E12 is proud to be at the forefront of this renaissance. If you are contemplating the use of magnesium wrought for your next application, be it a side impact bar for an automobile, a seat railing for a commercial aircraft or just a plain bicycle frame, E12 will be glad to assist you at the initial design stages right through to product completion and with the greatest discretion possible.

 

Magnesium processing

In many respects, processing magnesium alloys is no different than processing aluminum alloys. Some forming processes are best carried while the metal is hot because of its hexagonal structure. Casting processes are best carried out under inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation. Magnesium extrusions require a great deal of skills at the press because of its susceptibility to hot shorting, low extrusion speeds, and high pressure requirements.

 

Magnesium is at its best when machining, and intricate details and excellent surface finish with very to tolerances can be achieved at no additional costs. Machining magnesium doesn’t offer any particular challenge as far as safety is concerned, but one would be advised to implement a regime of good house cleaning to prevent the accumulation of dust, and to have a good system for chips disposal. Best in practice machine shop rules and guidelines should be followed at all times, such as keeping tools well sharpened up and respecting feed and speed parameters to prevent tools from overheating.

 

Cutting fluids and lubricants should preferably alkaline and have less than 3% chlorine, to prevent hydrogen formation. When machining magnesium on modern CNC Mills, it is preferable to use a settling tank with a fine particle filter, to prevent clogging lubrication nozzles that may result from magnesium oxidation in contact with the copper pipes. Flushing copiously after each job should be made routinely or when the machines are left idles days at a time.

 

When “Wet” machining Magnesium, special considerations should be given to chip disposal to prevent accumulation on the chip conveyor. Magnesium in contact with water, lubricants and cutting fluids, corrodes releasing hydrogen in the process and if severe, the reaction my turn exothermal causing the chips to ignite. Therefore spinning the chips dry before storage in a well ventilated area is a necessity. CNC machines with enclosures and chip recuperation bins must be cleared daily, to prevent hydrogen settling at the bottom of the bins which is an inherent danger in itself.

 

If you are considering machining magnesium in house or on subcontractor premises, E12 can provide assistance with safety audits upon request.

 

Magnesium Finishing

While magnesium offers no particular challenges as far as machining is concerned, corrosion prevention and finishing are penalized by the stricter environmental legislation now in place which restricts the use of chromates. Magnesium finishing is further hindered by an infrastructure that lacks the expertise and equipment to apply adequate protection to magnesium surfaces, except for those processes developed during the 50’s and 60’s by the Dow chemical company. So before embarking on a magnesium project on a grand scale it is imperative that a survey of potential finishers in your area is made and finishing costs established at the same time.

 

E12 is able to offer a full finishing service using the highly successful MAG pass and Mag Oxide deposition technique which can be supplemented with additional protective coatings such as baked epoxy to eliminate porosity and poor toughness inherent to ceramic oxide films. Salt spray endurance in excess of 100 hours can be achieved using Mag pass alone (under 5 microns) and well over 300 hours salt spray resistance with a 10 micron Mag Oxide deposit.

 

Additional low cost magnesium finishing options are now currently being developed by E12, focusing on the promotion of a magnesium oxide layer cross linked with a polymer to provide a high adhesion substrate for secondary wet or dry paint systems.

 

The Why, How and When to use Magnesium

Magnesium has unique properties which can readily be taken advantage of to improve product performance, longevity in service and lower maintenance costs…

 The Why

• The highest weight to strength ratio of any engineering alloy. (Beryllium and Lithium based alloys are too unstable and very expensive, therefore unpractical for most applications). For equal stiffness, a magnesium beam will be 22% lighter then Aluminum, nearly 50% lighter than Titanium, and about 3 times lighter than steel!
• For an equal weight beam, Magnesium is 18 times stiffer than steel, 8 times stiffer than aluminum and 3 times stiffer than Titanium.
• Magnesium has a low modulus of elasticity, which confers dent resistance to impact prone surfaces, such as laptop cases, lawn mower casing etc… Whether functional or visual, magnesium satisfies this criterion quite well.
• Magnesium has excellent vibration damping characteristics which makes it an excellent isolator for protecting sensitive electronics such as avionics etc… mounted onboard aircrafts, rockets and satellites. Magnesium has a damping index of 48. Compare that with Aluminum with an index of 0.31 and brass with an index of 0.62!
• Magnesium is the “benchmark” used against all other metals for speed of machining. For a simple milling operation, magnesium requires 13 watts of energy per cubic centimeter of material removed. While aluminum requires 26W/cc and Mild Steel 47W/cc!

The How

Magnesium alloys can be die cast in all kinds of forms, shapes and sizes. Castings are usually preferred over other forming techniques when bulk, large production runs and production costs are important factors.

 

Forged and extruded sections are preferred for strength and ductility, especially on high precision parts subjected to high service loads.

Magnesium is well suited for forming components from sheets and plates. The application of heat during the forming process to facilitate the deformation mechanisms is a minor inconvenience which is easily offset by the alloy’s unique properties after hot working.

Magnesium extrusions and forgings are core specialties at E12. Please feel free to consult us for design guidance, technical possibilities and cost estimates.

The When

• Weight is a major consideration and may impede the proper functioning of key component or a whole system. Such as increased payload for an airplane or reduced inertial forces such as is encountered by high speed positioning devises.
• A combination of high stiffness and low modulus are required to reduce fatigue stresses and prolong service life.
• Protecting components and systems from vibration induces stresses.
• Reduced friction loads to prevent galling coupled with better heat dissipation such as on high speed looms, shuttles etc…
• Corrosion is not a concern, or can be guarded against at a reasonable cost.

There are many more reasons as to why magnesium is such a capable alloy that is well suited for so many applications. We have to remember that at one time Magnesium made the conquest of space possible,. Working with an eye towards the future, magnesium may provide viable and efficient solutions to global warming and energy conservation.