At this year's Shanghai Die Casting Exhibition, large structural castings attracted much of the attention. But they are only one part of the Electric Vehicles (EVs) story.

EVs also rely on many smaller aluminium components that protect sensitive electronics, manage heat and ensure long-term reliability. These include battery housings, inverter housings, motor controller enclosures, DC/DC converter housings and many other complex die-cast parts.

One alloy that attracted increasing attention throughout the exhibition was AlSi10MnMg.

So, what makes this alloy stand out, and as a buyer, what you should know before choosing it?

AlSi10MnMg is an aluminium alloy developed to meet the growing demands of EVs. It combines high mechanical strength, excellent corrosion resistance, reliable castability and good machinability, making it well suited for demanding automotive applications. 

Its chemistry provides several important technical advantages:

-       9%~11.5% Silicon improves casting performance, making it easier to produce complex and thin-wall geometries.

-       0.1%~0.6% Magnesium increases strength while keeping components lightweight.

-       0.4%~0.8% Manganese improves ductility and helps reduce die soldering during production, contributing to more stable manufacturing.

-       0.05% Max copper content provides better corrosion resistance than many traditional die-casting alloys.

Another important advantage is sustainability. AlSi10MnMg raw materials (ingot) can be produced with a 100% recycled aluminium, helping manufacturers reduce the carbon footprint of their products without compromising performance.

For aluminium casting buyers, selecting an alloy isn't just about strength or corrosion resistance. It's about choosing a material that delivers the right performance, supports efficient manufacturing and keeps the total cost of ownership as low as possible.

Here are several practical benefits from AlSi10MnMg:

-       Supports lightweight designs while maintaining high mechanical strength, helping reduce vehicle weight without compromising performance. 

-       Provides excellent ductility, making it suitable for structural and crash-relevant applications. 

-       Offers good corrosion resistance, helping extend component lifetime and reduce maintenance or replacement costs.

-       Provides good thermal conductivity and mechanical properties (From SFS- EN 1706) 

-       Delivers reliable castability, enabling complex geometries with fewer casting defects, less scrap and more stable production. 

-       Provides good machinability, reducing machining time, tool wear and overall production costs.

These benefits make the alloy suitable not only for large structural castings but also for many medium-sized and smaller EV components where strength, dimensional accuracy and reliability are equally important. 

In China, the alloy is widely available and typically carries only a small price premium compared to AlSi10Mg.

From alloy selection to production

At Alteams Suzhou, we already have hands-on experience with AlSi10MnMg. Today, we manufacture a battery box control housing for an electric vehicle using this alloy, and we're actively quoting a growing number of additional EV components made from it.

This reflects what we are seeing across the market: AlSi10MnMg is becoming a preferred choice for many structural EV parts.

For buyers, selecting the right alloy is only the first step. The real value comes from working with a supplier that understands how to turn that material into a reliable, high-quality component with consistent, efficient and at scale. As demand for AlSi10MnMg continues to grow, manufacturing experience will become just as important as material selection itself.