Recently, the 2026 Global Automotive Lightweight Manufacturing Summit grandly opened in Ningbo. With "Precision Intelligent Manufacturing · Green and Low-Carbon" as the core theme, this summit focused on cutting-edge technologies in the field of automotive parts manufacturing. Die Casting Die, Gravity Die Casting Mold, Hot Stamping Die, Low-Pressure Die Casting Mold, Patterns for Molding Line and Core Boxes made their collective debut, becoming key engines driving the high-end and lightweight upgrading of the automotive industry.
Amid the continuous boom of the new energy vehicle market, automotive lightweight has become the core development direction of the industry. As the core equipment for forming automotive parts, mold technology directly determines the precision, performance and production efficiency of parts. At the summit, leading enterprises and technical experts in the industry conducted in-depth discussions on the innovative applications of the six mold technologies, jointly outlining the future development blueprint of automotive manufacturing.
Die Casting Die is now in a golden period of technological iteration as the core equipment for automotive lightweight manufacturing. Driven by the popularization of integrated die-casting technology, the demand for large-scale precision die-casting molds is surging. China's die-casting mold market size is expected to exceed 18 billion yuan in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.3%. The new-generation die-casting molds displayed at the summit integrate high thermal conductivity alloy materials and conformal cooling water channel technology, improving cooling efficiency by more than 30%. The service life of a single mold after repair exceeds 20,000 cycles, effectively solving the cost and yield problems in the production of large-scale die castings.
Gravity Die Casting Mold continues to gain momentum in the manufacturing of automotive structural parts thanks to its stable forming and controllable cost advantages. Compared with traditional die-casting processes, gravity die-casting molds do not require high-pressure mold clamping equipment, making them more suitable for manufacturing complex automotive parts with strict performance requirements. They particularly show unique competitiveness in the production of new energy vehicle chassis components, motor housings and other products, becoming the preferred solution for small and medium-batch high-end parts manufacturing.
Hot Stamping Die is the core equipment for manufacturing automotive high-strength steel parts, directly related to body structural safety and lightweight effects. Currently, hot stamping molds are developing towards high precision and intelligence. The whole-process CAE simulation technology realizes the simulation of drawing, trimming, punching and other processes, predicting production defects in advance with one modeling and greatly shortening the debugging cycle. The hot stamping molds exhibited at the summit can achieve one-step forming of high-strength steel parts, with dimensional accuracy controlled within ±0.15mm, providing solid support for automotive body lightweight.
Low-Pressure Die Casting Mold is widely used in the forming of lightweight materials such as aluminum alloy and magnesium alloy due to its low pressure, low speed and stable mold filling characteristics. This technology effectively reduces casting defects such as air holes and shrinkage cavities, improving product surface quality and internal density. It is especially suitable for manufacturing automotive parts with high sealing requirements, such as engine cylinders and gearbox housings. With the increasing proportion of lightweight materials, the market demand for low-pressure die-casting molds continues to grow, becoming an important supplementary technology for automotive parts manufacturing.
Patterns for Molding Line, as the core supporting equipment of automated production lines, directly determines the adaptability and production efficiency of production lines. The modular production line mold templates exhibited at the summit adopt standardized design and flexible structures, which can quickly adapt to the production needs of different models and parts. The quick mold change technology shortens mold change time by more than 60%, helping enterprises realize flexible production and reduce production line renovation costs.
Core Boxes, as key auxiliary equipment for mold manufacturing, their precision and durability directly affect the internal quality of castings. The summit focused on the innovation of high-end core box technology. The displayed high-precision core boxes are made of wear-resistant alloy materials and precision processing technology, enabling precise forming of castings with complex inner cavities. At the same time, surface coating technology improves wear resistance and extends service life by more than 30%, providing guarantee for the precision manufacturing of core automotive parts.
The holding of this summit has built a high-end platform for technical exchanges and win-win cooperation in the global automotive mold industry. Experts attending the meeting agreed that the collaborative innovation of the six core mold technologies will accelerate the transformation of automotive parts manufacturing towards high-end, intelligent and green development. With continuous deepening of technological iteration, China's mold industry is gradually achieving a strategic leap from "following" to "running side by side" and even "leading", injecting strong impetus into the high-quality development of the global automotive industry.
In the future, the industry will continue to focus on mold material innovation, intelligent upgrading and green manufacturing, continuously breaking through bottlenecks in core technologies. It will help the automotive industry achieve comprehensive upgrading in lightweight, electrification and intelligence, writing a new chapter for the development of the global automotive industry.
