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How to Select Magnesium Alloy Grades by Supply Form and Manufacturing Process
Industry Insights: Deep Dive
Magnesium Alloy Classification
Magnesium Alloy Characteristics
Research Directions and of Mg Alloys
High-Temperature Magnesium Alloys
Corrosion-Resistant Magnesium Alloys
Heat Treatment of Magnesium Alloys
The Real Engineering Boundaries of Magnesium Alloys
Engineering Solutions to the Four Major Bottlenecks of Magnesium Alloys
Progress in the Magnesium Alloy Industry（2024）
The Development of China’s Magnesium Alloy Industry in 2025
Research Overview on Corrosion-Resistant Magnesium Alloys in China
Application of Magnesium Alloys in Humanoid Robots
Mg-alloy-supply-forms-grade-selection
Magnesium Sheet for 3C Devices
Mg Alloy Forming Technology System
Ti Alloy Hot Forming Processes
Progress in the Titanium Alloy Industry in China（2025
Progress in the Titanium Alloy Industry in China（2024
In engineering practice, magnesium alloy selection cannot be made by grade alone.
A viable solution must align:
Application → Process Route → Supply Form → Alloy System
1. Structural Parts & Sheet Forming (Stamping / Bending)
Applications
• 3C housings (laptops, tablets, smartphone mid-frames)
• Automotive interior structures (instrument panel brackets, seat back panels)
• Lightweight enclosures and thin-wall components
• Local aerospace skin panels
Process Route
Continuous casting & rolling → Hot rolling → Warm forming
Supply Form
• Sheet (0.5–200 mm, width up to ~1500 mm)
Recommended Alloys
• AZ31B
◦ General-purpose wrought sheet
◦ Excellent formability, most widely used
◦ Low cost, globally available
• ZK61
◦ High-strength wrought alloy
◦ Suitable for load-bearing structures
◦ Moderate cost, limited supply
• WE43
◦ Rare-earth magnesium alloy
◦ Suitable for 150–250 °C service
◦ High cost, mainly supplied in Europe & North America
• LA103M / LA103Z
◦ Ultra-low density, high ductility
◦ Industrial availability is extremely limited (mostly custom/R&D)
Engineering note: prioritize commercially available systems over experimental alloys.
Regional Supply Insight
• China: strong in AZ and ZK series
• Europe/US: dominant in WE43
• Mg–Li alloys: emerging toward industrial maturity
2. Precision Machining & Forging Stock
Applications
• Aerospace structural parts (brackets, connectors)
• UAV structures (arms, frames)
• High-end lightweight components
• Precision machined parts (CNC)
Process Route
Casting → Extrusion → Machining
Supply Form
• Billets / bars (Ø60–800 mm)
Recommended Alloys
• AZ91
◦ Typical casting alloy
◦ Suitable for die casting + machining
◦ Not a mainstream extrusion alloy
• ZK60
◦ High-strength extruded alloy
◦ Ideal for CNC machining
• WE43 / EV31A / QE22
◦ Rare-earth alloys with heat resistance
◦ Used in aerospace & high-temperature applications
3. Die Casting & Semi-Solid Forming (Thixomolding)
Applications
• Laptop frames / smartphone structures
• Automotive seat frames
• Thin-wall, complex geometries
• Lightweight substitutes for aluminum die castings
Supply Form
• Granular feedstock (not powder)
Feedstock Types
• Chips: irregular, from machined stock
• Pellets: engineered particles with controlled size/flow (industry standard)
Not interchangeable.
Recommended Alloys
• AZ91D
◦ Excellent fluidity
◦ Suitable for complex thin-wall parts
• AM60 / AM50
◦ High toughness
◦ Ideal for energy-absorbing structures (e.g., seat frames)
4. Welded Structural Assemblies
Applications
• Automotive body joining
• Lightweight frames (aerospace/UAV)
• Sheet assemblies (enclosures, housings)
• Repair and reinforcement
Process Route
• MIG / TIG welding
Supply Form
• Welding wire (2.0–6.0 mm)
Process Key Points
• Shielding gas: Ar or Ar + He
• Control heat input to avoid hot cracking
• Filler composition must match base material
Recommended Alloys
• AZ31 / AZ61 filler wire
• WE43 filler wire (high-temperature applications)
• MB8 (corrosion-resistant system)
5. Functional Magnesium Materials
Applications
• Dissolvable downhole tools (oil & gas)
• Biodegradable implants (screws, scaffolds)
• Temporary structural components
• Electrochemical materials
Characteristics
Focus shifts from mechanical performance → electrochemical / biological functionality
Supply Form
• Custom bars
• High-purity powders (PM / additive manufacturing)
Design Principle
Controlled degradation via:
• Electrochemical potential differences
• Second-phase regulation
Typical Uses
• Oil & gas dissolvable tools
• Biomedical implants
High cost, primarily custom supply.
6. Material Selection Workflow
Recommended engineering sequence:
1. Define application type
(structural / thin-wall / welded / functional)
2. Determine process route
(stamping, machining, casting, welding, etc.)
3. Select supply form
(sheet, bar, pellets, wire, powder)
4. Match alloy system
(AZ, ZK, rare-earth Mg, Mg–Li, etc.)
5. Evaluate cost & availability (critical step)
6. Supply Form vs. Alloy Mapping
Table 1 Supply Form vs. Alloy Mappin
Core Engineering Principle
The key to magnesium alloy selection is not the alloy grade itself, but:
Alignment of application, process, supply form, and material system
In real-world projects, always prioritize:
Process feasibility
Material availability
Cost control
Performance optimization comes last.
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