The 24th German Die Casting Day brought together leading industry representatives in Ingolstadt to discuss current developments, challenges, and opportunities in the die casting sector. The opening speech was delivered by Association President Hartmut Fischer (STIHL), who warmly welcomed participants and provided an overview of the economic situation in the industry.

Challenging Market Conditions

Figures from 2024 indicate that the economic situation remains tense: production declined by 3% to 810,000 tons, total revenue decreased by 11% to 5.455 billion euros, and the number of employees fell by 6% to 30,800. Aluminum die casting foundries, which account for the largest share of production at 400,000 tons, are particularly affected. The causes include the transformation of the automotive industry, rising energy costs, CO₂ pricing, and increasing bureaucracy.

Opportunities for the Industry

Despite the challenges, Fischer also highlighted the opportunities for die casting. Sustainability and recyclability are becoming increasingly important competitive advantages, as die-cast components are ideal for closed material cycles. Megacasting is gaining significance, particularly in the automotive industry, while digitalization and artificial intelligence are enabling efficiency improvements and new business models. Additionally, die casting applications are expanding into sectors such as mechanical engineering, electromobility, and renewable energies.

Lively panel discussion:
Dr.-Ing. Detlef Kube Klaus A. Bruchner Tobias Gotthardt Max Schumacher and moderator Martin Vogt discussed how to counteract the looming deindustrialisation in Germany. There is a clear set of demands for the new federal government, state governments and European politics.

The pressure die-casting industry expects fair market conditions, a reduction in bureaucracy and planning security in the European consensus.

The pressure die-casting industry in Germany is ready to take on the challenges together and to actively do justice to the importance of the casting industry.

This requires less individual subsidies and more urgent action from the political side. Summary: The signals of departure have been received – let's go!

The program was complemented by a specialized exhibition of the supplier industry and the traditional Foundry Evening, offering ample networking opportunities.

Thanks to Partners and Participants

Fischer concluded by thanking the speakers, partners, and organizers, including Messe Nürnberg, the EUROGUSS team led by Christopher Boss, insightfabrix solutions GmbH, and the BDG team led by Managing Director Max Schumacher. The Die Casting Day remains the most important platform for exchanging ideas on innovations and future perspectives in the industry.

The opening concluded with the handover to Dr. Achim Keidies, who guided the participants through the remainder of the program.