In the present work, the microstructure, texture, mechanical properties as well as hot deformation behavior of a Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca sheet manufactured by twin roll casting were investigated. The twin roll cast state reveals a dendritic microstructure with intermetallic compounds predominantly located in the interdendritic areas. The twin roll cast samples were annealed at 420 °C for 2 h followed by plane strain compression tests in order to study the hardening and softening behavior. Annealing treatment leads to the formation of a grain structure, consisting of equiaxed grains with an average diameter of approximately 19 µm. The twin roll cast state reveals a typical basal texture and the annealed state shows a weakened texture, by spreading basal poles along the transverse direction. The twin roll cast Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca alloy offers a good ultimate tensile strength of 240 MPa. The course of the flow curves indicate that dynamic recrystallization occurs during hot deformation. For the validity range from 250 °C to 450 °C as well as equivalent logarithmic strain rates from 0.01 s⁻¹ to 10 s⁻¹ calculated model coefficients are shown. The average activation energy for plastic flow of the twin roll cast and annealed Mg-2Zn-1Al-0.3Ca alloy amounts to 180.5 kJ/mol. The processing map reveals one domain with flow instability at temperatures above 370 °C and strain rates ranging from 3 s⁻¹ to 10 s⁻¹. Under these forming conditions, intergranular cracks arose and grew along the grain boundaries.

Magnesium alloys are primarily associated with complex forming mechanisms, which yield ductility at high temperatures. In sheet metal forming, high triaxiality stress states that favor the ductile damage mechanisms of void formation and growth are known to malleable metals. The formulation of coupled damage models has so far failed, due to the incomplete experimental determination of damage parameters for magnesium AZ31 thin sheet. A quantitative investigation was conducted to determine the ductile damage behavior of twin-roll cast, hot rolled, and annealed AZ31 thin sheet. Results on the mechanisms of void nucleation-, coalescence- and growth-rate were established at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 350 °C. In-situ tensile tests were carried out in a scanning electron microscope with three different specimen types: Simple tension specimens, notched specimens for high triaxiality stress state testing, and shear specimens. Through a comparative analysis of local strains measured by digital image correlation and local void volume fractions determined through post-mortem analysis of specimen cross-sections, GTN (Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman) model-based material parameters were determined by experiment, representing a novel departure in the magnesium research landscape. The procedure developed in this context should also be transferable to other metals in the form of thin sheets.

The combination of thin light metal sheets with fibre-reinforced thermoplastic layers in multi-layered fibre-metal-laminates advantageously combines the properties of both material classes. In this way, components can be developed which have both significantly increased specific properties (strength and stiffness with respect to density) and high energy absorption capacity compared with conventional design with mono materials. However, the structural behaviour of crash structures is decisively determined by material behaviour of the thermoplastic and metal constituents as well as the interface properties between both constituents and the corresponding delamination behaviour. To evaluate the structural response of multi-layered fibre-metal-laminates under highly dynamic loading conditions, Charpy tests were performed, where the test parameters, light metal material configuration, support length and laminate thickness, were varied. Moreover, the metal sheet surfaces were pre-treated by embossing to achieve different surface topologies. The influence of the different test parameters on the specific energy absorption capacity was characterised by the analysis of force–displacement curves.

Due to their advantageous strength-weight ratio, good recyclability, excellent noise and vibration damping properties as well as excellent dent resistance, magnesium materials offer a variety of uses in modern lightweight structures. As a result, a comeback of magnesium alloys is to be seen in multiple industrial applications, especially in the automotive industry, as the potential for lightweight, cost-effective lightweight industrial construction associated with the lightest metallic engineering material helps to meet even stricter energy and environmental efficiency guidelines. Traditionally, casting processes have been the dominant magnesium manufacturing processes, but in the last decade, an increasing number of lightweight structural applications have been implemented with magnesium wrought alloys. In this paper, the current state of developments focusing the twin-roll casting (TRC) of semi-finished products of magnesium alloys will be presented. By reducing the number of process steps in combination with a unique microstructure, the near-net-shape TRC process offers new options to provide magnesium materials meeting current and future requirements for semi-finished products, constructions and moldings in terms of type, quantity and quality.