What are AMCs and how are they made? Aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) first emerged around 40 years ago for use in automotive components and now, thanks to a myriad of applications showcasing their capabilities and highlighting their sustainable appeal, it looks as though they are beginning to attract increasing interest from manufacturers and engineers looking for a viable alternative to existing materials.
Back in the 1980s, when AMCs first appeared, their advantages were often over-sold and their properties were largely unproven, cutting short their potential and doing little for their reputation. As carbon composites became more widely adopted, AMCs were soon forgotten by manufacturers and engineers, and promptly fell off the radar.