Aluminium alloys are one of the most versatile material classes being manufactured by a range of solidification and thermomechanical processes.  This presentation focuses primarily on the solidification aspects of manufacturing from cooling rates of 10^-1~10¹ K/s in sand castings, through 10²-10³ K/s in die casting to the near rapid solidification found in some metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies at cooling rates of 10³~10⁶ K/s which are currently growing rapidly. This presentation focuses on how these changes in manufacturing processes leads to changes in the microstructure, defects and consequently the properties of the alloys.  In particular, at the much higher cooling rates the role of undercooling and solidification rate are shown to affect the optimum nucleation and alloy chemistry to achieve a fine grain structure, phase proportions and morphology change and solubilities are extended farther away from equilibrium.  Furthermore, heterogeneous microstructures lead to interesting strengthening opportunities.