Tafalla Iron Foundry, a Spanish producer of iron castings for passenger and commercial vehicle and off-road industries, ordered a capacity and functionality upgrade for its SinterCast compacted graphite iron process control system. According to SinterCast, the TIF order includes installation of a new capability for base treatment of CGI by cored wire, to improve productivity in support of ongoing development of commercial-vehicle and industrial-power engine components.
The upgrade to TIF’s SinterCast System 3000 Plus series production system is scheduled to be commissioned before the end of June 2024, according to an announcement.
“Following successful product development campaigns, with positive feedback from OEM end-users, TIF has made the proactive commitment to upgrade its CGI process to ensure high-efficiency CGI series production,” stated SinterCast president and CEO Dr. Steve Dawson. “This investment – together with TIF’s European footprint and proactive position on further investment and expansion – positions Tafalla as an important player in the future growth of compacted graphite iron.”
Stockholm-based SinterCast is the developer and licenser of the most widely used technology for compacted-graphite iron production process control.
CGI is a lightweight ferrous material that offers greater tensile strength, stiffness, and fatigue strength than gray iron or aluminum. Series production of CGI mainly involves diesel and gas engine manufacturers seeking to reduce weight, noise, and emissions for their designs.
Approximately two-thirds of Tafalla Iron Foundry’s output of cylinder blocks and heads is directed at the off-road engine market, SinterCast noted, and the other one-third serves passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturers.
“As our CGI product development activities intensify, and as the global demand for CGI continues to grow, we are pleased to invest in the latest CGI process control advances to provide our customers with class-leading CGI capability,” stated the Spanish foundry’s managing director, Prof. Dr. Miguel Ugalde.
“We see compacted graphite iron as the strongest growth opportunity for the iron foundry industry,” Ugalde continued. “We stand ready to make additional investments in our CGI capability and in expanded foundry and machining capacity to establish TIF as one of the leading suppliers of CGI to the on-road and off-road industries”.