Compacted graphite iron specialist SinterCast AB will supply its SinterCast System 3000 Plus package to Teksid do Brasil, a foundry in Belo Horizonte. It is the second order this year that SinteCast has logged from Teksid S.p.A., a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The system will be commissioned during Q1 2016, for product development programs for castings involved in passenger and commercial vehicle components and industrial power engines.
However, as with the order Teksid placed in July, the system to be installed anticipates future plans for high-volume series production. The System 3000 Plus package performs automatic base treatment by cored wire, patented SinterCast thermal analysis, and automatic feed-forward optimization of magnesium and inoculant prior to casting.
"The Teksid do Brasil installation marks the sixth commitment for our System 3000 Plus technology,” noted SinterCast president and CEO Dr. Steve Dawson. "The Teksid commitment also marks our sixth installation commitment of 2015, tying the record for new installations set in 2011 and 2013. The recent increase in installation activity is a clear indication of the increased demand for compacted graphite iron and we appreciate Teksid's initiative to grow the global footprint for the supply of high quality CGI components."
Stockholm-based SinterCast is the world’s largest supplier of the control technology used by foundries to produce compacted graphite iron (CGI) -- a lightweight alternative to gray iron and aluminum for automotive components.
Teksid do Brasil is an iron and aluminum foundry complex producing a wide range of castings: automotive and diesel engine blocks and cylinder heads, crankshafts, flywheels, camshafts, bearing caps, bedplates, brackets, suspension arms, steering knuckles, disc brakes and drums, wheel hubs, exhaust manifolds, and carriers. Its casting buyers include Caterpillar, Cummins, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, among many more.
The SinterCast technology is under license to numerous foundries worldwide and used in series production of cast parts for gas and diesel engine cylinder blocks, for cars and SUVs; automotive exhaust components; medium-duty and heavy-duty cylinder blocks and heads for commercial vehicles; and industrial power engine parts for marine, rail, off-road and stationary engine applications.
In July, Teksid’s Portuguese foundry ordered a Mini-System 3000 unit for product development efforts there, with “infrastructure” and a “process flow” that will be compatible with a future upgrade to a fully automated, System 3000 Plus installation there.
In 2013, Teksid’s foundry at Monclova, Mexico, updated its SinterCast system to the System 3000 Plus version as it launched series production of cylinder heads for commercial vehicle and industrial engines.
"The installation of the SinterCast technology at our Belo Horizonte foundry reinforces the global standing of Teksid as a leading provider of technology, components, and solutions to the passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, and industrial power industries" said Dr. Riccardo Tarantini, president and CEO of Teksid S.p.A. "With SinterCast-CGI capability in our foundries in Brazil, Mexico, and Portugal, Teksid is uniquely positioned with the ability to offer regional support for the CGI series production needs of our worldwide customer base."
Tupy S.A., another Brazilian metalcaster, produces CGI using the SinterCast technology, for diesel engine castings at its Joinville foundry.