Nitin Datar

Udayan Pathak

Senior GeneralManager,Carraro IndiaPrivate Limited

Deputy GeneralManager, EngineeringResearch Centre,Tata Motors Limited

February 202032METALWORLD

Indian Foundry:A Business Model Challenge

ndian Automotive IIndustry will be

migrating to production of

vehicles meeting BS VI

emission norms from April 1,

2020. This change will make

a vehicle more of an

electronic gadget rather than

a mechanical unit. About 26

different sensors will be used

in diesel engine while 23 in

gasoline engines. The output

and efficiency of vehicle in

term of fuel consumption,

load carrying capacity,

acceleration on plain road

and gradients, max. torque

etc. will be controlled by

signals and feedback

generated by these sensors.

Indian customers are

worried about performance

of these sensors in Indian

weather conditions.

However, this change is not

expected to bring any

change in castings

consumption / vehicle.

Typically on an average

medium and heavy

commercial vehicle

consumes 1500 - 2000 Kg of

castings while Intermediate

light commercial vehicle

consumes 1220 - 1550 Kg of

castings, light commercial

vehicle 1000 - 1200 Kgs

while small commercial

vehicles needs less than 600

Kgs of castings.

Despite of decline in

number of vehicles produced

in India, there is constant

growth in casting production,

as indicated in Fig 1.

Castings Export have

been showing steady growth

YoY 25-30% till 2011-12.

However, there was a

decline till 2016-17 after

which once again it is picking

up. Fig2. Shows the trend.

The growth of Tractor /

Off Highway / Construction

Equipment Industry will give

a big support to casting

Industry. The criteria for the

supplies is not very high

level of performance but

consistency in the results.

Off late, many foundries are

demonstrating process

consistency resulting in

consistent performance of

‘Made in India’ castings. This

is fetching huge orders for

Tractor Castings. Special

focus on quality systems,

consistent performance and

process adherence during

decade 2001 - 2010 is now

paying dividend.

Many good practices like

going away from castings

averaging, rather, ensuring

adequate machining stocks

on Castings have improved

quality ratings of the Indian

Foundries amongst OEMs

and Tier I suppliers from

Europe and Americas.

This has opened up

business opportunities for

Indian Castings Industry.

The low cost machining

model using conventional

machines and converting

them into SPM using special

fixturing is the major

commercial advantage over

Foundries all over the world.

Use of latest technology

like vacuum assisted

castings in metal casting

have given a great advantage

to casting industry. This type

of vacuum casting offers

dimensional accuracy, a

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February 202034METALWORLD

clean appearance and good

mechanical properties in a

near-net shape package.

The following advantages

of vacuum casting lend the

process to precision

applications: Flow rate of

molten metal into the mold

cavity can be accurately

controlled, improving overall

metal casting soundness.

Flow rate of the molten

metal can be increased to fill

the mold cavity more quickly

than with gravity pouring,

resulting in the fill out of

thinner casting sections.

Metal drawn into the

mold cavity is from below

the surface of the molten

metal bath, avoiding slag

and inclusions. Critical metal

temperature variations can

be more consistently

controlled since the mold is

taken to the furnace rather

than vice versa. Good

surface finish, excellent

dimensional tolerances, it is

often easier to automate

than gravity pouring.

Availability of competent

labour forces is well

addressed by Kolhapur-

based foundries. With their

support Govt. of Maharashtra

has started Govt. Polytechnic

offering Diploma in Foundry

Technology, only one of its

kind. Availability of low cost

automated processes, meeting

statutory and regulatory

norms for environment, with

low scale operations and

with effective waste control

mechanisms, are the

strengths of Indian Foundry

Industries.

Many foundries from

Kolhapur like Ghatge Patil

Industries, Sound Castings,

Shriram Group, Menon &

Menon; Jayaswal Neco

Nagpur have qualified

stricter global quality norms.

Multi national companies

like John Deere, Dana

Corporation, JCB etc., are

exporting Castings in a big

way and payback is in the

form of stronger dollar.

Though automotive

industry is migrating to

provide mobility solutions,

rather than providing

vehicles, Tractor, Off

Highway and construction

equipment industry will

continue to grow and

thereby, need for Castings

will also continue.

However, acquisitions and

mergers, business

consolidation may emerge

out as future business

trend. It’s a question as an

industry, how foundries

meet this challenge.

Disclaimer: Opinions

expressed in this article are

individual opinions of

authors and may not

necessarily be official

opinion of their employers

Carraro India Private Limited

& Tata Motors respectively.

About the Authors :

Nitin Datar is Senior

General Manager, Carraro

India Private Limited, Pune.

He is Executive Committee

Member of ASM

International Pune Chapter.

His expertise includes

Castings & Heat Treatment

of Transmission parts.

Udayan Pathak, FIE, FASM

is Deputy General Manager,

Engineering Research

Centre, Tata Motors Limited,

Pune. He is Chairman, ASM

International Pune Chapter.

Fig. 1 Casting

Production in India

(Million Tonnes)

Ref : IIF

Fig. 2 Castings

Import / Export

Data Ref. : IIF

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