Released on September 8, 2009

Engine cylinder block and head metalcaster DCM Engineering, Punjab, India, announced it has produced and delivered an order of compacted graphite iron (CGI) engine cylinder blocks to one of its domestic customers.

Produced during a two week trial that ended last week, the cylinder blocks weighed from 40 to 175 kg and were made using SinterCast process control technology. The blocks were delivered to a passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle OEM in the domestic Indian market.

According to DCM, the blocks were the first of their kind to be produced in India and were commissioned in support of customer demand for CGI engine components, as new road infrastructure and more stringent emissions regulations in India increase the demand for improved engine performance. DCM said it also is in dialogue with foreign OEMs for the export of CGI castings.

“Together with SinterCast, we have succeeded to produce high quality and defect-free CGI castings,” said J.K. Menon, DCM’s managing director. “The positive experience from this initial trial confirms the CGI series production capability of [our metalcasting facility] and provides confidence to our OEM customers, both in India and abroad, as they develop CGI solutions for their passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle engines.”

DCM has an annual capacity of 72,000 metric tons of gray iron castings. Its primary customers are Ashok Leyland, Eicher Motors, Mahindra and TATA. DCM also supplies castings to foreign automotive companies Maruti Suzuki, General Motors, Hyundai, JCB and Perkins.