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Die-casting industry on a growth path

CHENNAI: The die-casting industry had grown from strength to strength over the years and constituted around one third of the total metal casting segment at present.

It ranked amongst the highest volume, mass production items manufactured by the metal working industry. Its unmatched versatility had been instrumental in finding applications ranging from the toy industry to the automotive industry, according to C. R. Pradhan, Chairman cum Managing Director, National Aluminium Company.

At a seminar “Alu India 2008’ on aluminium die-casting organised by the Aluminium Association of India at the Chennai Trade Centre recently last, Mr. Pradhan said most cast automotive components, because of their mass production nature, were produced through the die casting route. In fact in North America 51 per cent of die cast components were consumed by the auto sector, Mr. Pradhan pointed out. With most auto majors, having set up shop in India there was immense scope for a quantum leap in growth for the industry.

However he cautioned that pollution was a major area of concern in this segment. Arun Jaura, Chief Technology Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra said aluminium castings were the major contributors in automobiles and each kg. of aluminium replaced two kg. of steel. For a mid size car every 10 per cent reduction in weight by using aluminium components could result in savings of 6 to 8 per cent in fuel. Each kg of aluminium could save 20 kg of CO2 equivalent over the typical lifetime of a vehicle, he said. H. Sundara Murthy, Convenor, Alu India 2008, said the casting requirement in the automobile sector alone would increase by 50,000 tonnes annually and assuming an average production of 50 tonnes a month, there was need for establishing 80 to 100 foundries.

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