a reliable and consistent production technology for high volume compacted graphite iron castings

The demands for improved engine performance, fuel economy, durability, and lower emissions provide a continual challenge for engine designers. The use of Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) has been established for successful high volume series production in the passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle and industrial power sectors over the last decade. The increased demand for CGI engine components provides new opportunities for the cast iron foundry industry to establish efficient and robust CGI volume production processes, in China and globally. The production window range for stable CGI is narrow and constantly moving. Therefore, any one step single addition of magnesium alloy and the inoculant cannot ensure a reliable and consistent production process for complicated CGI engine castings. The present paper introduces the SinterCast thermal analysis process control system that provides for the consistent production of CGI with low nodularity and reduced porosity, without risking the formation of flake graphite. The technology is currently being used in high volume Chinese foundry production. The Chinese foundry industry can develop complicated high demand CGI engine castings with the proper process control technology.