Text: Anusha B
Precimetal Cast, Ahmedabad headquartered component manufacturer claims its technology to be unique in their league and stands eccentric in their manufacturing vertical. The company is successfully thriving in their cruise supplying quality components manufactured through investment castings process to its customers locally and globally. The company manufactures stainless steel casting and claims that the technology move they make in the industry edges itself amongst fellow players in the market. The company starts with the evaluation of the design given by the buyers and ensure an approval before lining up the process for the manufacturing of casting.
Speaking about the process involved and the technology streak KP Joy, Manager, Business Development, Precimetal Cast denoted that, “We get the design from our customers and our team work on the feasibility and evaluate the casting needs. Once the same is approved from the customers end we would kick start our operations. We are able to manufacture all types of castings. We mainly proclaim ourselves to be efficient in manufacturing critical components with our technology inputs. Our R&D centre pumps out technology inputs for our casting needs and the technologies from R&D centre include water soluble car technology, quick set gel technology and pre-formed ceramic coat technology.” The tolerance limit and the design inputs will be given by the buyers and it is our technical engineers who evaluate the same and accordingly critical dimensions are marked.
The component manufacturer source raw materials from USA and manufacture castings by a process called lost wax process. With this process a broad spectrum of industries are covered and it deemed fit to manufacture castings with the best possible tolerance limits. Highlighting the design aspects Joy pointed that, “Design phase is very important for any manufacturing process. The conventional design parameters will be shared by the client and we do give transparent inputs and if the customer is ready for the go we would certainly implement the same in our manufacturing ensuring flawless dimensions with little rejections.”
The customers could win over the cost by eliminating machining or minimum machining in the manufacturing of castings using lost wax process method revealed Joy. In this method moulds are developed as per customer requirements and subsequently wax should be injected in the mould. The desired component models are produced and it is termed as wax patterns. A shell kind of structure is formed with ceramic slurries and sand. The required metal can be poured in the shaped shell mould by removing wax. The molten metal is poured in the shell and allowed for cooling naturally. After the metal is solidified the shell is broken and the casting is separated and further process of heat treatment is done. The accuracy is inspected and visually and dimensionally and once the process is done the castings will be ready for delivery.
Briefing about the material usage Joy said that, “We manufacture stainless steel casting with ferrous grade materials. For the past 6 months we are receiving cited response. Management negotiations are up now to ensure penetration of casting supply in auto industries.” Though lightweighting has become viral now, Roy opined that the chemical composition is given at the customer’s end and the choice of material usage is not in our hands. Brass and aluminium could be alternate sources of materials but the final call has to be taken by the customer. The design, chemical composition, dimension specifications, tolerance limits everything is shared by the customer and we could give little suggestions and the client may or may not pocket our suggestions.”
The outputted castings will have smooth surface finishing and visually appealing appearance. The company also involves in exports with 45% of its products currently exported to European countries and USA. Pronouncing about the future plans Roy beamed that, “We should expand our customer base in auto industry. We are able to find positive signs with respect to auto industries and we are capable of mass production with dimensional accuracy. Our in-house engineers have enough expertise to win over dimensional flaws. Our ultimatum of 2020 is to bridge the gap our anticipated 600 metric tonnes of output against our current 360 metric tonnes of output.” The company is very much poised to pro-act on industrial needs.
