The
world’s first high-volume gasoline engine with a compacted graphite iron (CGI)
cylinder block will be launched within 12 months.
The new engine will be the
world’s first highest-volume CGI engine. It will also establish a new benchmark
for packaging, size, performance and refinement.
SinterCast, which develops
and produces specialised process control technology that enables production of
high-quality CGI material, has confirmed what many in the powertrain industry
have suspected for some time – that a major OEM is about to launch a gasoline
engine with a CGI cylinder block.
In his CEO’s Message
accompanying SinterCast’s 2012 Annual report, president and chief executive
officer Dr. Steve Dawson tantalisingly lifts the lid of Pandora’s Box by just 1cm
to glimpse ‘The Future’ and so keep shareholders on board.
“I can’t remember a more
exciting time in our history…..the start of production of the first-ever high
volume CGI petrol engine,” he declares.
First revealed to shareholders
on 24 May 2012, the engine has since continued its development ‘on schedule’
throughout the year, with pre-production beginning in January 2013, according
to Dawson.
“We look forward to the
formal start of series production this year,” adds Dawson.
No hint has been given in
the annual report of the OEM’s identity, but Dawson’s comments are the first
real signs of a breakthrough.
Widely recognised
Higher-strength iron CGI has long been recognised as
essential to modern-day diesel engines for both passenger cars and commercial
vehicles.
But while there are
undoubted benefits also for higher performance gasoline engines, OEMs have been
slow to grasp the nettle – at least publicly.
Happy to extract the very last
ounce of performance from tried and trusted grey iron engines, gasoline engine
makers have put off the day when they need to commit to CGI.
“If it ain’t bust, why
change it” might be taken as their watchwords.
But now the dam is about to
burst and it is possible that once one engine maker commits to CGI, others will
follow too.
Persistent rumours have
abounded in Europe and North America that Volkswagen AG will be the first to
use CGI in gasoline engines. But the whispers have remained whispers – they
have not prised the rabbit out of the hat.
Likewise, other whispers
suggest it could be Ford Motor Company. Again, silence.
Certainly, for truth, Audi
(part of VW) and Ford together raced to be first to use CGI for vee-diesel
engines for passenger cars. That race could be repeated for gasoline engines.
As before, leading foundry
Tupy SA of Brazil could play a vital part in the history of the new gasoline
engine. At the present time, the new SinterCast System 3000 Plus technology is
being commissioned at Tupy’s Saltillo foundry in Mexico and it will support the
production of 15 ladles per hour of CGI material with more than nine hours of
series production per day. Could this foundry supply the mysterious OEM?
Light-duty trucks
Meanwhile, in his 2012 ‘end of term’ report, Dawson
highlights another ‘breakthrough’ in 2012, namely the start of production of
CGI diesels in light-duty pick-up trucks with the anticipation of the market’s
response to these new engine launches.
In terms of pick-up trucks,
the highlight of the second half of 2012 for SinterCast was the ramp up of the
VM Motori 3-litre V6 diesel engine cylinder block and bedplate at the Brazilian
foundry of Tupy SA.
The increase was the result
of Chrysler’s decision to offer diesel options in the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
and Ram 1500, providing the second SinterCast CGI diesel engine in the American
SUV sector and a breakthrough for CGI diesel engines in the high-volume light
duty pick-up sector.
Adds Dawson: “The Jeep and
Ram 1500 applications provide the opportunity for the VM Motori diesel engine
to become our fifth engine to crack the 100,000 engine equivalents per year
barrier, but more importantly it poses a fascinating challenge in Detroit which
we will watch with great anticipation.”
Assuming 50kg per engine
equivalents this suggests that Chrysler could be taking 100,000 CGI engine a
year from VM Motori.
However, there was some
disappointment in various quarters that Chrysler did not ‘bite the bullet’ and
introduce its Dodge Durango with same Italian-built 3-litre V6 VM Motori diesel
at the New York Auto Show earlier this year. But that day may soon come
although the volumes will be small.
So what will happen now?
Many are eagerly awaiting the response from Ford and General Motors to the
arrival of the diesel Ram 1500. Will these companies ignore the development
until the early adopters have played their cards? Ford is seldom one to jump in
at the deep end – though it did with its CGI Vee-diesel.
Or will they resurrect
respectively their 4.4-litre and 4.5-litre V8 diesel engines (both with CGI
blocks)? Or could they too move down the scale to the next point, namely the
3-litre V6 engine, to challenge the Ram with the same displacement.
Ford has a 3-litre V6
currently is use by JaguarLandRover and of course, as regular readers of this
newsletter will know, GM has a half-stake in VM Motori.
Quite what will happen in
this sector is anyone’s guess. But there is some excitement among engineers as
they watch to see how events will unfold.
Major development
Meanwhile, somewhat ironically, Dawson carefully skirts
around other major 2012 developments for SinterCast without mentioning the OEM customers:
namely, mention of truck and engine maker Scania and Volvo Trucks, although the
words can be found in ‘small print’ in the 2012 report. In particular, Dawson
has been constrained from linking SinterCast’s name with that of Scania (both
Swedish companies) in any press release.
Dawson diplomatically notes:
“Our new European commercial vehicle series production installation, announced
on 11 February 2013, provides a further opportunity for commercial vehicle
growth.” That press release did not name the customer.
In another oblique
reference, Dawson notes: “The resumption of Navistar production during January
2013 (It had been halted in June 2012 when Navistar confirmed it could not meet
EPA emissions standards with its EGR technology – Ed.), and the announcement of
our new commercial vehicle series production on 11 February 2013 provide
opportunities for increases in the commercial vehicle wave (Dawson has long forecast
a strategy of five waves of CGI introduction in engines, namely vee-diesel
passenger vehicles in Europe; commercial vehicle engines; in-line diesel
passenger car engines; vee-diesel passenger vehicles outside Europe; and
gasoline engines. Of these, in-line diesel passenger car engines and gasoline
engines have yet to materialise – Ed.)
Scania and Volvo
nevertheless are without doubt important and valuable additions to an already
long list of blue-chip companies that SinterCast has on its reference list.
In conclusion, one might be
entitled to ask, when will the new CGI gasoline engines actually appear before the public? That too is anyone’s guess?
However, industry insiders expect the OEM will make an announcement this autumn
or, at the very latest, at the Detroit Motor Show next January. For many that date
cannot come soon enough.
