SCOOP: CGI set for four-cylinder engine blocks

Confirmation that four-cylinder engines with compacted graphite iron (CGI) cylinder blocks are now not far away from volume production comes with the revelation that Grainger & Worrall (G&W) has been casting prototype blocks for some time.

According to sources, the company has been casting four-cylinder blocks for over 12 months. Typical batch sizes range from 50 units, plus or minus 10 or 20 units.

It is understood the engines are destined for a European passenger car. The cylinder blocks are small, compact four-cylinder units, according to well-placed sources.

In June of this year, autoindustrynewsletter.blogspot.co.uk revealed that Volkswagen had confirmed that its EA888 gasoline engine would have CGI cylinder blocks. The news item is one of the most actively trafficked reports of the blogspot.

Also in June of ths year, this blogsite carried an item: "Who will react first too VW's CGI engine?" the item noted: Could Ford's gasoline EcoBoost engine indeed be next in line to receive a CGI cylinder block? The Chihuahua Engine Plant could be one manufacturing location. And one month earlier, on 16 May 2013, this blog noted comments by Terry Aldea, global executive, castings and forgings operations, Ford Motor Company, hinted during his presentation at the SinterCast AGM that "the waiting would soon be over" for a gasoline engine with a CGI block.

On 5 October, this blogspot also reported that G&W had announced a £1.25 million investment in machine tool capability.

The privately owned family company, of Bridgnorth, Shropshire is the world’s leading independent supplier of prototype CGI castings. It also is a major aluminium castings supplier, again principally in low volumes. About 80 to 90 per cent of the company’s foundry throughput is in the form of aluminium parts.

As this blogspot recently revealed the company is also a supplier of specialist prototype and low-volume machined parts, most notably a range of engine components including cylinder heads, cylinder blocks and manifolds. It also supplies low volume parts to Bentley Motors which has been owned by Volkswagen AG since 1998. Volkswagen is therefore an important and much-valued customer of G&W.

Being a single source of supply of finished machined parts is a growing necessity in today’s automotive world with timing and quality being just two of a number of important requirements. The Shropshire-based company has recovered well since the downturn of 2008-2009 and the subsequent stable period of 2010. Since 2010 the company has been in steady ‘recovery mode’ and according to sources continues to grow strongly.

G&W has a relentless desire to deliver high-quality solutions in both castings and machined parts. The business is run by the co-founder’s three grandsons – James, Matthew and Edward Grainger – who meet almost daily to discuss business and future strategy.

Much of the company’s growth is attributable also to the ‘great young team’ which is showing such dedication to helping to chart the company’s path not only to meeting customer satisfaction but also to achieve further success.

G&W is a specialist bespoke prototype parts foundries which uses SinterCast process control technology that is essential in the production of high quality CGI castings. And the latest information is a pointer to future developments in powertrain technology in both gasoline and diesel four-cyliner engines. And if the new CGI engine is a success then further foundry work will surely be heading in the direction of G&W in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, UK.  ∎