CGI engines top 18% growth

According to SinterCast there has been a growth of engines using compacted graphite iron (CGI) cylinder blocks that, compared to the first quarter of 2014, provides an average compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent since 2007.

Steve Dawson, president and chief executive officer of Stockholm-based SinterCast notes that building on continued strong demand for passenger vehicle diesel engines, increased ramp-up of passenger vehicle petrol engines, and continued growth of commercial vehicle cylinder blocks and heads, the annualised series production has surpassed the two million Engine Equivalent milestone in March.

Annualised series production for the month reached 2.2 million Engine Equivalents, providing average annualised production of 2.0 million Engine Equivalents for the first quarter.

The increase represents 18% growth compared to the first quarter of 2014, and provides an average compounded annual growth rate of 18% since 2007.

Sampling cup shipments for the first quarter reached 40,500 units, marking the second highest quarter for sampling cup shipments in SinterCast’s history.

“We have been hovering around the two million milestone, with five of the last seven months reaching 1.9 million Engine Equivalents. Now, with the accelerated ramp of the Ford 2.7-litre V6 gasoline engine in North America and the continued growth of European commercial vehicle programmes, we have solidly cracked the two million barrier. Together with the three new installations announced during the first quarter, the record series production provides a strong start to 2015” said Dr. Dawson.

Ford’s EcoBoost engine is the first gasoline engine to use a CGI block in volume production. Europe-based Audi and Ford were the first to adopt vee CGI cylinder blocks on a production-line basis. Only recently has Cummins Inc. in the US started to adopt CGI on a production line basis for the cylinder blocks of its 5-litre V8 engine that is fitted to Nissan's 2016 Titan pick-up truck. Cummins received US Department of Energy funds to support its V8 engine and CGI development. Meanwhile, there are persistent but unconfirmed rumours in the US that Toyota could use the same Cummins V8 diesel engine in its Tundra pick-up trucks. THe Cummins ISV5.0 is rated at 275bhp (205kW) and 560lbft (760Nm) torque, though no doubt could deliver more.

“From the start of our first cylinder block production in 1999, we needed 11 years to break the one million Engine Equivalent barrier. Now, we have cracked the two million barrier in less than five years, and our sights are set on three million,” concluded Dr. Dawson.