Cast iron is used in a wide variety of structural and decorative applications, because it is relatively inexpensive, durable and easily cast into a variety of shapes. The basic cast iron material may appear to be the same, or very similar, however, the component size, composition, use, condition and other factors dictate that different treatments be used to correct similar problems. Some of the most notable characteristics of iron casting are its lower melting point than steel which makes it cheaper to produce, its good wear resistance, its excellent machinability, its tensile strength and the ease with which intricate designs can be produced. Castings are used virtually everywhere. Gray iron and Flake Graphite is used for making fly wheels, machine bases . engine blocks, piston rings, brake, discs and drums . The wide range of applications where the iron casting is used also include agricultural equipment, for pipe fittings, automobile engine blocks ,to name a few. Iron casting can also be modified through the manufacturing process to optimize its mechanical and physical properties, such as strength and durability. The largest use of gray iron castings is the motor vehicle industry. Gray iron casting is ideal for machine blocks because it can be cast into complex shapes at a relatively low cost. Other casting applications for gray iron include compressor housings for appliances and other equipment.
Both India and China have the ability to compete on a global scale as far as iron casting and machined iron casting are concerned. India and China are also one of the leading suppliers of iron casting and machined iron casting to both USA and Europe. In India, 74% of iron castings produced are grey iron and 12% are ductile iron and malleable iron castings. The need for developing and manufacturing high performance cast iron products at a competitive price is therefore mandatory. The worldwide increasing need for iron casting and machined iron casting is having a direct impact on the penetration of China, India in the world market and particularly in the European market. The increased iron casting export from China and India to the USA and European countries, more importantly, Germany are largely attributable to the factors like better availability, casting design, the range of iron casting, packaging, lower transportation, local delivery and more important better price. Casting Shipments from China are continuing to increase each year and main reasons include plentiful of raw materials available in China.
Indian casting suppliers primarily use pig iron as the basic raw material. Indian Casting industry occupies an important place in the European and US markets. India thus becomes one of the dominant suppliers of castings to the US market. The main advantages of import from Indian market are the simplicity of production and low labor costs. In construction castings, India was occupied one of the most dominant import sources to the US market.
One of the main reasons US producers choose China as the casting supplier is because of the lower prices. Exceptional quality control, transportation, and fine service with just in time delivery at the local place is the reason for producers in the US and Germany to go for suppliers from China.
In spite of the near-net shape of castings, the functional surfaces and mounting dimensions have to be adjusted by machining. And grey cast iron is more suitable for machining. Foundries that also machined grey iron castings enjoyed positive operative income and the suppliers of machined iron casting are on the increase.Foreign origin machined iron castings were increasingly purchased from China as their imports increased each successive years. This has resulted in OEM’s asking vendors to perform more operations so that the OEM’s can cut down their costs to maintain machining, assembly and related operations. Thus OEM’s in the US are purchasing from foreign suppliers.
