UK automotive casting specialist Grainger & Worrall has revealed a hardware investment that will increase throughput capacity by 50%. The injection of funds comes in response to an increase in demand for the company’s casings resulting from increasing pressure on vehicle manufacturers to accelerate development times of highly efficient models in line with tightening global emissions regulations.
Grainger & Worrall has invested in a third CT scanner – an industrial-grade 450kV Yxlon compact CL that increases throughput and provides the capacity to scan larger components of up to 125kg (275 lb). This makes it possible to handle the largest structural components in Grainger & Worrall’s portfolio.
The company has committed to the Make Like Production concept (pioneered by the Warwick Manufacturing Group), producing castings for early-stage development parts which behave as full production components would. This makes it possible to perform vehicle testing and validation on systems before production line materials and manufacturing processes have been finalized – offering cost and time benefits to vehicle manufacturers and speeding time to market for new models.
“Casting of prototype components traditionally bared little semblance to final parts, but our Make Like Production mantra brings the prototyping process right up to date and in line with the fast-moving automotive industry’s requirements,” explains James Grainger, Grainger & Worrall director. “Now, prototype component performance characteristics can mimic those of production parts even in intensive test conditions. CT technology provides the fastest and most comprehensive opportunity for evaluation of material integrity and overall quality control. This latest investment into Grainger & Worrall’s leading-edge facilities is testament to our commitment to growing proactively in line with industry demand for our casting expertise and brings our investment in CT technology to a total of £1.2m [US$1.46m].
“Our customers rely on Grainger & Worrall components being robust enough to undergo intensive testing and validation, so the assurance of strict quality control is absolutely vital,” continues Grainger. “This latest scanner broadens our scope of work to include components that would have previously fallen outside our end-to-end production parameters. Increasing our capacity through the addition of a third CT scanner ensures that our components adhere to our own strict standards and provides customers with a reliable, proven source of castings even while demand for our specialty continues to intensify. Our commitment to Right First Time means we might well now have the largest industrial CT scanning capability in the UK.”