SinterCast AB reports that Ford Motor Co. has ordered the SinterCast Mini-System 2000 for installation at the Ford Cleveland Casting Plant (CCP). It details that the Mini-system 2000 will be installed and commissioned in January 2006 to support prototyping and product development of Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) engine components.

The cost of the system was not reported. SinterCast supplies online process control technology for high-volume production of compacted graphite iron. It has technology agreements with 28 foundries in 14 countries, accounting for over 45% of the world production capacity for cast-iron cylinder blocks and heads.

Earlier this year, Ford announced a modernization of the melting operations at the Cleveland facility (the automaker’s largest iron foundry), including two new 75-ton cupola systems to melt gray and ductile iron in compliance with new MACT standards for iron and steel foundries.

SinterCast-CGI capability will allow CCP to support CGI engine development activities across the Ford organization, and give Ford greater experience with CGI mold design and process control requirements, “leading toward future CGI series production,” according to the process developer.

“We are pleased that Ford’s positive experience with SinterCast-CGI in the high-volume 2.7 litre V6 Lion engine, and our overall technical support of other CGI activities throughout the Ford group, has led to this new Mini-System 2000 installation at Ford CCP” said Dr Steve Dawson, president and CEO of SinterCast. “Ford CCP represents the third installation of our new Mini-System 2000 product and, together with our full System 2000 production installations worldwide, further reinforces our position as the world leading supplier of CGI process control technology and significantly broadens our ability to supply the CGI requirements of Ford Motor Co.”