5 Cs of Investment Casting Foundries in Rajkot Cluster – An Industrial Survey

• Published in: Archives of foundry engineering Vol. 21; no. 3; p. 101
• Main Authors: Sata, A V, Maheta, N R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katowice Polish Academy of Sciences 01.01.2021
• Subjects: Aerospace industry; Casting; Clusters; Dewaxing; Dimensional tolerances; Foundries; Global marketing; Heat treatment; Investment castings; Pattern making; Rapid prototyping; Surface finish; Tolerances; India
• ISSN: 1897-3310; 2299-2944
• DOI: 10.24425/afe.2021.138672

Investment casting is very well-known manufacturing process for producing relatively thin and multifarious industrial components with high dimensional tolerances as well as admirable surface finish. Investment casting process is further comprised of sub-processes including pattern making, shell making, dewaxing, shell backing, melting and pouring. These sub-processes are usually followed by heat treatment, finishing as well as testing & measurement of castings. Investment castings are employed in many industrial sectors including aerospace, automobile, bio-medical, chemical, defense, etc. Overall market size of investment castings in world is nearly 12.15 billion USD and growing at a rate of 2.8% every year. India is among the top five investment casting producers in the world, and produces nearly 4% (considering value of castings) of global market. Rajkot (home town of authors) is one of largest clusters of investment casting in India, and has nearly 175 investment casting foundries that is almost 30% of investment casting foundries of India. An industrial survey of nearly 25% of investment casting foundries of Rajkot cluster has been conducted in the year 2019-20 in order to get better insight related to 5 Cs (Capacity; Capability; Competency; Concerns; Challenges) of investment casting foundries located in the cluster. Specific set of questionnaires was design for the survey to address 5 Cs of investment casting foundries of Rajkot cluster, and their inputs were recorded during the in-person survey. The industrial survey yielded in providing better insight related to 5 Cs of foundries in Rajkot cluster. It will also help investment casting producer to identify the capabilities and quality issues as well as leads to benchmarking respective foundry.