Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) is ideally suited to components that incur simultaneous thermal and mechanical loading.  As such, SinterCast’s primary volume opportunity is the automotive cylinder block and head market.  This market opportunity has been described in terms of SinterCast’s “Five CGI Waves” since May of 2002.  The five waves have been documented in the paper entitled:
An Overview of the CGI Market Potential
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SinterCast’s “Five CGI Waves” refer to different sectors of the automotive cylinder block and head market, presented in terms of when the individual sectors may begin to use CGI.  The Five Waves are defined as:

1. V-type passenger vehicle diesel engine cylinder blocks in Europe
2. Commercial Vehicle Cylinder blocks and heads
3. In-line passenger vehicle diesel engine cylinder blocks in Europe
4. Passenger vehicle diesel engine cylinder blocks in America
5. Petrol engine cylinder blocks, worldwide

The Five Waves scenario also introduces a potential sixth wave for passenger vehicle diesel engine cylinder heads.  This wave provides an additional new opportunity for CGI as peak firing pressures and operating loads continue to increase.

As a provider of process control solutions for the reliable high volume production of CGI, SinterCast’s target market includes any casting application that can benefit from the higher strength, stiffness, durability and wear resistance of CGI.  Beyond the core market of engine applications, SinterCast has been actively involved in the production of engine frames, cylinder heads and piston rings for industrial power generation engines, cylinder liners for heavy-duty diesel engines, brake discs and drums for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, trains and motorsport applications, exhaust manifolds, flywheels, bedplates, ingot moulds, and a variety of other components.  SinterCast’s CGI casting experience ranges from 500 grammes to 17 tonnes, using the same sampling technology and control strategies for all castings.  More than 150 different potential applications have been investigated.