With 2 manufacturing units located in Gudur, AP and Ponneri, TN both in South India, Nelcast is one of the largest in the foundry industry. Nelcast has a specific, yet continuous production process that caters to every function needed to produce a technologically acceptable casting component. Complete with melting, moulding and core shops to development and quality control, Nelcast takes every step necessary to creating the right component for every client in the shortest span of time.

Development

The Company has invested in facilities to achieve its goal of speedy product development of high quality castings.

• From initial stages of tooling design, to completion of production tooling, the in house pattern facilities, equipped with CAD / CAM, have the expertise and experience needed for quick development of new casting.
  
• Simulation Software for Methoding - This provides a foolproof mechanism to avoid shrinkages and to make sound castings.
  
• Pattern Shop. – Maintenance and manufacture of toolings

Core Shop

Utilizing our expertise & facilities for making cores of different types, we are able to offer customers the perfect balance of intricacy and economy via utilization of the right type of core.

• Cold Box core shooters
• Shell core shooters
• Pepset/No Bake core making facility
• CO2 gas core making facility
• Core drying ovens

Any high quality casting begins with a high-quality mould. This concept is clearly embodied in our investment in technology for producing moulds which result in castings with exceptional dimensional accuracy & superior surface finish.

• Our state-of-the-art Moulding Plant at Ponneri is one of the largest in India and first of its kind in Asia. The Kunkel Wagner DFM-R- High Pressure Moulding Machine with AIRPRESSplus 2000 Technology and active multi piston squeeze head along with fully automated and computer controlled sand preparation and distribution system.

The essential features of the Kunkel Wagner Automatic High Pressure Moulding Line are:

• DFM-R Moulding Machine
• Air Press Plus 2000 Moulding Technology
• Active Multipiston Squeezing Technology
• Siemens S-7/4000 Programmable Logic Control
Fully hydraulically operated and controlled system, regulated by PLC/Computer controls for constant and uniform pressure, for consistent operating parameters.
• Continued on-line technical guidance on plant performance and equipment from Kunkel Wagner Engineers in Germany through modem link directly in the main control room.

In order to optimize the working of the Automatic High Pressure Moulding Line, the Company has also installed a state-of-the-art Automatic Sand Conditioning Plant which incorporates:

• ASR series sand cooler
• Latest WM series sand mixer
• Automatic moisture control system
• Automatic sand quality control equipment
High intensive mixer with built in aerator and return sand cooler for cooling and preconditioning of sand along with automatic moisture addition and sand testing facilities with computerized control.
• Pneumatic additive system for new sand, bentonite
• and coal dust, and integrated dust extraction system.

These investments in technology give Nelcast distinct advantages over its competitors such as:

• High productivity (upto 110 moulds / hour)
Improved dimensional stability, Repeatability, Finer surface finish, Low machining stock,
• Highly intricate castings can be easily made due to 2 stage moulding technology. Complicated self-cored castings can be accurately developed
• Total reproducibility of casting parameters based on pattern information, quick modification and alteration of these parameters through computer controlled functions.

The High Pressure Moulding Line is well complemented by our BMD Arpa series simultaneous Jolt + Squeeze Moulding Machines:

• BMD ARPA - 300 (1 Nos.)
• BMD ARPA - 450 (3 Nos.)
• BMD ARPA – 900 (2 Nos.)

Melting Shop

As one of India’s largest foundries, Nelcast has presently a melting capacity of over 400MT of Iron per day which will rise to 500 MT by 2006 end. Nelcast uses Medium Frequency Induction melting furnaces for optimal metal availability and power efficiency. The Company has installed Inductotherm’s DUAL TRAK-R plus which utilizes the latest technology in its power & control system to apply melting power to one furnace and holding power to another furnace, simultaneously.

• 1 X Pillar 5 tons /2500 KW with 500 KW holding crucible
• 1X Pillar 1.2 tons / 1000 KW
• 2X Pillar 1.5 tons / 1300 KW
• 3X Inductotherm 3 tons/ 3000 KW DUAL TRAK-R plus

Laboratory control

At Nelcast, we believe that the key to producing metallurgically sound castings lies in ensuring that the metal used is of the perfect composition. Our laboratory utilizes the most advanced equipment for determining chemical composition,

• 22 Elements ARL Spectrometer, for determining precise chemical composition
• Optical Microscopy equipment with Photographic attachment.
• Sand testing facilities
• Detailed chemical analysis
• Fully equipped physical Lab.

Quality control

Quality is the hallmark of Nelcast. Products undergo rigorous quality checks at every stage of production. In order to ensure the physical & dimensional properties of our products, our Quality Control Department has facilities for:

• 3D Co-ordinate Measurement Machine
• Tensile Testing Machine
• Hardness Testing Machine
• Crack detection apparatus using permanent yoke magnet.
• Ultrasonic machine for detection of sub- surface defects
• Proof machining capabilities

Machine Shop

In a quest to move its products up the value chain and satisfy customers demand for finished components, Nelcast is upgrading its machine shop into a state-of-the-art machining facility. Some currently available facilities include:

• Radial Drilling Machines
• Lathes
• Milling Machines
• CNC Turning Centers
• CNC Vertical Machining Centers (VMCs)
• Special Purpose Machines (SPMs)

Many more CNC machines are being added in the last quarter of 2006. The Machine Shop will process over a million components from 2007 onwards.