stories on hard material matters - Ceratizit S.A.

In one word: flexibility
“The automotive industry demands ‘just-in-time’ produc-
tion from us,“ explains Casanova. “Neither we nor
our customers have a warehouse for engines. These
specifications force us to remain flexible.” Such flexibility
requires maximum efficiency: at VM Motori every step
has to be spot on.
Efficiency in production and in the product itself.
Diesel engines have always been very efficient: at low
revolution speeds they deliver higher torque than petrol
engines. A Diesel engine has a quicker response, and
thus a more direct acceleration. In addition there is the
VM MOTORI, ITALY
enormous advantage of very low fuel consumption. The
search for ways to further increase efficiency however
also continues in the field of Diesel engines. Diesel
engines are the heaviest engines available in the market.
Casanova states: “We are striving to reduce the weight
of our new V6 engine by applying compacted graphite
iron (CGI). Thanks to the mechanical properties of this
material we are able to produce parts with thinner walls
than would be needed for conventional grey cast iron.
Furthermore we produce camshafts from thick-walled
tubes. The cams are mounted on the tubes. In this way
we are not only able to obtain a reduction in terms of
weight but also of machining time.”