Industrial Expertise:
Manager - Advanced Technology (R&D): Automotive, Farm Equipment and Agriculture Business, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (2 years, May 2018 - Cont.)
Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) and 3rd generation steel.
Cast, Forged, cold & hot formed Aluminium components.
Cast Magnesium components.
Fiber Reinforced composites.
Dissimilar metal joining: Structural Adhesives and Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) welding.
Materials for Electric vehicles (eg: light weight battery housing).
Project on Drip Irrigation
Project on Farm Implements
Manager - Technology, Hinduja Foundries, Ashok Leyland Ltd. Foundry Division (1 Year 6 Months, November 2016 - April 2018)
Green sand system, green sand properties and its impact on casting quality.
Metallurgical impact on casting quality.
Failure analysis and casting defect analysis.
Working knowledge on Phenolic Urethane Cold Box (PUCB) and Shell core (Croning) making process.
Working knowledge on Grey cast iron engine manufacturing (foundry) process.
Optimization of casting cooling rate: Studied the effect of Residual stress on casting cooling rate.
Residual stress measurement in engine blocks and heads using non-destructive testing method: X-ray diffraction and Barkhausen Noise Analysis
Reduced casting cooling rate, resulted in improvement in productivity (reduced cyclic time).
2. Study on the use of natural sodium bentonite in green sand system and its effect on casting quality
Usage of Natural Bentonite (Na), rather usage of activated bentonite (Ca).
Natural Bentonite having higher refractoriness, compared with activated bentonite
Reduction in casting rejection due to moulding sand related defect: (achieved 1.0% reduction in casting rejection)
Reduction in bentonite addition (30%), cost saving from reduction in bentonite addition compensates with the additional expense of natural bentonite (natural bentonite is expensive compared with activated bentonite).
3. Optimization of alloy composition for different grades of grey cast iron
Selection of alloying element to meet the grey cast iron grades. Developed an analytical model for alloy cost and alloy composition for different part castings.
Segregation of higher-grade castings (with Mo, Cu, Sn) foundry returns (runner, riser, vent rod, pouring cup) and rejected castings (foundry rejection and customer end rejections) and used for higher grade castings.
4. Optimization of shell core baking temperature: Study on the effect of shell core baking temperature and core quality
Shell core baking temperature is between 250 oC to 280 oC based on the core size
Optimized baking temperature for all shell cores with proper trial and validation. Observed higher temperature than desired.
Reduced baking temperature and observed reduction in core rejection (core breakage due to low strength/high baking temperature).
Optimized baking time with proper trial and validation
Also results in Power cost saving from reducing baking temperature.
5. Established process for
Alloying element addition and charge mix for different grade castings/ different part nos.
Green sand additives for different part castings (based on size of casings, engine head or engine block)
Stringent process control on core shop for PUCB core making – resin addition percentage and amine purging
Developed process / analytical model for calculating alloy cost and melting losses
6. Effect of Dubai Sand on the core quality, casting surface finish and casting quality
Used for critical intrinsic thin wall cores like water jacket and oil drain.
Observed improvement in core surface finish and quality
Observed reduction in core rejections
Observed reduction in casting rejection due to core related defects
Reduced fettling time by avoiding rework on casting due to core catching
7. Optimization of core baking temperature in core baking ovens using thermal mapping
Thermal mapping was conducted in various zones of core ovens
Optimized temperature in different zones of oven based on the size of cores with proper trial and validation
Observed reduction in casting rejection due to excess core gas release (blowhole defect).
Observed higher cycle time and temperature for core baking ovens. Reduced/optimized temperature and cycle time. Power cost saving from reducing temperature and cycle time.
8. Mapped entire foundry process from raw material properties to final casting dispatch. Captured each and every minute processes part wise. Implemented stringent part wise daily process audit on raw materials properties, sand additives, sand properties, moulding properties, Melting-alloy composition, pouring temperature and pouring time, shakeout time and temperature, fettling and dispatched casting quality check.
9. Regular/ daily review on casting rejection and analyse casting defect, root cause analysis and preventive measures based on process check sheet by end of the day.
10. Study on metal filling (temperature, velocity and air entrapment), solidification & cooling, stress analysis using Magma software.
11. Casting yield improvement in engine blocks and head. Different case studies conducted using Magma software and attained yield improvement based on several trials and validation. Achieved yield improvement by optimizing pouring cup size, runner, riser, vent hole sizes etc.
12. Green Sand Reclamation: Usage of discarded green sand for making cores after thermal and mechanical reclamation
Trials were taken for making PUCB cores using reclaimed green sand
Core quality and casting finish & quality meets the requirement
Reclaimed green sand and core sand can be used to make cores