Introduction of LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation & Globalisation) in 1991 changed the whole scenario of Indian corporates and their workings. Manufacturing firms, which earlier were hunting only for customers, started a hunt for quality improvements and new process developments in their products. Entry of global players with advanced technologies created a cut throat competition, which subsequently created a high pressure on manufacturing firms to improve the quality of their products. Automotive is one of the industry segments, which has gone through most vigorous developments under a concrete competition scenario.

Demands in automotive industries are surging day by day, so all the manufacturers are needed to offer high quality products with cost limitations. Since the automotive parts are to be mass produced, it is necessary that the stable supply of large quantity of materials, uniform quality, low cost/high performance are ensured. Some major problems which industry must cope with are reduction of fuel consumption, weight reduction of components and reduction of friction of sliding parts. Being critical, kinetic components of automotive parts are always under the risk of destructive factors like corrosion, wear, abrasion and erosion.

With the availability of various processes, thermal spray coating has shown a significant lowest cost/performance ratio. Parts like shifter fork, crankshaft, valve, piston, piston ring, fuel injection nozzle, synchronisation ring, etc., are treated by this coating process.

Shifter forks, while working, face problems of sliding wear. Plasma sprayed dense self-lubricating and wear resistance coating improves their performance and life. This coating and its processes offer automotive manufacturers an opportunity of creating a Point of Difference (POP) in their components.

Metallizing Equipment Co (MEC) with its high-tech plasma, HVOF, arc and flame spray systems provides a helping hand to automotive industry by either supplying its manufactured coating equipments or by doing job works on their specialised components.

Contributed by Jaydev Choudhary, Metallizing Equipment Co Pvt Ltd, E-101, M.I.A., Phase-II, Basni, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342 005. Tel: 0291-2747601/602. Fax: 91-291-2746359. Email: mecpl@sancharnet.in