Bharat Forge’s greenfield light-weighting aluminium casting plant in Nellore is set to operational by April 2020. Bharat Forge has received maiden orders for its Centre for Light Weighting technology (CLWT) facility from global OEMs in the second quarter of fiscal 2019.
The 100 acres facility is located at Sri City, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. In Phase I, the company will achieve a production output of 600mt aluminium die casting auto components. In phase 2, the plant’s capacity will reach 1,000mt. The plant’s advanced light-weighting capabilities for high-pressure die casting (HPDC) and allied technologies will support Bharat Forge’s wide range of products including transition to EV business.
Light-weighting is a key technology trend in the global auto industry. Global OEMs are shifting to light-weight vehicles and replacing steel chassis components with aluminium. Bharat Forge has received significant global traction for forged aluminium chassis components.
In Sept 2019, Bharat Forge announced an investment of $56 million (Rs399 crore) to set up a new forging and machining facility in North Carolina, US. The investment is part of the company’s strategy to increase focus on light-weight materials and will strengthen Bharat Forge’s manufacturing footprint, globally.