Grainger & Worrall, took home the prestigious Component of the Year accolade at this year’s Cast Metal Federation (CMF) Awards. Recognising the best of British casting, the event profiles exceptional projects and components delivered by firms from across the country.
Grainger & Worrall was presented with the award in recognition of its bespoke engine block development for the Ford US pickup truck, which features the world’s first CGI petrol production engine. The 2014 ceremony marks the second year in a row that Grainger & Worrall has scooped the Component of the Year – a testament to the world-leading innovation and engineering carried out by the global firm.
The award-winning engine block development started in 2010, when Ford first approached Grainger & Worrall to prototype an all-new lightweight iron block for its best selling F150 pickup truck. To achieve this, the F150 engine block needed to be trimmed from the 5.4 litre V8 to a 2.7 litre V6 – indicative of Ford’s long-term intent to reduce its C02 output with ultra modern EcoBoost platforms.
Working alongside Ford, Grainger & Worrall supported all aspects of the prototype development – from concept through to simulation, tooling, casting process, finish machining and material specification control with the aid of its SINTERCAST-CGI system.
The launch of the vehicle at the globally renowned Society of Automotive Engineers Show in Detroit earlier this year was a huge success and further cemented Grainger & Worrall’s reputation as an industry-leading engine castings provider, as well as showcasing the next-generation capabilities of the British foundry company.
Edward Grainger, director at Grainger & Worrall, commented: “It’s a great honour for us to receive the CMF award two years running and a real testament to the dedication and skills of our team. We’re incredibly proud of our work with Ford and see this as an exciting time not only for Grainger & Worrall, but for the UK’s casting industry as a whole.
