Nissan Casting Australia (NCAP), a company that manufactures casting and parts for the automotive industry, wins bid to develop components for Nissan’s LEAF electric car with the help of a series of cost-competitive casting technologies developed by CSIRO.
A series of casting technologies developed by CSIRO were instrumental for Nissan Casting Australia winning the bid to manufacture components of Nissan’s new electric car, the LEAF.
According to Brian Cooper, NCAP’s business development and corporate planning manager, “Nissan Motor Company’s R&D engineers in Japan were highly impressed by the level of CSIRO R&D innovation, as well as the extent of state and Australian Government support available to the Australian die casting industry.”
This winning bid will create 145 Victorian manufacturing jobs in a highly competitive industry.
“CSIRO aims to support Australian industry and maintain and grow Australian jobs with technologies that are sustainable and globally competitive,” said Dr Calum Drummond, Group Executive of CSIRO’s Manufacturing, Materials and Minerals Group.
Cost-competitive Australian technology
Among the several technologies in the proposal is the CASTvac, jointly developed by CSIRO and NCAP, which eliminates machine stoppages due to valve blockages by molten aluminium. This technology alone will save $100,000 per year in the production of a single component. This and other low cost, highly efficient technologies brought the contract to Australia.
“Australia showed it can compete with some of the world’s leading low-cost countries by combining cost control and technological manufacturing solutions,” stated Toshiharu Sakai, Nissan’s Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing.
The LEAF is a five passengers, five doors, 100% electrical car with zero tailpipe emissions. It is powered by compact lithium-ion batteries which generate over 90kW and has a motor that delivers 80kW/280Nm.
