Godrej Tooling gears up for India's electric vehicle revolution

Godrej Tooling, a business of Godrej & Boyce, has created a range of advanced automotive dies in the light of the Indian automotive industry gearing up for stricter fuel norms and increased electrification.

The mandatory implementation of Bharat Stage 6 (BS 6) fuel norms starting April 2020 as well as a greater focus on electric vehicles, especially in the two-wheeler space, has necessitated the development of new engines, battery boxes, and high strength sheet metal parts.

The change in fuel composition means many automobile components will need to be modified or even replaced. Meanwhile, electric vehicles require components that are lightweight but strong. These changes require a different set of dies and sheet metal tools.

Godrej Tooling, which counts several blue-chip automakers among its customers, has given itself a head-start by having already developed these dies. Godrej Tooling has been working on adapting to these changes for almost a year. The company has used cutting-edge processes like 3D printing and additive manufacturing to develop dies for components with a complex geometry that requires accurate machining in order to meet higher functional needs. This has allowed the business to shift the focus from design for manufacturability to design for performance.

Dinesh K Sharma, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Tooling, said, "The policymakers' push to tighten emission norms and the growing focus on EVs have made it imperative for the automotive industry and particularly suppliers to adapt. We have adopted a robust approach to be ready for not just the new BS 6 norms but also electric mobility and have covered all bases in simulation, design, assembly, and production. Godrej Tooling has a reputation for being future-ready and with today's announcement we have once again shown, we are ahead of the game."

The business continues to look ahead and has several patents under its belt including a patented twin-cavity die-cast for two-wheelers. Another patent applied for a digitally Connected Die casting, which is linked to the cloud and monitors a set of operating parameters to help meet goals of uptime, production, life, and cost of maintenance. The system will alert stakeholders in case of interruptions and non-conformance.