THE SUCCESS of the Ford RoCam engine made in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, has led to a revival in the fortunes of the country’s pioneer in the mass production of engine blocks, cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds. “The RoCam engine project has been the main catalyst for the rejuvenation of the Murray and Roberts foundry group,” says M&R Foundries marketing director Tom D’Arcy. The major investment by Murray and Roberts has been in a new greenfield aluminium foundry facility for the production of the RoCam 1.3L cylinder head, on a site close to Ford’s engine plant. Simultaneously, investments in new equipment have also taken place in Murray and Roberts Port Elizabeth foundry, Gearings and Autocast foundries. The group has a “long association” with Ford, going back over 30 years, with Murray and Roberts foundries producing blocks for legendary engines such as the Kent and Essex V-6. Ford’s Port Elizabeth engine plant was the last to produce the Kent motor. RoCam engines made in South Africa are being exported to Europe, India, Russia and China. Ford is aiming at a high local content in order to benefit from the competitive pricing in South Africa and also the government’s Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) incentives. M&R Foundries Group consists of four iron foundries, three aluminium foundries, a machining facility and a group tooling manufacturer which has retained as its core business the supply of quality castings to the automotive industry. The group is making cast iron cylinder blocks, crankshafts, exhaust manifolds, bearing caps and flywheel castings for the RoCam engine, as well as aluminium cylinder heads. “Our group has the capacity to offer a one-stop integrated service – from initial concept through co-design, prototyping, sampling, the manufacture of tooling and onto ultimate production,” he says. The group’s aluminium division, Gemtec, is a leading supplier of aluminium cylinder heads and intake manifolds to OEM companies in South Africa, Germany, Mexico and China. “Through the Gemtec group of companies we are capable of supplying a turnkey solution for aluminium automotive components, from tooling design and manufacture through to production and assembly,” he says. Aluminium cylinder heads and intake manifolds are currently supplied cast, machined and or finished assembled by the company, to the customers requirement. Ferrous products include cylinder blocks, exhaust manifolds, steering knuckles and carriers, differential housings, engine brackets, clutch components, ventilated and plain brake discs, cluster bearing caps, and flywheels. Over four million engine mountings have been exported to the United States alone, according to D’Arcy. The materials used include ductile and grey irons, high and low carbon grey irons, chromium/nickel/molybdenum alloys, silicon molybdenum ductile iron and compacted/vermicular iron. The group’s Gearings Foundry also supplies ductile iron flanges to Arvin and Tenneco to be used in catalytic converter assemblies. Since commissioning in 1977, the Murray & Roberts Autocast facility has produced more than a million engine blocks together with a comprehensive range of iron castings which includes cylinder heads, flywheels, manifolds, brake drums, brackets and brake discs to serve the growing needs of the automotive industry. The Port Elizabeth Foundry operation has developed its expertise in the supply of High Silicon Molybdenum (SiMo) exhaust manifolds, and will supply the Rocam engine requirement and other ford engine applications. Pinetown Engineering Foundry (PEFCO), a member of the M&R Foundries group, is capable of supplying machined castings in carbon steels, grey and ductile irons, as well as Ni hard, Ni resist, aluminium and copper based alloys. Pefco's range includes valves, tractor weights, gear wheels, pinions and bearings. Plant and resources are continually updated to keep pace with technological advances in control systems and production techniques and Pefco works to the standards set by ISO 9002 and BS 5750. The group’s plants meet the strictest international quality standards, according to D’Arcy. Certification in the different facilities includes QS 9000; S.A.B.S. ISO 9002; Ford Q101; VDA 6- Volkswagen A Rating: Toyota B+Rating; BS 5750; and ISO 9000. D’Arcy believes that the track record of the Murray and Roberts Foundries group combined with competitive pricing out of South Africa position the company as a preferred supplier to the automotive component markets around the world. “We have good products and are keen to expand,” he says. The strengths of the South African company include “available world-class labour, abundant raw materials, established supply lines, language and culture. “European and American companies feel very comfortable doing business with us. We have similar cultures, can share a joke and in the case of Europe, work in the same time zone. “As a result we work closely with European OEMs and design teams.” M&R Foundries also enjoys good working relationships with Japanese OEMs. The group has supplied Toyota for over 20 years, and uses Japanese lean manufacturing techniques in its Port Elizabeth foundry. D’Arcy sees South Africa growing in importance as a supplier of aluminium and iron castings and components. “We have all the ingredients – price, quality and a track record,” he says.