There have been big changes at Grainger & Worrall in recent years, as sales director Phil Ward makes clear. “We used to be known for engine blocks but that is now an increasingly small part of our business,” he states. “It has gone from being 70-80% engine castings to 70-80% other things. There really has been a radical change in the market and we are increasingly designing, specifying, simulating and analysing as well as making engine castings.”

This change has been driven by the increasing importance and presence of electric vehicles (EVs) in the output of the OEMs that make up Grainger & Worrall’s customer base. Ward is explicit on the point.  “Electrification-related elements such as battery trays and electric drive unit housings are new for everybody,” he states. 

For Grainger & Worrall, the move to electrification represents a mix of continuity and change. Castings, Ward explains, remain the main type of product involved, but the technical requirements associated with them are more stringent. “Castings are a great solution but those for EVs pose different requirement to those for internal combustion (IC) engines,” he states. “IC units are mostly about peak hardness and strength and performance at temperature. But EV castings don’t have same temperature requirements, instead, a key attribute is ductility for crash worthiness.”  

One example of where the company’s previous experience provides it with some degree of continuity is the electric drive unit (EDU) housing that contains the electric motor…