Tupy casts high-performance engines for Toyota Tundra in NASCAR craftsman truck series.

Furthering its production of compacted graphite iron (CGI) automotive components to European customers, Tupy, Joinville, State of Santa Catarina. Brazil, has expanded its customer base to North America with Toyota Racing Development (TRD), Costa Mesa, Calif.

As part of a seven-year contract (beginning in 2003), the South American metalcasting company signed a contract with TRD to cast an 89 kg (196-lb.) engine block for Toyota Tundra pickup trucks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The blocks first will be used in the tracks" 650-hp, V8 5.8L engines in 200S.

With assistance from SinterCast, Stockhohn, Sweden, and TRD, Tupy incorporated 33 sand cores in the engine. This is 40% more than conventional V8 blocks allowing for overall reduced weight and internal wall thicknesses of its little as 3 mm. As part of the contract, Tupy expects to produce 200 of these engine blocks per year.

"The development of the TRD V8 engine has allowed Tupy to define the absolute limits of lightweight CGI cylinder block design and foundry production capability," said Tupy President and CEO Luiz Tarquinio. "This has provided another opportunity for Tupy to establish itself its the world leader in CGI product development and production capability."