Magellan Aerospace & Aequs Partner for Sand Casting Facility in India

Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) Magellan Aerospace Corporation on Thursday said it has signed an initial pact with Aequs Private Limited to explore establishing a sand casting facility at the latter's Belagavi Aerospace Cluster (BAC) in Karnataka.

The proposed 50:50 joint venture facility both for commercial and defence sectors aims to meet the sand casting demands in the growing aerospace industry, Aequs Aerospace said.

This is the second partnership Aequs has stitched up with the Canada-headquartered aerospace manufacturer as last year it announced a similar tie-up for an aircraft engineO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) in Karnataka.

These ventures demonstrate the foundation of the Aequs and Magellan relationship that aims to deliver effective solutions to support a global customer base, the company said.

Magellan is currently a centre of excellence for sand castings in North America, with the ability to cast complex geometries in the industry utilizing the chemically bonded sand process, Aequs said.

India at present has a limited number of aerospace-qualified NADCAP sand casting facilities and this proposed venture aims to enhance sand casting capabilities in Southeast Asia, it said.

"This proposal to explore the setting up of a sand casting facility with our long-time partner Magellan Aerospace at the Belagavi Aerospace Cluster is aligned with our commitment to offer our customers world class manufacturing processes and technologies," said Aravind Melligeri, Chairman and CEO, Aequs.

India's aerospace sector has experienced growth over the past decade, driven by government initiatives including Make in India and UDAN Scheme, growth in the private sector, and increasing air traffic, the company said.

"With the anticipated aerospace and aviation growth, this potential new sand casting venture in India will focus on infrastructure development, cost advantages, capacity increases and strategic initiatives that are essential to realizing the sector's global potential. Magellan is committed to helping grow this commodity in India," said Phillip Underwood, President and CEO, Magellan Aerospace.