HORSE Drives Green Manufacturing Forward with New Aluminium Casting Line in Brazil
HORSE, a pioneer in innovative and low-emission powertrain systems, is poised to inaugurate a cutting-edge aluminium engine cylinder head production line at its Curitiba plant in Brazil.
This state-of-the-art facility will use tilting gravity casting to manufacture aluminium cylinder heads for the company’s 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre flex-fuel engines.
Projected to produce 210,000 cylinder heads annually, HORSE is investing €26.3 million in this new automated line, which will generate 60 new permanent jobs by 2026. An additional €6.5 million will enhance the Curitiba plant's testing and validation capabilities to keep pace with increased production volumes. The line is scheduled for entire operation by October 2026.
Antonio Vaz, Chief Process Engineering Officer at HORSE, stated, “By investing over €30 million in cylinder head production in Curitiba, we are enhancing our supply chain for critical engines in the South American market. This line introduces some of the most energy-efficient casting methods in the industry, achieving zero waste to landfill and demonstrating our commitment to South America and pioneering large-scale processes.”
The Curitiba line will be HORSE’s first globally to utilise gravity casting for cylinder production, a process renowned for its efficiency and superior mechanical and material performance.
Incorporating sustainably sourced inorganic sand, the facility will achieve zero waste in landfills, with all production waste recyclable.
The new line will manufacture cylinder heads for HORSE’s HR10 and HR13 turbo petrol engines, designed specifically for the South American market’s needs. These include the 3-cylinder 1.0-litre ‘HR10’ and 4-cylinder 1.3-litre ‘HR13’ engines, compatible with petrol and ethanol, supporting flex-fuel usage across Latin America. HORSE plans to commence domestic production of both engines at the Curitiba plant by the end of 2024.
These engines feature a delta-shaped cylinder head to minimise mass and volume, lower the centre of gravity, and enhance engine thermal management. The exhaust manifolds are integrated directly into the head, facilitating quicker turbo response and exceptional low-speed torque.
This new investment ensures that the cylinder heads of the HR10 and HR13 engines are entirely produced domestically at the Curitiba plant, consolidating the supply chain for these engines following a £16 million investment in November 2023 to start HR10 engine production in Curitiba.
Wesley Palma, Operations Director at HORSE Curitiba, commented, “This investment underlines Brazil's growing significance to HORSE and the global automotive industry. Building on our previous investments for the HR10 engine production in Brazil, this initiative will further localise production for our HR10 and HR13 engines with domestically cast cylinder heads, streamlining our supply chain and reinforcing Brazil’s position as a key centre for automotive innovation.”
