India's National Aluminium Company (NALCO) launched a new aluminum alloy ingot grade — IA91 — on February 25, 2026 at its Kolkata stockyard. The product is a silicon-based casting alloy designed for gravity die casting and low-pressure die casting applications.
What Is IA91
IA91 is an aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) casting alloy in ingot form. NALCO describes it as engineered to balance three properties: castability (how well the molten metal fills a mold), mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. The silicon content improves fluidity during casting and reduces shrinkage during solidification — both critical for producing parts with complex geometries and thin-wall sections.
The primary target applications are automotive components, electrical and power equipment, industrial machinery, and general foundry work. NALCO positions the alloy for gravity die casting and low-pressure die casting rather than high-pressure die casting.
Why It Matters
India has been building up its aluminum casting capacity rapidly, driven by automotive lightweighting demand and electric vehicle development. A domestically produced casting alloy ingot reduces Indian foundries' reliance on imports for specialized grades and strengthens local supply chains.
For international buyers sourcing from Indian foundries, this development signals a maturing raw material ecosystem in the region. Consistent, locally available alloy supply reduces lead time risk and improves supply chain resilience for casting programs.
How Aluminum Casting Alloys Fit the Broader Picture
Aluminum-silicon alloys like IA91 belong to the same material family widely used across the global die casting industry. In high-pressure die casting — the process used for most automotive and home appliance aluminum parts — the dominant alloys are A380 (US standard) and ADC12 (Japanese standard), both Al-Si based. Gravity casting and low-pressure casting alloys differ in silicon and copper content to suit their slower fill rates and different solidification characteristics.
At Meituo, our aluminum die casting production uses ADC12 and equivalent alloys for high-pressure die casting across home appliance, automotive, and industrial applications. Every incoming ingot batch is tested by spectrometer to verify alloy composition before entering the melting furnace — a standard quality gate in any serious casting operation.
Sources
AL Circle — "NALCO launches IA91 aluminium alloy ingot for high-performance casting applications"
https://www.alcircle.com/news/nalco-launches-ia91-aluminium-alloy-ingot-for-high-performance-casting-applications-117436
Machine Maker — "NALCO Introduces IA91 Grade Aluminium Alloy Ingot for Advanced Casting Applications"
https://themachinemaker.com/news/nalco-introduces-ia91-grade-aluminium-alloy-ingot-for-advanced-casting-applications/
Indian Masterminds — "NALCO Launches IA91 Aluminium Alloy Ingot for Automotive, Electrical, and Industrial Applications"
https://indianmasterminds.com/news/nalco-launches-ia91-aluminium-alloy-ingot-automotive-industrial-2026-187743/
