Daily Pour

Date: 25/02/2025   Issue No.: 3657/24-25

Compiled By: Aarti Ghag, Sr. Officer - WR

IIF News

Dear Foundrymen,

The Institute of Indian Foundrymen is organising inter-region work visit under Project Prayaas (Knowledge Sharing Program) 

To

M/s Aakar Foundry Pvt. Ltd & Tata Motors Mavel Foundry.

Pune (Western Region)

On 24th March 2025

 Registration is open for IIF Industry Members of the Southern Region, Northern Region, Eastern Region & Western Region limited to a total of 30 Nos.

Registration charges 2500 per person + GST

Please note that all hotel accommodation and travel expenses to PUNE will be taken care by delegates.

On completion of Factory visits, we will proceed by our bus to “Della Resorts Lonavala”

for the evening function. (Charges applicable).

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With Regards,

Aarti Ghag

Sr. Officer, IIF-WR

Phone: 7303511171

Thought of the Day

News Letter Supported By

Today's Top Raw Materials Headlines

*** India: Sponge iron prices rise on moderate trading

*** India: BigMint's billet index surges by INR 450/t d-o-d amid modest buying

*** India: Melting scrap prices rise by INR 300/t d-o-d in Alang

*** India: BigMint's scrap index gains INR 200/t d-o-d as steel demand shows slight improvement

*** Indian met coke quotas cause limited price impact

*** Chinese Ferro Silicon export price stabilizes

*** Chinese Silicon Metal prices stable

*** Chinese Manganese flake export price goes up slightly

Raw Material News

 India: Melting scrap prices rise by INR 300/t d-o-d in Alang

Ship-breaking scrap prices in Alang, Gujarat increased by INR 300/t d-o-d on 24 Feb'25, according to BigMint's latest assessment. HMS (80:20) stood at INR 33,000/t ($381/t) exy. This rise follows an increase of around INR 100/t d-o-d in finished steel prices in the region in the last trading session. Active buying interest further led sellers to raise their offers, which contributed to the price jump.

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Copper Prices Fluctuate as Market Awaits Direction 

Copper Prices Maintained Fluctuating Trend Overnight as Market Awaits Further Guidance] Last Friday evening, LME copper opened at $9,536.5/mt, fluctuated considerably from the beginning to the middle of the session, peaked at $9,567.5/mt near the session's end, then dropped back slightly to a low of $9,497/mt before finally closing at $9,515.5/mt, down by 0.44%. Trading volume reached 18,900 lots, and open interest stood at 292,000 lots. Last Friday evening, the most-traded SHFE copper 2504 contract opened at 77,350 yuan/mt, initially peaked at 77,700 yuan/mt, fluctuated downward during the session to a low of 77,400 yuan/mt, then rebounded to form a "V-shape," reaching 77,680 yuan/mt near the session's end. It then pulled back slightly and finally closed at 77,630 yuan/mt, up by 0.12%. Trading volume reached 20,000 lots, and open interest stood at 172,000 lots.

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Iron Ore Imports Profit Flat; Inventory Declines Ahead of Two Sessions

According to the SMM imported ore cost-profit table, the profit of imported ore was basically flat. As of February 21, SMM data showed that the total inventory at 35 ports had decreased to 149.18 million mt, down by 370,000 mt WoW. Next week, due to the impact of previous shipments, port arrivals may slightly decline, and port inventory still has the potential for destocking. Coupled with the approaching Two Sessions, the market remains optimistic about favorable policies. However, considering that the current iron ore prices are at a high level, there is significant resistance to further upward movement. In the short term, the profit of imported ore is expected to slightly decline.

Industry News

Scania and DHL to test electric truck with fuel-powered range extender

 Electric vehicles with fuel-powered range extender could be an interim solution while fully electric trucks are being scaled and charging infrastructure built. With the aid of the onboard generator – initially powered by petrol and later by diesel fuel/HVO – the truck’s range extends up to 800 kilometres.

Scania and DHL Group have jointly developed an electric truck with a fuel-powered generator, making it possible to shift to battery-electric road transport without having to wait for a complete charging network.

Fully electric vehicles are the ultimate solution in a sustainable transport system, and the shift to electric needs to accelerate now. There are, however, hurdles such as the lack of charging points, the high costs of ensuring enough charging capacity at the depots during seasonal peaks, and the strain on the grid and high spot prices for electricity on for instance calm winter days. This is where Scania and DHL’s Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) comes into the picture. The vehicle helps to overcome these hurdles while enabling DHL to drive 80 – 90% on renewable electricity.

The EREV is a 10.5-metre-long truck with a maximum weight of 40 metric tons, powered by a 230kW electric engine (295 kW peak). Energy is delivered by a 416 kWh battery and a 120 kW gasoline powered generator. With the aid of the onboard generator – initially powered by petrol and later by diesel fuel/HVO – the truck’s range extends up to 800 kilometres.

EREVs can be equipped with a software limiting the usage of the fuel-powered generator, thereby allowing CO2 emissions to be reduced and limited to a specified level. Its maximum speed is 89 km/h, with a cargo capacity of approx. 1,000 parcels (volume of a swap body). The truck can also pull a trailer with an additional swap body. The vehicle is to be deployed for ‘main carriage’ transport between the cities of Berlin and Hamburg.

Fuel-powered generator replaces one of the battery packs
The new e-truck will be deployed by the Post & Parcel Germany division in February for parcel transport between Berlin and Hamburg to test its performance in day-to-day operations, before additional vehicles are added to DHL’s fleet.

The fuel-powered generator replaces one of the battery packs in a fully electric truck not needed for the majority of the transport routes, thus reducing the range coming from the batteries, but providing back-up energy for the mentioned scenarios. The vehicle has a possible range of 650 to 800 kilometres (subject to the findings from the test) and can be refueled at any conventional petrol station, if needed. This compares with the 550 kilometres of Scania’s most modern and industry-leading 100 percent electric trucks with an equivalent maximum weight.

Pragmatic solution for making logistics more sustainable
According to DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer, “It is going to take some time before renewable electricity, the grid and charging infrastructure are available and robust enough to rely fully on battery-electric trucks, especially for a large-scale system like the German parcel network of DHL. Instead of waiting for this day to come, DHL and Scania are collaborating on a pragmatic solution for making logistics more sustainable and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 80%. This vehicle is a sensible, practical solution that can make an immediate contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transport short-term. Such reductions should be proportionally reflected in the road toll pricing and EU fleet emission scheme. We see this collaboration as a successful innovation project of two companies committed to battle climate change.”

Christian Levin, CEO, Scania, added: “The future is electric, but perfect must not be the enemy of good as we are getting there. The vehicle we have developed together with DHL is an example of interim solutions that can enhance the scaling of decarbonised heavy transport before the transport system eventually becomes 100 percent electrified. An effective climate transition requires that policymakers accept such solutions, while ramping up their investments in public infrastructure and other enabling conditions.”

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The New Supply Chain Mantra is Collaboration

Creating collaboration strategies with suppliers can have a major impact in cutting expenses.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) calls for it,  consumer goods technology businesses are investing in it in droves,  and it’s been linked to higher business performance: supply chain collaboration is being singled out as a key objective for this year and beyond. Cost-cutting remains a key imperative for business leaders, with 56% expecting to prioritize cost reduction over revenue growth for 2025, especially as tariffs and counter tariffs threaten margins for businesses importing from Mexico, Canada and China.

Businesses also clearly signal that supplier collaboration will be a leading strategy for businesses wanting to achieve efficiency and protect revenues. In fact, research confirms that over two-fifths of businesses are focusing on driving value through supplier partnerships, and 69% are prioritizing stock visibility and procurement strategy optimization.

Transforming the supply chain—once mainly seen as a cost center—into a pathway to generate additional value is the objective that businesses have set their sights on, and better supplier collaboration is the way they want to achieve it. This is in stark contrast with traditional cost-cutting strategies where negotiating the lowest price with suppliers was the main success metric. More and more businesses are abandoning this short-term savings strategy, having seen that it can lead to quality issues and delays which in turn may mean embarrassing or dangerous product recalls, customer dissatisfaction, loss of customer loyalty, and reputational damage.

Instead, when partner collaboration is placed at the core of supply chain relationship management, negotiations can become an opportunity that yields benefits far beyond price-setting to embrace shared investment in innovation and evaluation of new, better routes of other suppliers, processes and raw materials. By leveraging shared values and promising benefits for all parties involved, collaboration stimulates innovation, out-of-the-box thinking and agility.

The Value of Partnerships

Collaborative partnerships play a key role in building resilience in the supply chain, helping prevent bottlenecks, sharing and thus mitigating risk. Through greater collaboration it is possible to consolidate spend or uncover shared inefficiencies, correcting it with, for example, the use of a different shipper, or the employment of a lighter material. Another great benefit to this collaborative approach is that it can help promote compliance and sustainability as suppliers and partners with matching values evaluate together alternative sources, lower carbon transport and other solutions.  

Partner collaboration thus has an impact on the supply chain that extends far beyond cutting costs for raw materials, components, transport, storage, or other expenses. It can help ensure that a company’s values are reflected every step of the way, from sourcing and logistics to inventory management and negotiating fair payment terms. For example, ethically run businesses may want to ensure that they prioritize on-time payments. This commitment fosters trust, which can lead to improved payment terms or pricing advantages, but is also key to building a reputation for reliability and accountability with suppliers.

Collaborative supply chain management is in fact based on building trust and transparency. The leading objective is to create a communicative environment where efficiency and quality are prioritized over short-term cost-cutting. Transparent demand forecasts, for instance, help suppliers optimize production processes, minimize waste and lower operational costs. These savings may then be passed on to the buyer.

Suppliers can also improve demand management and inventory needs synchronization with more transparency and prevent overproduction which results in greater stock storage costs, another opportunity to pass on savings. Better communication can enable more efficient resources allocation, production schedules and inventory management, ultimately reducing waste. These savings can then be passed on to the buyer. 

Procurement platforms analyzing real-time data can help provide this level of insight and transparency both internally and in communications with suppliers. Internally, they support businesses in laying the foundation for resilience by rapidly assessing multiple supplier data points. This helps keep vendor options open and avoid sourcing from only a limited pool of specialty suppliers. 
By providing transparency across the entire chain, technology can also provide visibility into potential gaps in supply continuity, supporting proactive contingency planning. These solutions moreover provide easy-to-digest information for cross-functional teams so information is rapidly actionable in case of a crisis.

Centralized platforms that automate transactions, facilitate communication, and provide advanced analytics therefore allow businesses to easily identify inefficiencies and optimize procurement strategies. By leveraging intelligent technologies, companies can enhance decision-making, mitigate risks and access diverse data sources, without overburdening internal teams or suppliers with excessive manual data entry and frequent updates.

Keeping Score

One communication-enhancing strategy supported by modern technology platforms is regular supplier relationship evaluation based on scorecards. These provide opportunities to analyze performance and other metrics, while also sharing potential areas for improvement. Using scorecards for these evaluations offers further transparency in evaluation. These scorecards may also provide a starting point for renegotiations for both parties, opportunities to share insights on other stages in the supply chain, and even for developing shared R&D initiatives. Enabling buyers and suppliers to collaborate openly, businesses also unlock opportunities to dive deeper into mutual values and objectives, sharing insights and ideas.

Finally, as businesses reframe their focus on cost management to creating opportunities for value, they are targeting operational improvements through supplier collaboration. To ensure they enact this change, businesses will need to build on transparency, investing in tools that streamline collaboration and help share insights and analysis across a range of functions both internally and with their partners. This must be achieved without overburdening teams and partners with lengthy manual data entry. Fortunately, automation has come in support of businesses wanting to share and manage communications with suppliers efficiently, offering tools to ensure that data, certifications, performance parameters, delivery statistics, environmental impact and contractual terms, to name just a few, are constantly updated without the need for frequent human manual intervention.

Successful collaboration is not a compromise, but an approach that balances short-term wins such as signing a lower cost-per-item with other factors like sustainability, ethical sourcing of raw materials, reliable quality, supplier diversity, long-term sustainability, and risk management. Advanced spend analytics and a streamlined approach to data analysis and sharing can help businesses implement better connections with their suppliers, transforming their transactional relationships into full-fledged partnerships aimed at improving outcomes for all parties involved.

When a longer-term view to value creation is plugged into supplier relationship management, it is possible to realize unexpected benefits that stretch far beyond cost-cutting on a single contract or agreement. In a more interconnected world, global supply chains become increasingly interdependent, so companies that prioritize a collaborative approach will be better placed both to pivot in case of risk and to grasp advantages ahead. By investing in shared visions for success, businesses all along the supply chain will create a more supportive network, whatever the future holds.

Life Style and Management

Heart attacks also common in young adults:

A heart attack, known earlier as a disease of the old, is now strikingly common in people aged 40 and below, finds a study.

The study compared people aged 41-50 years and 40 or younger heart attack survivors and found that among patients who suffer a heart attack at a young age overall is 40 or younger.

In addition, the proportion of people below 40 having a heart attack has been increasing, rising by 2 per cent each year for the last 10 years.

"It used to be incredibly rare to see anyone under age 40 come in with a heart attack and some of these people are now in their 20s and early 30s," said Ron Blankstein, Associate Professor at Harvard University.

Importantly, youngest heart attack survivors have the same likelihood of dying from another heart attack or stroke as survivors over 10 years older.

While the traditional risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, family history of premature heart attack and high cholesterol, substance abuse, including marijuana and cocaine were more the reason behind the increased heart attacks in younger patients.

The findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans.

For the study, the researchers included a total of 2,097 young patients.

They found that the group below 40 had more spontaneous coronary artery dissection -- a tear in the vessel wall, which tends to be more common in women, especially during pregnancy.

Good habits like avoiding tobacco, regular exercise, heart healthy diet, weight loss if required, managing blood pressure and cholesterol, controlling diabetes if required, and staying away from substance abuse need to be maintained for a good heart, Blankstein suggested.

Jokes All the Way......

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