Chilled cast iron tappet has a tendency microstructure of white, mottled and gray iron. The exact composition and other casting parameters, like pouring temperature, inoculation and coating, need to be determined for achieving the desired thickness of the chilled layer. Chilled cast iron finds applications in areas where improved hardness and wear resistance are required. Mottled cast iron has very poor machinability and high brittleness due to the presence of secondary cementite. These constitute the limitations for its use. The influence of inoculation, pouring temperature, coating thickness and chill plate on chilled depth was investigated. Taguchi design-of-experiments (DOE) are used for generating an optimal set of casting parameters to obtain a satisfactory chilled depth. Analysis of the effects of all the parameters on chilled depth has been carried out through a microstructure study. © 2017 Taylor & Francis.