SDI Holds Concrete M


Shea Gibbs, Senior Editor


ark Tumason, an original equipment designer for Schwager Davis Inc. (SDI), San Jose, Calif., says he knows just


enough about metalcasting to be dan- gerous. He’s being modest, according to one of his metalcasting suppliers. Not only does Tumason know what he needs from his metalcasters, he makes an effort to design for castability when he passes off a component blueprint. “We defi nitely consider [design for


castability] when drawing up a part,” Tumason said. “We consider where the parting lines are and what will and will not work.” That’s fortunate, as about 25% (by number) of the components that go into every one of the company’s post tensioning systems are metal castings; each system requires two cast bearing plates and two anchor heads. The parts vary from one system to another only slightly in shape but greatly in size, so the company does have to


Visit www.moderncasting.com for an audiocast with Todd Farrar, sales and marketing manager of Farrar Corp., Norwich, Kan., one of Schwager Davis’s metal casting suppliers.


seek out different casting suppliers for various systems. In the course of its 27-year history,


SDI has learned a few things that work and a few things that don’t when cal- laborating with casting suppliers. But it has taken a lot of back and forth with qualifi ed metalcasters to arrive at that point. “We know who’s out there and who can do what,” Tumason said.


Holding Tight SDI doesn’t generally get hired to build


things. Instead, the company is hired by other construction companies to help them build things. The company’s post tensioning systems are used primarily


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MODERN CASTING / February 2010


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