purchasing points P
A Step-by-Step Guide for Casting Buyers Douglas Bushey, ABB Motors and Generators, Greenville, S.C.
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etal castings are the most complicated and interesting products I have managed or pro- cured over my 20-plus
years working with diff erent categories in the supply chain. Metalcasters are located all over the world, and many of the facilities are family-owned businesses with long histories. Engineers design parts varying in complexity, size and volume, precluding casting buyers from purchasing components off the shelf. T is requires us to purchase and manage spe- cial tooling for each part and can require the use of multiple casting processes. Casting buyers must not only un- derstand the commercial issues of our supply base, but we must also under- stand our fi nished products, machin- ing processes and the metals market. Additionally, we need to work with many facets of our business: marketing, design engineering, materials engineer- ing, manufacturing and quality. With that in mind, the follow- ing is a step-by-step guide to buying castings for procurement managers just entering the fi eld (or veterans that need a refresher).
Step 1 T e fi rst step for anyone entering
the casting procurement fi eld should be to take full advantage of the knowledge of your predecessors. T ey have learned a lot over their journey, and you must absorb as much of that knowledge as you can before they are no longer avail- able. My predecessor sat down with me and went through each of our metal casting suppliers, detailing the pros and cons of each and why he chose them to produce certain parts for us. He gave me an overview of the processes that each metalcaster performed. He also recommended the supplier relation- ships I should keep and expand, and the ones I should transition away from.
Step 2 Next, research the metalcasting pro-
cesses, including sand casting (green sand, nobake and unbounded processes), per- manent mold casting (diecasting, gravity- fed permanent mold and low pressure permanent mold) and investment casting. A little light reading and internet research will go a long way in preparing you for this journey. T e American Foundry So- ciety (AFS) published the Casting Buyers Guide in 1988. It is a good reference tool that we supply to all of our casting commodity managers. AFS no longer sells the book, but you can purchase good used copies on the internet. AFS is in the process of developing a new book, which should be published in 2012, and could prove to be a useful, more current tool.
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• type of pattern (cope/drag, match- plate, etc.);
• fl ask size; • pattern material(s); • mounting; • number of impressions; • core box information.
Step 4 Develop a standard metalcasting
Anyone entering the fi eld should take advantage of your predecessors.
Step 3 You also will need to learn about
metalcasting tooling (patterns), some- thing I learned soon after entering the fi eld. One of our casting suppliers was going out of business when I assumed the casting procurement responsibility for my company, and we were forced to move 4,000 patterns to new suppliers. I hired a retired patternmaker, Dan- iel Grocki, to oversee the transition. Grocki recommended that I not treat the patterns just as part numbers to be moved. He insisted I look at the tool- ing and understand the components of both the patterns and coreboxes. He explained how all the parts and pieces worked in the casting process. He also recommended that we create a database with detailed descriptions of all the tooling. If it has not already been created,
you should develop a detailed list of your tooling by each metalcaster. Your metalcasters can help you compile this information. Some of the items your database should include:
survey for your company to help you better understand your existing supply base and perform a preliminary review of potential new metalcasters. T e survey should be brief so it does not re- quire much of your suppliers’ time, but it should be detailed enough to give you a thorough under- standing of the metalcaster. It should include
details like
molding processes/machines, fl ask sizes, melting processes, tons of melt, annual sales, percentage of sales by industry and percentage of sales by customer.
Step 5 Your fi nal step is to visit your metal-
casters. Select a small group of facilities for your fi rst visits. Pick metalcasting facilities your predecessor said were the best. T e metalcasters will be more than happy to teach you about their company, their processes and your tooling. Your fi rst visit should include metal-
casters that represent the diff erent molding and melting processes used to create your parts. If you are fortunate to have a casting metallurgist in your company, invite him or her on the visit. After you have completed these
steps, you will have a good foundation upon which to build a long career.
Doug Bushey is the global casting and fabrication category manager for the Motors and Generators business unit of ABB, Greenville, S.C.
Nov/Dec 2011 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 47
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