This unique mold packaging system, in which segments of cores are sandwiched together, was developed by Cat Mapleton in-house.
begin production on most (if not all) of the long run gray iron engine cylinder block and head work that was being done at Mapleton. Te facility was at a crossroads. “Originally, when we made the decision to do Tech-
nocast, we thought [Mapleton] would be able to subsist on what was left—predominately engine liners and large cylinder blocks,” said Gary Bevilacqua, facility manager. “It would have left us at about 40,000 tons per year. But when we started to peel back the layers, it was clear we couldn’t be profitable.” Tose 40,000 tons were all that were produced in 2009 (the depths of the recession), down from 155,000 tons in 2006. In addition to the bulk of the work going to Techno- cast, some other small and mid-size castings were outsourced to other global companies. But instead of closing up shop in the face of adversity, engineers at the Mapleton plant found a way to redesign the facility producing low- and medium-run blocks, heads and commercial castings. Te result was a plant with two entirely re-engineered
production lines and a streamlined employee workforce of 450 (down from 1,000) that is profitable at 40,000 tons/year of gray, ductile and compacted graphite iron (CGI) castings. According to company executives, the goal is to produce in the range of 80,000 tons annually, at which point the plant will operate most effectively. Now running all three of its major product lines—large
cylinder blocks, heads and engine liners—the plant projects to be well on its way to reaching that number in 2011. In the process, it’s also landed the title of 2011 MODERN CAST- ING Metalcaster of the Year.
Molding Line Is Number 1 Caterpillar’s Mapleton facility was built in 1979 around
two green sand molding lines. Te lines were designed to crank out 10- to 32-liter cylinder block and head castings weighing up to 750 lbs. When the transition to Technocast began taking that bread and butter work, Caterpillar planned to open the facility’s capacity up to outside customers. Tat turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. “It’s tough being a captive [facility] for so long and then
这种砂芯夹在一起的独特的砂型组装系统是由Cat Mapleton自 行开发的。（照片2）
缸盖。
该工厂正处于十字路口。 “本来，当我们决定做Technocast，我们认为
[Mapleton]将能够依靠剩下的发动机缸套和大型缸体业 务生存下去，”设备经理Gary Bevilacqua加里说。 “ 本来每年留在我们这里的约有40,000吨。 但当我们开 始剥开种种外皮的时候，很明显我们不能盈利。 从2006年的15.5万吨衰退到2009年的40,000吨（ 经济衰退的深渊）。除了大部分的生产移交到Techno- cast，其它一些小型和中等规模的铸件外包了给其它的 全球性公司 。
但面对逆境Mapleton厂的工程师们非但没有关门， 而是找到一种方法重新改造设备，生产中短期的缸体、 缸盖和商业铸件。
其结果是两个完全重新设计的生产线和员工队伍精简 到450人（原来是1000人），这样每年生产40,000吨的 灰铁、球墨铸铁和蠕墨铸铁（蠕墨铸铁）铸件是有利润 的。据公司负责人说，目标是每年产量80000吨以内， 此时，该工厂将最有效地运作。
基于现在所有运行的三个主要产品生产线——大缸 体、缸盖和发动机缸套——该厂计划在2011年达到 8000吨。在这个过程中，它也登上了2011年度《现代 铸造》铸造厂的位置。
造型生产线是第一位
卡特彼勒公司的Mapleton工厂始建于1979年，拥有 两个湿型砂造型线。这些生产线设计用于铸造10 - 32 升重达750磅的缸体和缸盖铸件。当Technocast在过渡 时期能够完成基本工作后，卡特彼勒计划向外界客户开 放设备的能力。这竟然比预期的更加困难 。 “作为内部设施这么久，然后走出去和外部的业务 竞争是很难的，”Bevilacqua说。 “例如，我们进入 风电铸件业务。但是我们需要10万美元推出产品—优先
Winter 2012
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