job of developing the castings up front. Some aren’t as sophisticated. T ey make the patterns and then do the optimization. Invariably, those companies end up adding metal here or there to eliminate shrink. T ose activities are detrimental to us as a machine shop because we have to take the metal off . T ey pay to put it on, and we pay to take it off .” T e company currently buys cast-
ings from six metalcasting facilities, with several new suppliers potentially coming online. T e company’s largest single casting supplier is T yssenK- rupp Waupaca (although the company declined to put a specifi c number on its overall metalcasting spending). General Products requires that its suppliers work closely with it on all programs, become involved early on and understand its full requirements. According to its general guidelines for suppliers, price, quality, on-time
For the automotive and commercial vehicle markets, General Products machines engine, driveline and chassis components. For aero- space and defense customers, it produces parts for propulsion engines, auxiliary power units and fl uid management systems.
delivery and location are the most critical components in determining viable suppliers. “Obviously, price is important,
but logistics are critical,” Newby said. “Today, the cost of fuel and trucking really drive the choices. If you have a facility in Mexico, you are not going to
February 2012 MODERN CASTING | 37
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