Olson utilizes a mold turntable in its new nobake line at its facility in Rockford, Ill.
be ready,” said Mike Stahl, Olson Aluminum sales manager. “Our top 10 customers thought it was encouraging [that we were expanding].”
Nobake or Green Sand? Olson Aluminum’s big decision
surrounding the investment was not so much whether to add another molding line but whether to add another green sand line. Te metalcaster already operated seven green sand cope and drag and matchplate lines, and gained some experience working with nobake cores for larger castings in its prototype work. “It was a big question for us,” Stahl
pany has the ability to significantly increase its total production. A new cleaning room and associated equip- ment is in the process of installation and additional heat treat capacity is planned at the end of this year. The added capacity comes at
an advantageous time for many of Olson Aluminum’s customers recov- ering from the recession. “We had a handful of customers
who had projections of rapid growth and were wondering if we would
said. “Do we go for higher automa- tion and high volume or higher complexity and increased flexibility? We had to determine where our core competency was.” Olson Aluminum’s green sand lines offered tried and true production for
its historic casting types and custom- ers. Combined with the metalcasting facility’s gating techniques and melting methods, the green sand lines provide consistent, quality parts with pres- sure tight and leak free characteristics, along with superior surface finishes and metallurgical properties, according to Stahl. “Te company has been run
conservatively in finances and with how the processes and patterns are designed,” he said. “Tat tends to bring the type of customer who demands leak-free, pressure-tight qualities to our program. We have stayed on that path, producing components needing a high degree of engineering, exceptional machinabil- ity and superior surface finishes.” Olson Aluminum concentrates
on moderate volume jobs spanning a wide mix of products. Its emphasis on a high mix of castings eventually
“We don’t want to paint our customers in a corner. Our goal is to design casting
programs that will work the first time.” —Mike Stahl, sales manager
August 2012 MODERN CASTING | 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68