process control systems and metrics- charting. He gestured to a board showing the status of several product launches at the Radford facility. “You can tell this plant is in the


process of launching a lot of work,” he said with pride. Te Radford plant has the bones to make the launches successful. It has changed considerably over the years since the original pipe operation was launched in the 1800s. Te main metalcast- ing facility that remains features two high production vertical molding lines running parallel down a long building, straight into shakeout, shot blasting and shipping. Its six coldbox core machines sit in a line just downstream from the molding stations, but that and what Allerton calls a “little zigzag” in the smaller line are the only things keeping it from being 100% linear production. “You go in, and it flows beautifully,”


Allerton said. “You can see it. Some of [our] plants, you go in and there are different lines tucked in here and there due to expansion over the years and you have to spend some time getting your feet under you.” Five months after the Radford


acquisition, Grede focused its capital improvements on general maintenance necessary due to underinvestment by previous owners. “Te infusion of capital from


Grede, as well as the new operat- ing system,” has been critical to the


facility’s success, according to Kevin Mitchell, Radford’s technical manager. Tat capital is about to pick up.


Two replacement furnaces from Inductotherm have been ordered and will soon be installed so the plant can maintain its current levels of produc- tion. Mitchell said the next big spend will be on rebuilding one of its two inline blast machines. He expects the project to take place in October. Te general maintenance spending


at the facility isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, either. “We’ll have more repairs that pop up


as we start to run at higher speeds and move new product,” DelSignore said.


A Resurrected Plant Moves Forward


Allerton has an apt analogy for the 100% automotive Radford plant. It’s a racecar. Sure, it’s a racecar that needs some work, but Grede currently has it in the pit and is nearly ready to put it back on the track. “Radford is an important and stra-


tegic fit for Grede due to its diverse automotive customer base,” Grimm said. “By expanding our operations to include the Radford foundry, we are able to meet customer needs for increased capacity and expand our automotive growth.” Once the car is running at full


speed around the track, it’s just a matter of making minor tweaks to continue improving performance.


“We are good with the core prod- uct [like steering knuckles, brake parts, brackets and control arms],” Lovell said. “But if we could diversify a little bit, it wouldn’t be frowned upon. Right now, the growth and main focus, with the uptick in the marketplace, is automotive.” Possible additions to the product


mix would be mid- to high-volume brackets or calipers for on-highway vehicles. Because the Radford plant is capable of pattern changes in three to 10 minutes, the non-automotive work wouldn’t throw it off schedule. Te plant is also one of Grede’s four


target locations for production of Sibo- Dur, a patented iron alloy intended to produce lighter chassis, powertrain and drivetrain components for automotive and heavy-duty trucks. Grede established a license agreement for the material with Swiss-based Georg Fischer Automotive AG earlier this year and is currently test- ing it for production. “We are looking at opportunities


… where it fits and where a customer needs weight reduction,” Lovell said. “It’s been very successful over in Europe with the likes of GM and VW, and it should be a great opportunity for our customers here.” While Lovell admits moving


the material into Radford would be a challenge, he and the rest of the company’s management are confident the employees at the newest Grede location are up to it. “Tere is a very diverse and in-


depth background in the surrounding areas that you can pull from for a lot of experience,” Mitchell said. “You have a very in-depth knowledge base that is already here.” For the city of Radford’s part,


Edwards believes the municipality is ready for its metalcasting facility to again be one of its major economic engines. “It has been there a long time,” he


said. “A lot of the folks that are in and around it grew up with it there. Teir great-grandfathers worked there.”


ONLINE RESOURCE


Grede Radford features two vertical green sand molding machines running parallel down the facility. Six core machines feed the molding lines.


Visit www.moderncasting.com to listen to an audiocast with Grede executives.


October 2012 MODERN CASTING | 23


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