These finished finial and roof frame cast- ings were produced using Acuity Brands’ rapid tooling method. They are compo- nents to a street lamp.


10 weeks,” Davis said. “When you go out to bid a custom project, with no tooling cost and no leadtime, it’s a big advantage. Tat’s what we are stocking on and winning quite a bit on.” Acuity’s path to industry-leading


delivery times on new, custom projects started eight years ago with the spark of an idea from Davis, a designer with just about a year of casting experience under his belt.


Light Bulb Moment In 2003, Acuity had an order with


Key West, Fla., that included making custom door pulls with its town logo. Customization is nothing new in the outdoor architecture industry. Accord- ing to Davis, most towns want the antique look with their own twist to give it an identity. In the past, a rubber mold with the design addition—like a logo—was glued to the tool and then cast. Te rubber mold wore out quickly. Davis felt there was a better way to make custom products quickly and thought an ABS plastic 3-D


22 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Nov/Dec 2012


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