EDITORIAL


Can You Re-Engineer? M


etalcasters are proud of their heritage. Modern Casting regularly profiles plants built on foundations established decades


(and in some cases more than a century) ago. While this history is a testament to the strength of the industry, it also can present its challenges in daily production. As your facility has expanded over time when capital was available, you added a core machine where there was open floor space and installed a molding station in an- other open area. If grinding space was required, you may have expanded to a neighboring build- ing. Te idea has always been to expand capacity in an economically feasible manner without interfering with production to better serve the customer. Te struggle is that these individual expansions


some companies have answered this question in three features focused on


plant engineering.


Modern Casting, we share how


In this issue of


For voestalpine Nortrak in Decatur, Ill., the


opportunity didn’t exist to start from scratch (see feature on p. 25). Instead, it embarked on an expansion and reorganization of its existing facility that utilized best practices from its sister facilities. For Nortrak, the key was using a well-established re-engineering process up-front that involved asking some critical questions:


“Te bottleneck analysis clearly indi- cated the areas that required additional machinery. How- ever, the analysis also indicated how certain current equipment could be better utilized by changing or improving the opera- tional flow (logistics) and creating buffers before and after certain equipment.”


probably have resulted in less than ideal product flow. Castings are touched too often by forklifts. Molten metal must travel too far before reaching the mold line. More time is spent moving raw materials and finished goods around the plant than absolutely necessary, reducing your bottom line. Te extent of the problem varies by facility, but, according to the experts, almost every facility has an opportunity to improve. Te question is, how? In this issue of Modern Casting, we share how


some companies have answered this question in three features focused on plant engineering. In the feature “Lead Free in the ‘Live Free’


State,” on p. 20, Watts Water Technologies, Frank- lin, N.H., decided to take the biggest plunge in re-engineering its plant by building a new facility next to its old one to improve production flow and ensure optimal adherence to a new lead standard. Tis firm started with a blank slate and used best practices in-house and out-of-house to ensure ef- ficient production:


“Te location’s synergies, with lead-free


and leaded components produced in tandem using the latest technology, provide an inte- grated, agile solution for its U.S. customers.”


In the case of our third engineering feature, “Evalu- ating Equipment Performance” on p. 30, the focus is on re-engineering equipment. From the big projects to the small, critical questions must be asked and answered if you are to reach the next level of productivity:


“Most operational issues can be easy to


correct with proper training. With a process control program, training occurs from the management level down through mainte- nance and operations. Tis eliminates costly mistakes or ‘Band-Aid’ fixes and gets to the root of the problem.”


You have built your facility through the years.


One of your goals today is to maximize efficiency and profit. Use some of the tips and suggestions from these features to ensure your engineering pro- cess will allow you to meet your customer demands for increased capacity over the next few years.


Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief


If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in Modern Casting, email me at aspada@afsinc.org.


October 2013 MODERN CASTING | 7


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