The lost foam production will be a complement to the Waukesha facility’s 50,000-ton green sand operation.
conversion to lost foam carried an added benefit: If the production via lost foam failed for any reason, the component could be supplied via the green sand operation. With such flexibility, this part, dubbed the “cookie cutter,” offered Pure Power’s personnel the ability to develop their skills, expand their knowledge base and trouble shoot any issues, whether they be technical, human or mechanical. “It allowed the hourly folks, who
are building the clusters, dipping the clusters and putting them in the fl asks, an opportunity to have a less stressful launch and a less stressful means to grow their knowledge,” Johnston said. “T e learning curve took a few months, to get the compaction cycles right, to take care of the standard defects.” In converting to lost foam, the cost savings associated with this 120,000 annual requirement casting resulted in Navistar recouping its tooling costs in a matter of months. “We were able to bring value to
ourselves and Navistar by eliminat- ing some machining, so this became an early success story,” Cheatham
said. “We were able to do it quickly and successfully to the point we shut down the green sand.” The bracket component, pro- duced in left and right variations, comprises half of the lost foam line’s current total tonnage.
Gathering Momentum T e lost foam line, with three
hourly employees working in a part- time manner, is a critical piece for Pure Power-Waukesha’s success. With an ability to handle rapid prototypes of various geometries while minimiz- ing scrap, the company now hopes to parlay that success into larger produc-
“Within the next 12-18 months, this will be an opportunity to
gain momentum.” —Mitch Cheatham
tion orders from both Navistar and external OEMs. Johnston, who still is a consul-
tant to Pure Power, grounds his optimism in the process that has prepared the lost foam line for increased production. “T ere wasn’t a heavy emphasis to
go after all sorts of new work and bring it in as fast as they could,” he said. “Having that pressure off them from the start really helped. It was about getting the process up and running and understanding what they’re capable of doing. T e variety of prototype programs has given them a chance to learn a lot faster and gain experience in a short amount of time.” Considering the investment, Pure
Power executives expects the lost foam line will continue to build on its three years of progress. “T ere’s a tremendous amount
of interest from our clients in lost foam,” Cheatham said. “It’s brought a lot of new clients in our door to look at the lost foam operation. Within the next 12-18 months, I think this will be an opportunity to gain momentum.”
December 2013 MODERN CASTING | 27
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