the time to do it right to begin with, you pay for it again and again and again. In the engineering process, lead time is important to have. We often add cost to the product to give you sound castings based on unsound design principles,” said Weiss. “So it is very much a cost driver.” His greatest recommendation for
driving down non-value-added cost issues is solidification modeling soft- ware, which facilitates communication and understanding between casting designers and metalcasters. “It would lead to a lot more intelligent engineer- ing dialogue,” he said.
Vertical integration Increasingly, metalcasters are taking
on all of the steps involved in producing a part, from casting through assembly and shipping. It is challenging logistically, but the benefits extend to both the sup- plier and the buyer. “Single-source responsibility defi-
nitely is a plus,” said Bye. “Tere’s no blame game—if something’s wrong, the supplier has to find out what’s changed, whether it’s the metal or the fixturing, the cutting tool or whatever. It’s one person’s responsibility without argument or the customer having to get involved in it.” Scheduling is more accurate when
the myriad tasks involved in complet- ing a job are all performed in-house. And with fewer suppliers, a part might be managed from start to finish by the same engineers.
“One of the most fun things we’ve
had since we got into machining in- house,” Bye offered, “was finding we could remove cores and add machining to achieve the same part at a lower cost. [Vertical integration] means agility,” she said. “You can get parts quicker, change your mind, and you won’t have parts sit- ting in inventory for months. With single sourcing you’ve got that communication to speed it up. Te value of it is hard to say, but we have some customers that say it’s a 50% savings because they get just what they want, how they want it.” Communication between casting
designers, buyers and suppliers can reveal hidden costs and opportunities for im- provement as well as savings. Te more involved the metalcaster is in the plan- ning stages, the better the end result.
Mar/Apr 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 25
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