A rapid printer created the sand core (right) that produced the corresponding metal casting quickly.
both buyer and supplier. But for the more complex engineered cast components, an additional amount of service or technical assistance may be required from the met- alcasting facility, commonly in development of new products. Te metalcaster may provide assistance with component design, informa- tion on properties and metallurgy, troubleshooting, pattern assistance or pattern models, and experimen- tal castings. When a complex casting will
be produced in large quantities, a model casting may be made to assist in planning production equipment. Te model will assist in establish- ing the most efficient metalcasting method by providing an opportu- nity to establish critical factors such as the parting line and core prints on the actual shape. Tis also can be of assistance in planning for subse- quent processes, such as machining.
9
Lead Times, First Article Delivery and Prototypes
Lead time is commonly defined as the amount of time
between contract agreement and delivery of the first article, ei- ther prototype or initial produc- tion. Lead time is reduced with metalcasting compared to other manufacturing methods by elimi- nating and/or shortening the time required for tool production, parts ordering and delivery, assembly, finishing and machining. Different metalcasting processes
offer designers and purchasers a wealth of tooling and no-tooling op- tions to economically produce short runs of components. From a tooling perspective, a
hardwood, plastic or aluminum pattern stored at the metalcasting facility can be ideal for produc- tion runs from 10-100 parts/year. When purchasers compare the cost of a hardwood tool to that of the jigs and fixtures (and possibly floor space and inventory) required for weldments and assemblies, the simple pattern looks attractive. With the proliferation of CAD and CNC machining, metalcasting tooling can be produced for 30% less than it was even five years ago with higher dimensional accuracy.
32 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Jul/Aug 2014 From a no-tooling perspective, if
a lead time of less than two weeks is required and an operation is looking for a short run of compo- nents (typically less than 10) or prototypes to test for form, fit and function, the metalcasting industry and rapid prototyping technologies have teamed up to offer a variety of alternatives for no-tooling metal component production.
10
Value-Added Operations
Often the metalcast-
ing facility can perform additional production operations that may increase direct cost of the casting but will reduce the total cost of the finished product. Heat treating, painting and inspection are typical additional operations that may be efficiently performed by a metalcast- ing facility. For production runs, castings may be justified or targeted in a gaging fixture to provide ac- curate locating points for subsequent machining operations. Tis assures the correct amount of stock is avail- able to be removed on each critical finish surface.
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