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Value-Added Services Bob Mueller Jr., Joy Global Surface Mining, Milwaukee
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n today’s ultracompetitive metal casting industry, a true “world class” supplier can be defi ned by its ability to provide value-added services to your relationship. So,
what are they and what benefi ts do they provide? Value-added services diff er between the types of metal castings provided, but many are common to all materials and end users. Engineering services provided by
your metal caster can play a key role in your eff orts to both develop new cast products and improve existing metal castings. Metal casting providers are the experts in their fi eld and can play a vital role, working alongside your design engineers to develop cost-eff ective parts that meet the design intent of the your engineering group and to provide a part that incorporates “castability.” Met- alcasting engineers can provide material suggestions that, while still meeting design requirements, may provide additional cost savings and characteristics like increased strength or wear resistance. A real-world example of this in-
lidifi cation that changed the need for risers from three to two. T e casting specialist also incorporated a cast-on lifting lug that dramatically improved servicing in the fi eld. T e overall cost savings associated with this example was more that 40% and helped keep the lead time to a minimum. One key to this process was the de-
sign review with the metalcaster prior to the release of the part. I strongly sug- gest you involve your metalcasters early in the design process to help provide guidance in your designs and material selections. More important than the savings we gained was the favorable
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volved a new steel casting design that required signifi cant wear resistance and ease of serviceability. T e initial, unreleased design required the use of three risers to feed the long, narrow plate that provided the wear surface. T e metal caster in this case brought in its engineering specialist to go through the part with the design engineer, pur- chasing agent and the supplier quality engineer. After providing a clear under- standing of the casting’s requirements, the OEM team turned to the specialist for suggestions. T is resulted in a material change
that, in addition to saving signifi cant cost, provided superior wear charac- teristics. T e engineering specialist was able to suggest a modifi cation to the design of the top wear surface on a plate to provide directional so-
I strongly suggest you involve your metalcasters early in the design process to help provide guidance in your designs
and material selections.”
experience our design engineers had in the process. Fast forward to today and you will fi nd 100% of all new metal casting designs from our engineer- ing group go through this prerelease process. Overall costs have gone down, lead times have decreased and quality has improved signifi cantly from all of our metalcasting sources. Another value-added service your
metal casting supplier can provide is an educational experience in the art of metalcasting. Everyone in your com- pany can benefi t from this by gaining a basic understanding of the casting process. Engineering can gain knowl- edge in good vs. poor casting designs, as well as the cost drivers in metal castings and how these can be avoided through design. Purchasing and planning groups can learn what it means when a metal casting supplier has a part in the shakeout process, or why a casting has a mold hold time. Quality engineers can learn more defi ned details on given defects to improve communication
between themselves and their met- alcaster. Typical OEMs today do not employ a great number of people with extensive metalcasting knowledge, so taking full advantage of your cast- ing supplier’s educational off erings is priceless. I regularly take engineering, procurement and planning people with me when I visit my suppliers, and the feedback I receive is nothing short of spectacular. In fact, currently there is a waiting list of those interested in taking these educational tours with me. Reach out to your supplier for opportunities to learn the metal casting process. I am sure they will be more than happy to open their doors to you and your team. We associate “value-
added services” mostly with additional opera- tions such as machining, painting or even portions of the assembly your parts may go into. But today’s metalcasting industry is much more technologically advanced
than the old image of smoke and fi re so many associate with the foundry industry. Solidifi cation modeling is a tool that, in the right hands, can provide your engineering team with valuable information before a cast part is even ordered. New advancements in the soft- ware today can provide insights into the mechanical properties of a part, reveal areas subject to certain defects and help evaluate the impact part modifi cations will have on the cast part. If utilized correctly, solidifi cation modeling is a valuable tool and service your metal casting supplier can provide. Explore what your metal casting supplier has to off er you and those around you. T ink outside the box and utilize some of the suggestions within this column, and you may be surprised at what else lurks behind the doors of the metalcasting facility.
Bob Mueller Jr. is senior supplier quality engineer, cast product and casting supplier development, for Joy Global Surface Mining, Milwaukee. He has more than 30 years of casting experience.
Sept/Oct 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 49
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