Traditional pattern materials, such as metal and wood, remain relatively unchanged.
What should be a customer’s fi rst step in locating a new source for tooling and patterns?
Lamoncha, Humtown Products:
First of all, the customer needs to understand their needs. Are they mak- ing counterweights for the back of a forklift or highly engineered, complex cylinder heads that have geometrical tolerances down to a few thousandths? As the customer, you need to under- stand your needs fi rst. McIntyre, Anderson Global: T ey should look for expertise in the specifi c segment of castings they need. T e toolmaker needs to have an extensive background in that particular type of casting, in that particular type of pro- cess, so they understand the processes that go into a quality casting. T at way, they can design and build a tool that will give that metalcaster the biggest processing window possible. Murray, Hoosier Pattern: Open mindedness is hard to gauge, but you
need that to do new things in new and better ways. T e mindset of “always doing something a certain way because you have always done it that way” is a death sentence. Also, it is not about being across town that is important. It is about being on top of the technol- ogy, methods and materials to get the job done in the most timely and cost- eff ective manner.
Have you noticed a specifi c trend in what metalcasters are demanding from you?
Murray, Hoosier Pattern: My cus-
tomers are asking for solidifi cation on demand, reverse engineering capabili- ties and laser scanning in the shop and at their facility. Oh, did I forget [they want it] faster? Always faster. McIntyre, Anderson Global:
Toolmakers need to have processes in place to compress the project into a shorter time period by streamlining design and build. T is can be done
How can a casting buyer determine a good pattern from a bad one? What are key things to look for to ensure quality?
McIntyre, Anderson Global: De-
pending on the personality of the cast- ing buyer, he can insist on dimensional certifi cation and proof that proper materials and heat treatment were used.
Jul/Aug 2015 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 27
a lot of ways, like through improved organization and better machinery. Lamoncha, Humtown Products:
Everything is trending toward CAD. Someone from a large OEM asked me: Is it the drawing or the CAD model that we’re working toward? For the most part, I don’t even get draw- ings anymore. When my grandfather made patterns off a drawing, he had to have that interaction with the foundry. Now, it’s a little bit diff erent. If they see an area that has to be chilled or might shrink, they’re going to deal with that immediately.
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