ments, complexities, materials and volumes. T e more they know about your plans, the better they can slot you in the schedule. Casting facilities oper- ate most effi ciently when they can line up similar jobs together to reduce the time needed to set up a new order. For instance, casting facilities will want to pour jobs of the same alloy one day and jobs in another alloy a diff erent day, so time isn’t wasted changing the furnaces or resources aren’t used to keep multiple alloys melted, charged and ready to be poured. “Order early so you reserve your
place in the schedule, give a fi rm order, and give good visibility on produc- tion needs [for better lead times],” said George Boyd Jr., vice president, Goldens’ Foundry & Machine. As Boyd Sr. explained, giving six
months’ visibility—an estimate of orders you expect to place but have not yet—helps the casting facility plan
ahead to allot capacity for that prob- able order. “You are not obligated for those six
months’ visibility, I’m on the hook,” he said. “But if you don’t tell me about them and I end up committing my capacity for someone else, you’re in a diffi cult place.”
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How well the part fi ts the casting supplier’s operations. Metalcasting facilities have a zone of operation
in which their process and schedule runs at its smoothest. If your part fi ts within that zone, you should see few delays in delivery. If your part is a bad match—either too big, too complex, too many or too few—your delivery may suff er. When a supplier turns down a job,
it is often because it doesn’t fi t the metalcaster’s optimal parameters. In that case, another supplier with a dif- ferent “zone of operation” may be better
suited and able to deliver your parts in a shorter, more reliable time frame. “We reject the RFQs that come to our plant that don’t fi t our marketing niche,” said Rob Peaslee, president, Manitowoc Grey Iron, Manitowoc, Wis. “No matter if we are busy or slow, we don’t stray from our marketing strategy.”
4
World Class Foundries Serving All Industries Since 1926
If you are looking for high quality castings, reliable service and extra value for your money, partner with a Meehanite foundry. You’ll be work- ing with knowledgeable experienced casting engineers who can help you achieve the right solutions no matter how complex the casting, large or small, or how demanding the application or specification may be.
26 Different Meehanite Metals Meehanite specifications cover a whole range of cast irons from easily machinable grades to high strength ductile irons. Select the type of Meehanite best suited to your application on the basis of metallurgical structure and physical property values.
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• Heavy-Duty Applications Austempered Ductile Iron
• General Engineering Applications Flake Graphite and Nodular Types
• Heat-Resisting Applications • Wear-Resisting Applications • Corrosion Resisting Applications
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5-13.indd 1
Order our in-depth Meehanite Handbook on CD and have Meehanite process info a click away!
Just visit
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Mar/Apr 2015 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 39 5/16/13 11:37 AM
How much engineering work the casting supplier needs to do to the computer model from
the customer. “T e engineers out of schools
now are wonderful engineers that know little about the casting process,” Peaslee said. “T ey don’t understand idiosyncrasies like shrink or where to put draft. We have people here who can fi x it from a casting perspective, but it takes time.” T e casting supplier must fi gure
out how to fl ow the liquid metal into a
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