EDITORIAL
Finding Solutions T
he ultimate goal for a trade magazine is to provide solutions. Tese could be solutions to problems you currently are having or
problems you might have down the road. Te funny thing is, your manufacturing process,
metalcasting, is fundamentally the same thing. Te strength of metalcasting is its ability to provide engineers with solutions others can’t. Metalcasting is the process that can provide engineered metal components when no other manufacturing process can provide one.
Tis idea of being a solutions-provider relates to
three of our features this month. Te first two, “Optimizing Melting Expansion at ME Elecmetal” on p. 22 and “Tonkawa the Tough” on p. 26, showcase two metalcasters solving melt– related obstacles: • ME Elecmetal had significant constraints across its operation, but it knew it needed to add melt capacity. The question was how. By performing an analytical review of its processes and understanding all the variables involved, this firm was able to enhance exist- ing capacity and add new capacity to reach its goals.
• Tonkawa’s struggle was due to a technical failure that ravaged its power supply and melt- ing furnace. For many small metalcasters, this would signal the end for the plant. For Tonkawa, it became an opportunity to utilize the resources and sup- port the firm founda- tion it had developed in its 65 years and re-emerge a stronger plant. Te key for both was an understanding of who
struggles. Te answers they provided were a conversion-to-casting design, reverse engi- neering and utilizing rapid prototyping to produce a casting: • Weldments redesigned to castings often improve components’ perfor- mance, quality, aesthetics and cost as illustrated with the ag part described in this feature.
• Through reverse engi- neering, an investment caster took a 30-year-old aluminum fabrication and turned it into a few dozen military-grade investment castings.
• A metalcaster used rapid prototyping to produce a pattern for a component rather than rely on worn tooling to generate two 30-in. impellers at 50% the lead time and reduced costs.
While these three solu-
metalcasting is its ability to provide engineers with solutions others can’t provide.
Te strength of
tions are not new to the world of metalcasting, they are three ways metalcasting differenti- ates itself from the competition. They also are three ways met- alcasting can provide solutions.
they were as metalcasters. A critical step in any problem-solving venture is to be able to effectively analyze the situation to understand your true self. Te third feature, “Solving Customer’s
Problems” on p. 40, looks at three metalcasters’ ex- periences in solving their customers’ casting-related
Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in Modern Casting, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
August 2015 MODERN CASTING | 9
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