NOVEL SOLUTIONS
An Insider’s Look at the Industry
SHANNON WETZEL, SENIOR EDITOR
(Terry) Lutz Jr. published “In Pursuit of Manufac- turing Excellence: T e Signicast Story,” it was on my must-read list. Signicast has built a reputation in the industry
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for its innovation and growth, and Lutz’s book provides an insider’s take on how that was fos- tered by the man who led the charge for 37 years. Unlike most books reviewed in this column, this memoir of Signicast provides plenty of relat- able fodder for the metalcaster, from upgrades to casting technology to the specific management challenges involved in a casting facility. At times, reading “In Pursuit of Manufactur-
ing Excellence” almost felt like reading a tell-all book. Customer and vendor breakups are de- tailed, grievances with city officials are aired, and hurt feelings are admitted. But these details help bring you into Lutz’s and Signicast’s struggle to establish a radical new management culture, completely overhaul the proven method for mak- ing castings and expand in a thoughtful, well- paced manner. By his own admission, replicating Signicast’s
technology and culture would be difficult for a greenfield casting facility and nearly impos- sible in an established company. Even Signicast’s Brown Deer facility, which was the original plant, proved stubborn against change, according to Lutz. However, several of his underlying philoso- phies are worth consideration, such as realistic cost estimation, customer satisfaction, process control for quality control, and cross-training people. Lutz told his employees, “You have all the authority for which you are willing to accept the responsibility.” The result was continuous inven- tion and innovation and growth of sales from $1 million in 1974 to $149 million in 2012. Those involved in the metalcasting industry
may not agree with everything Lutz writes, but the book will be hard to put down, nevertheless. More than the specific story of Signicast, it is a story of how U.S. manufacturing has changed in the last four decades and a story of several individuals pursuing the American dream with ingenuity and hard work.
42 | MODERN CASTING April 2013
visit to Signicast Investment Castings, Hartford, Wis., leaves a lasting impression, so when former owner and CEO Walter
ABRIDGED
Relevance to Metalcasters Technical Diffi culty Self-Help Fluff Profi t Booster
“T e concept [to make continuous
fl ow work] is that you just have to control two variables for smooth manufacturing, backlog and pace. As the backlog increases at an operation, you increase the pace by adding more human resources. T is works if you have enough equipment and it may sound like a simple concept, but most people don’t understand it.”
Metalcasters’ Translation: Crosstraining the workforce and having enough equipment
allows associates from the wax room help out in the fi nishing area when necessary to avoid islands of too much work in one department and not enough in another. T e savings from a smooth production fl ow off sets the extra cost of the capital equipment.
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