Continued from pg 27 Table 5: Overall Results Summary


114 dips. This reduced the amount of material consumed and lowered labor requirements for loading and unloading molds, resulting in a total labor savings of 38 minutes per mold.


This also increased the capacity of the shell line.


4. Metal Savings and Pour Ratio Improvements The increased part density and


improved efficiency in the wax room also had a significant impact on metal usage. By optimizing the pour ratio and increasing the number of parts per assembly, we were able to reduce the amount of metal required for each casting. This contributed to both material savings and a reduction in energy usage for melting and processing the metal. The optimization of part density and assembly layout resulted in a 6.7% improvement in the pour ratio, saving a total of 638 pounds of metal across the production run. This reduced the energy required for metal melting and processing, contributing to lower production costs and a more sustainable manufacturing process.


28 ❘ February 2025 ®


5. Post-Processing Efficiency Gains The automation of the wax room also


led to significant improvements in post- processing. The consistent and accurate assembly layout allowed for easier and faster cutoff operations, reducing the time required for both cutoff and shell cleaning. Here are the gains in post processing:


• 95 min reduction in shell clean time • 19 less trees to cut off, 4.75hr • Operators Bryan & Jeramy stated, “Assembly accuracy resulted in zero cutoff damage”


• Even spacing allows closer cutoff reducing grinding and machining


• The future can now be accurate, automated cut off


6. Summary of Overall Gains The results across all five part


numbers demonstrate the significant improvements achieved through the modernization of wax room processes. These gains extended beyond production capacity and labor savings, delivering considerable material savings and environmental benefits. Across the five part numbers, we observed a 20 to 50% increase


in


injection capacity, a


21% reduction


in assemblies, and significant material savings in shell, and metal. These gains also resulted in equivalent labor savings.


These results highlight the


significant operational and cost benefits of modernizing wax room processes and utilization of Automation.


Opportunities for Upskilling the Workforce One of the overlooked benefits of automation is how it can create opportunities for employees. Automation shifts the role of operators from repetitive manual tasks to higher-value activities like process management, optimization, and system troubleshooting.


This


study shows that by freeing up time in the assembly process, we can give employees the chance to work on more strategic tasks.


Upskilling employees is a long-


term investment. As we integrate more automation, we’re not eliminating jobs—we’re changing the nature of work. Operators are becoming problem- solvers, continuously improving the process. And when you have a workforce capable of managing and optimizing these automated systems, you’re building a more resilient and adaptable


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40