Feature Article Only Ship Good Parts by Patrick McCrevan, Sr Account Executive, B&L Information Systems, Inc.


investment casting foundry profitable is efficient production management.” Not really big news right? The problem is, how does one define “efficient production management”? Well, as a longtime supporter of ERP systems, I can say that when you implement one, you are headed down the right path. Just keep in mind, it’s not always easy to “get things right.” So, efficient production management encompasses various aspects such as, optimizing casting processes, minimizing material waste, maximizing equipment utilization, reducing downtime, and ensuring quality control. By streamlining operations and continuously improving efficiency, a foundry can enhance its competitiveness, reduce costs, and ultimately improve profitability. Additionally, factors like market demand forecasting, effective inventory management, and strategic pricing can also significantly impact profitability in the long term. Inspection and testing play crucial roles in the investment casting process for several reasons: 1. Quality Assurance: Inspection


A


and testing ensure the final castings meet the required quality standards. This is essential for maintaining consistency and reliability in the manufactured parts.


2. Detecting Defects: Inspection helps identify any defects or irregularities in the castings such as surface imperfections, cracks, porosity, or dimensional inaccuracies. Early detection allows for corrective actions to be taken, preventing further processing of flawed parts and reducing scrap.


3. Process Optimization: By analyzing inspection and scrap data, manufacturers can identify areas for process improvement. This may


28 ❘ July 2024 ®


wise old foundryman I know once advised... “The single most important factor in keeping an


involve adjusting


parameters such


as temperature, pressure, or material composition to enhance the quality and efficiency of the casting process.


4. Compliance: Inspection ensures castings conform to regulatory standards and customer specifications. This is particularly important in industries with stringent safety and performance requirements such as aerospace, automotive, and medical.


5. Reliability and Safety: Thorough testing helps ensure the reliability and safety of the final parts. In critical applications, such as aerospace components or medical implants, any defects or failures could have serious consequences. Inspection and testing help mitigate these risks by identifying potential issues before the parts are put into service.


Overall, inspection and testing are indispensable components of the investment casting process, helping to guarantee the quality, reliability, and safety of the final part.


These activities contribute


dramatically to the overall health of the organization. Can you imagine shipping parts with a scrap rate of over 10% to a customer? What are the chances they will get some bad part? I’d say pretty good!


Most Investment Casters have a Quality Management System and ISO 2001:2015 or AS9100 documents used to define, train and assure only good parts get out the door and on time. Inside these policies you often find a process (MRB) on how to handle internally identified bad part, and with that, a process to either restore it or to cast it off as scrap. The following figure shows a process to maintain part genealogy throughout the various rework activities thus, capturing the total cost for later determining, “where is the money going.” In the end, your version of efficient production management is not likely to look like anybody else’s, but that is what differentiates you from the others. Have questions about these ideas? Feel free to email pmccrevan@blinfo.com or call 269-465-6207 x343.


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