Case Study
TPM Upgrade and Improve Their Shell Manufacturing System with VA Technology
T
PM has produced precision investment castings since 1969, delivering the highest quality castings to customers looking to stabilize and reduce manufacturing costs.
With customers relying on their casting expertise, being able to produce high detail, low tolerance investment castings accurately and reliably is essential for them.
The Challenge TPM contacted VA Technology looking for assistance with their existing, non-VA Tech shell manufacturing system as it was not meeting their production requirements. The system did not allow them to produce shells with the consistency and quality they required. As the equipment was only 3 years old, they were keen to ensure that any further investment made would bring real value to their operations – following significant investment in the equipment initially. As anyone in the industry knows, precision is vital in
investment casting. Accuracy and repeatability are not just buzz words – they are at the core of what investment casting is. With this in mind, VA Technology set out to ensure that TPM would have a shell manufacturing system and the ongoing support necessary to allow them to reliably and consistently produce high quality investment castings for years to come.
A Holistic Approach We took a comprehensive approach, reviewing the existing system as a whole and examining the current process and production needs. In particular, the focus was on determining where existing equipment could be utilised rather than simply replacing the whole system. It was important that we provided the best possible value, and upgrading and reconfiguring current drying system equipment was a key component in this. Another crucial element is the ongoing customer service and support that VA Technology service technicians offer – working with customer’s to keep their system performing at its best long after installation is a big part of the process, as well as ensuring that the upgrade and installation process run smoothly. “The VA Tech team has done a great job of communicating
with our team as we progressed through the changes/upgrades over the past several months.” Brad DeSplinter, VP/General Manager at TPM.
Engineering Review A full mechanical review of
the existing drying system
was undertaken by TPM engineers. They determined that reconfiguring the drying system mechanicals, replacing the complete control system as well as installation of our latest
36 ❘ June 2022 ®
IC-Crystal
Shell Management System would help resolve
many of their operational issues. Alongside this, the existing environmental control system was optimised, dramatically improving running and overall performance. The replacement of the control equipment, allowed us to
fully support the system going forward and remotely diagnose any future issues. The existing physical drying system, cell equipment
hardware and robot system were utilised in the new system set up, reducing additional costs.
The New Improved System Now in place for 12 months, the upgraded and improved system that VA Technology engineered for TPM has improved the repeatability, consistency and confidence TPM has in the equipment. As Jeff Crape, Plant Manager at TPM says, “To put it simply, our dip cell is running better now than it ever has.”
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