Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 14

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS 15 M anufacturing is an iterative process whereby improvements generally occur over time and through a commitment to continuous improvements. In the broader foundry and metal casting industries, advancements in technology are driven by the desire to improve quality, reduce costs and expand margins, both for the customer and supplier. At the end of the day, the market is efficient and those companies able to deliver advanced manufacturing solutions to their customer base will prosper and those who can’t, will not. It is also generally true that behind every front-page story of a new “breakthrough” there is a much longer story of everything that went into the new development, and how the entire supply chain rallied around a new idea to generate what looks like a big leap forward. My dad loves to say, “an overnight success is 15 years in the making." It is exciting to see that in our industry, some of these breakthroughs are the result of new thinking and processes that will continue to advance technology and improve outcomes. ADVANCEMENTS IN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING Some recent advancements in the manufacturing of automobiles are worth noting. As a first step, we should generally ask why this change is occurring, and what is driving that change. As it relates to the manufacture of automobiles, we have seen some pretty significant developments in recent years in metal processing and the overall assembly process. Some examples would be the rapid change in the industry from steel to aluminum for the production of body panels. And the creation of closed loop systems where the alloy can be recycled and repurposed for that same use almost infinitely. The drivers here are not new: weight savings result in higher fuel efficiency; cost effective alloys can lower cost and recyclable materials can reduce carbon footprint. The move to larger structural cast parts is another area where the change drivers are not new, and results in many benefits to the vehicle. In this case, one of the primary drivers is the reduction of overall parts needed in the assembly and the simplification and cost reduction that this can generate. In the case we will look at below, over 70 parts were eliminated from the overall assembly. Another is the ability to blend the structural requirements of the vehicle into the power plant of the vehicle where, in this case, the battery adds structural rigidity to the frame improving overall safety and ride characteristics and lowering the center of mass. These types of advancements require the entire supply chain to reimagine the way cars are made and to develop new products and processes to enable these benefits to be achieved. JEFF KELLER CEO Molten Metal Equipment Innovations ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Manufacturing is an iterative process, with a commitment to continuous im- provement • Big leaps generally come from a sequence of small steps in rapid succession to support a vision • Disruptive technologies drive industry innovation and lead to lasting changes NEW ADVANCES IN MOLTEN METAL DELIVERY IN LARGE CAST PARTS Continued on next page