Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 6

Change, in and of itself, can be challenging. But figuring out precisely when and how to change — especially when large capital investments are necessary — can be an especially vexing problem when margins are thin and there’s little room for error. Looking on the horizon, it is crystal clear that foundries will be going digital, but, at the same time, questions about when and how that change will take place are less certain. Consider this: Computer-aided design, or CAD, is a mature technology in the marketplace, but even today, some foundries aren’t using it, showing that some businesses set in their ways continue to tiptoe toward the future, no matter the benefits that may await them. As large foundry customers — primarily big original equipment manufacturers or OEMs — continue to build out their own cycles of digital design, product development and manufacturing, they will eventually expect their suppliers to be all-digital as well, so their whole supply chain can deliver a virtuous circle of benefits. We’re working diligently to bring this future closer to the present, for even the smallest foundries. We’re in the beginning stages of offering an all-new and affordable form of 3D printing — Robotic Additive Manufacturing — that has the potential to dramatically streamline operations and give users a competitive edge. While Robotic Additive Manufacturing isn’t the only innovative product being offered to foundries today, it does give a glimpse into the future of foundries, where 3D printing and other digital technologies present a new and improved way of doing business. HOWARD RHETT Technical Support Leader VIRIDIS3D ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: 1. The move to a digital foundry is getting more affordable and accessible 2. Go from CAD to casting in one day with digital technologies 3. Reduced inventory and easy changes are among the benefits SYSTEMS INTEGRATION Early adopters will be rewarded with fast production of molds and cores, less inventory with digital file storage, easy part changes and other benefits This digital rendering shows a cope, drag and core that was 3D printed on the Viridis3D RAM 123. 32 THE DIGITAL FOUNDRY OF THE FUTURE IS HERE, AND IT’S FINALLYAFFORDABLE