Part Buyers Authority Issue #2

Additive Manufacturing & Rapid Prototyping The metal casting world has literally been rocked by the advances in Additive Manufacturing (AM). A foundry actively using AM for design of your prototypes will be able to deliver your prototypes faster and cheaper. It is also easier to make changes to an AM prototype design as you are simply changing the CAD (and not hard tooling). Whether your prototype is made with CAD or hard tooling, a caster that keeps this in-house is always your best option, especially for changes and final production. Prototypes of any kind require design and engineering expertise specific to automotive parts. Ask to see engineering automotive examples from prototype through to production. You need to be convinced that your design concepts are in the hands of engineers that understand how to design for manufacturability. Engineering & Design Only a handful of foundries excel at the most difficult of all automotive parts. Parts such as intake manifolds, turbo components, oil filter adapters and others require complex core to determine if a foundry’s processes are in-house or not, because they generally hide the fact that some processes are performed by others at different locations. The benefits to working with a partner that keeps all of this in-house are substantial and paramount to the high quality needed for parts in the automotive and transportation markets. For critical parts, the flexibility that you get with an in- house tooling facility will always be better than working with a company that outsources this key element of your parts production. Also, a foundry that is completing the machining in-house can react faster to any changes. When design changes are needed – it is always better to communicate those changes with the same people in charge of your project. Lastly, check them out on current manufacturing trends. Don’t be afraid to ask about their financial stability, latest continuous improvement or sustainability initiative, Lean Manufacturing, or Six Sigma training. Ask about their deployment of AM technologies and where they see this going next. In 2018, nearly 17 million cars are expected to be sold which means there is too much at stake to be using an Aluminum Foundry that doesn’t understand the specific challenges of the automobile, large truck, and transportation market. 8 PART BUYERS A U T H R I T Y packages and internal geometry that many would prefer not to touch. When selecting a partner, ensure first that they have experience with these types of complex leak- tight castings. Make sure they have experience designing and redesigning parts of this nature to make them better. Always think about your future part – as it most likely will be required to perform more functions and evolve into something larger and more complex. Ask to see parts where they have assisted in the engineering design and subsequent changes. See if their thinking is along the lines of ‘how to make it better.’ If they see a concern with a design, do they speak up? Do they offer their engineering expertise as a matter of regular business? If so, this is the type of foundry that will partner with you through design changes to make a better part. Don’t be afraid to ask where they have reengineered a part to make it better, or, taken several components and redesigned it into one part. Ask to see these parts and other engineering challenges they have faced. Show them parts where others have failed –take them your toughest part challenges to understand their engineering approach. In-House Tooling & Machining Outsourcing of manufacturing processes from tool making to testing is common place in the metal casting industry, to reduce overhead. Sometimes it is difficult Contact: DAVID SEILKOP [email protected]