Part Buyers Authority Issue #4

11 development. This development will lead to new applications for aluminum castings. Anytime a market is seeing this much growth, you can expect to see it carry over into other markets segments as well. It’s no surprise we are seeing manufacturing technologies designed to produce castings with a higher precision, at reduced costs. Additive Manufacturing (AM) trends have created enormous excitement. We expect to see enhanced automation growth throughout the entire foundry, ranging from PLCs, robotics, and software to handle the demand for this growth. Automation is paving the pathway to safer and more efficient production to meet the growing capacity demands for aluminum castings. The role that robots and smart technologies are playing to safely pour, handle and finish parts in today’s aluminum foundry cannot be understated, especially in our tight labor market. Synergized- systems as described in Industrial 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) have arrived and provide the flexibility and reliability needed to handle the growth with precision and repeatability. Industrial 4.0 is all about putting your data to work to improve the decision-making and reduce errors during the production process. From reducing energy at the melt deck to producing castings that need less machining, today’s aluminum foundry is a source of inspiration when it comes to operating under lean manufacturing principles to reduce waste and increase results. Visit partbuyersauthority.com to SUBSCRIBE o r CONTRIBUTE as an author. Contact: DAVID SEILKOP [email protected] Robotic automation