Castings - Part 1: An Introduction
By Mark L. Casey | August 6, 2010
Almost anything your mind can conceive of that requires a product to be cast or formed can be manufactured. We will save a discussion of plastics and other materials for later, but if your design requires a mold or die and a metal casting, you have many options. Your specific application will drive the material, but let’s do an overview of the options available for casting.
First a definition from dictionary.com:
Casting. –noun. 2. something cast; any article that has been cast in a mold.
That is general enough. Now, let’s get more specific.
Die Casting
Die casting is the process of forcing a molten metal into a mold in order to form it into a shape. The molten metal is typically forced into the mold via hydraulic pressure, and the new part is then cooled inside the mold (or tool) before it is ejected from the mold. The tool is typically a two-part mold that closes to allow the molten metal to be injected and then opens to allow the newly formed and cooled tool to be ejected.
Toolmaking is an art and a science. Tools are usually expensive because they require not only expensive base materials, but they also require precision machining in order to correctly create the end part. Some tools contain very tight tolerances as required by the customer, and some are not that critical in terms of tolerances.
Common metal alloys used in die casting are aluminum (AL), magnesium (MG), and zinc (ZN). Each of these metals have specific properties (weight, strength, thermal, etc.) that make them appropriate for certain applications.
Here is a video from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) describing the cold chamber process of die casting:
Investment Casting
Another type of casting is investment casting, a process which has been used for thousands of years.
Investment casting is a casting process in which a wastable wax pattern is layered with an investment compound which is then baked so that the investment is hardened to form a mold. The wax pattern material is then melted away leaving the investment mold. The molten alloy is then poured into the mold to form the final part. The investment material is removed via vibration or water spray leaving the final part, which is a replica of the wax pattern that began the process.A definition like this is greatly enhanced by seeing the process. To learn more, watch this excellent video from The Discovery Channel:
Sand Casting
As the name implies, sand casting is the process of producing a cast part by by pouring molten metal into sand molds. This process is typically used for parts that are low in volume and that do not have high precision and tolerance requirements.
The following silent video of the sand casting process was produced by German firm Deloro Stellite:
Conclusion
We have briefly introduced three casting approaches, each with its own application. In our next article we will explore cast iron, miniature zinc, ceramic casting, and shell casting.
Topics: Aluminum, Contract Manufacturing, Die Casting, Electronics Manufacturing, Inventors/Inventions, Investment Casting, Manufacturing, Metals, Sand Casting, Services, Supply Chain Management | 1 Comment »
Online Design Help for Enclosures and Front Panels
By Mark L. Casey | June 4, 2010
- IEEE 1101.10 Filler Panels and components for CompactPCI, VME64x, and VXS. PMC Bezel with O-Ring, AMC Filler Panels with FR4 panels to provide cost effective, lightweight, robust filler panels for AMC carrier slots or MicroTCA Chassis.
- FMC front panel bezel with a 10mm leg length
- Much more.
Topics: AMC, AdvancedTCA, Aluminum, Contract Manufacturing, Defense, Design, Electronic Components, Embedded Systems, Front Panels, Metals, MicroTCA, Product Design | No Comments »
XTech & Triple E Make an Impression
By Mark L. Casey | April 30, 2010
This article is cross-posted in the Baselodge Blog.
I’m sitting at the Boston airport preparing to return to Baselodge Country. I just spent a couple of days with the XTech and Triple E team for the Extrusion Technology Global Sales Meeting in Taunton, MA.
There is no substitute for meeting face-to-face with the people who actually manufacture the products and run the company. In an earlier article I wrote about The Joy of the Factory. While I have been in many different types of factories, this was my first opportunity to tour a factory doing aluminum extrusions and metal manufacturing. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.
XTech has been in business for over fifty years offering high quality aluminum extruded and sheet metal front panels and enclosures for their customers. The engineering support at XTech is second to none, the factory is ISO certified, ITAR registered, and is an active practitioner of lean manufacturing techniques to wring waste out of the processes and deliver more value to the customers.
With the recent acquisition of Triple E Corporation, XTech now has two strong brands to offer to their customers. Triple E offers ruggedized chassis, enclosures, card guides, front panels, and latches. These solutions include VME, cPCI, and other systems.
One of the exciting things about representing XTech and Triple E is that they not only offer serious support to existing customers and technologies, but they also belong to several important industry groups dedicated to the continued development of standards, such as PICMG.
While many people know XTech for aluminum extruded products, the company has extensive sheet metal capability and is now The Front Panel Source regardless of whether you need aluminum or sheet metal.
Baselodge Group is excited about serving our customers in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana on behalf of both XTech and Triple E. Please let us know if you have needs for enclosures, front panels (ATCA, cPCI, AMC, FMC, MicroTCA, VPX, etc.), filler panels, ejectors, latches, chassis, card carriers or anything related to ruggedized systems.
XTech will be expanding their online store soon and make many of their XTech Xpress products as well as their enclosures, filler panels, latches, and hardware available for purchase on the website. We will let you know when that new online store launches. In the meantime it is already up and running for many items you may need.
Thanks again to the entire XTech team for hosting such a well planned and helpful event. Now, back to Texas….
Topics: AMC, AdvancedTCA, Aluminum, Defense, Electronic Components, Embedded Systems, Front Panels, Metals, MicroTCA | 1 Comment »
Exploring ITAR
By Mark L. Casey | February 25, 2010
U.S. companies that develop products and intellectual property (IP) with military and defense applications are not permitted to sell or export that technology outside of the U.S. It is obviously in the national interest to not provide our enemies or potential enemies with weapons or technology that can be used against us or our allies.
There are two sets of laws that control the export of such technology:
- International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and
- Export Administrative Regulations (EAR)
Going well beyond controlling the active export of such technology, these laws also seek to ensure that firms protect their IP from espionage and theft.
The US Department of State contains the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC website). From their website:
“All manufacturers, exporters, and brokers of defense articles, defense services, or related technical data, as defined on the United States Munitions List…are required to register with DDTC.”
In addition to the required DDTC registration, many firms invest in compliance programs to ensure that their information systems and documentation are controlled and protected from improper disclosure in a way that would violate the law. One of the firms we represent at Baselodge Group is Extrusion Technology (X-Tech). They have recently announced that they have achieved ITAR compliance certification. As a custom manufacturer of products for their customers, X-Tech can assure their defense and security customers that their IP will be handled properly.
There are many good resources on the web to learn more about ITAR and EAR. The most direct source is the DDTC website. Another good resource is www.exportrules.com. If your firm’s products fall into the categories described on the United States Munitions List, you need to get up to speed on ITAR and EAR fast. If your products are on the list and if you outsource some or all of the manufacturing of the products, you should be in conversation with your contract manufacturer about their ITAR registration and compliance.
Topics: Agency Certifications, Contract Manufacturing, Defense, Electronics Manufacturing, Export, Information Technology (IT), Security, Supply Chain Management, Terrorism | 1 Comment »
Outsourcing or Offshoring?
By Mark L. Casey | February 1, 2010
This article is cross-posted in the Baselodge blog: http://baselodge.com/blog/2010/02/outsourcing-or-offshoring/
I recently read an article that incorrectly defined outsourcing as offshoring. It might be helpful to some readers to review these terms and their proper application.
Outsourcing is the use of resources outside of one’s own organization to accomplish a business need. These resources could be individuals or businesses, and they may be located in your country or around the world.
Offshoring is the use of resources in a different country. These resources may be part of your organization or they may be a separate organization. Offshoring is typically chosen to take advantage of lower labor rates and/or specific and unique regional capability.
Let’s use some examples.
Example 1: You are the CEO of YourCo Inc. YourCo needs to manufacture your new product, the Widget2010. The challenge you face is that you do not own a factory. Your engineering group has designed the Widget2010, but you have to outsource the manufacturing of the product to someone who specializes in manufacturing. You have many choices as to the size and capability of the manufacturer you choose. Regardless of where the manufacturer is located, you have made the decision to outsource. If the manufacturer is in a different country, you have chosen to offshore. If the manufacturer is located in your own country, you have not chosen to go offshore. Again, in either case, you are outsourcing.
Example 2: Again, you are the CEO of YourCo Inc. YourCo needs to manufacture your new product, the Widget2010. Your factory in your own country cannot add the product to their mix because they are running at capacity. YourCo has another factory, however, in another country. When the decision is made to manufacture the product in that non-domestic factory, it may be said that the product has been offshored, but not outsourced.
Offshoring is still very controversial because many believe it is the shipping of jobs “overseas.” Outsourcing is not as controversial because very few companies still try to be fully vertically integrated doing everything in-house. Therefore, most companies look to outside suppliers and manufacturers to complete their supply chain. This is the reason that outsourcing (literally, sourcing outside our organization) is widely accepted as smart business practice.
One myth that needs to be exploded for those considering either outsourcing or offshoring is that you will need little or no business structure to manage your outsourced or offshored resources. The truth is that you will still need purchasing experts, program managers, and quality control personnel to effectively manage your offshore and/or outsourced resources.
Topics: Contract Manufacturing, Cost Containment, Economics, Global Sourcing, Information Technology (IT), Services, Supply Chain Management | 1 Comment »