How to avoid the biggest Cost-Cutting Mistakes in HPDC casting

In the turbulent world of HPDC casting, foundries often focus on daily operations, as you constantly see this. With casting sales declining due to the decline of automotive sales, the drive towards cost-cutting measures is increasing.

Usually, your production team starts analysing and implementing optimisations on individual production steps. This generates micro-efficiencies that cause macro-inefficiencies. How can an optimisation cause an inefficiency? Let me give you two examples:

HPDC Casting Process Optimisation

You reduce the cycle time by decreasing the amount of water sprayed. This minimises the casting process cycle time. The mechanical tests are also within the specification range. So, you increased the productivity of your entire production, right?

Quality Testing

A typical bottleneck of foundries is the final inspection point. Any part going beyond this point will reach the customer, and they will also have more time to check your goods. So, you want to optimise the checkpoints as fast as possible. A way to do this is to test threads with a specialised pin instead of a screw. With the pin, you can qualify it way quicker than screwing the entire length two times, right?

Where is the problem in these Optimisations?

Home blindness happens when routine practices become so normal that their effectiveness is no longer questioned. Did you spot where you were subject to home blindness?

In the first example, you definitely shaved off a few seconds in spraying time. The indirect consequence is a higher thermal load on your cooling system. This causes breakdowns and hotspots down the line, which is the reason for wall thickness changes and porosity. Another topic is the impact of the geometric distortion after the heat treatment line.

All of these considerations are internal. As an external person, I would ask why micro spray wasn’t implemented with the last tool purchase to cut spraying and solidification time and extend the lifetime of the tools.

In the second example, at first sight, you missed a feature that can cause an expensive recall. You have no clue if the threads are all working, but your customer will find out quickly.

Again, with an external view, I would ask why you test these threads 100%. Is that an explicit customer request, or is that a measure taken during the PPAP that you never submitted the paperwork for to reduce it to a shift model? Is your machining process not secure enough that you cannot switch to a longer test method?

You see the difference in thinking. The first internal view on optimisation has no logical flaw. Still, on a larger scale, it causes more trouble as the outcomes of several processes are linked or have to be questioned entirely.

Similar examples will be found throughout your production, quality, and sales departments. You will be amazed at the processes that have been built up under your noses!

If you want to eliminate these macro-inefficiencies that actually advance your or your supplier’s foundry, book a Process Optimisation Workshop to find them. Or directly get a teaser in a Free Consultation Call, schedule it below.