You’re not seeing the Advantages of Rheocasting

I took out my old running shoes and tested them. I even tried it a second and a third time, and the times got even longer. So, I have the data to prove that it is not possible to run the 100 meters in under 15 seconds!

You might call that statement fake news, as during the summer Olympics, we saw that all the runners were well below that proclaimed threshold. But this is precisely the approach to Rheocasting I see in Europe. Let’s try it with an old tool, and without preparation, and take it to a facility for a trial casting. And then the results are underwhelming; so, the technology Rheocasting must be flawed.

Like in my testing, is it the runner or is it the approach? I haven’t trained for that, and I haven’t consulted with experts on what to do. I just went to the track and started the timer. With that approach, of course, I don’t get near peak performance.

The Rheocasting Trials require Preparation

Rheocasting is not a running shoe; you can’t just put it on and say, “Just do it!” Mastering Rheocasting is peak performance. And peak performance puts you ahead of the curve. Lower scrap rate, smaller machines, elimination of impregnation, low-carbon-footprint alloys, lower tool wear, and access to new markets are among the advantages of Rheocasting that significantly improve your foundries’ margins. So, why are so many foundries coming unprepared to a trial casting when it comes to Rheocasting?

The most likely scenario is that it has worked fine that way in high-pressure die-casting for years. So let’s look at the approach to business development for many foundries:

1. The sales department downloads the latest RFQs from the portal and runs them through their quoting process.

2. The toolmaker designs the tool and relies on their engineering. The second tool comes from a low-cost country anyway. So, you take business away from your partner and build up the competition with know-how.

3. The spray system comes ready-made from the manufacturer, if you don’t use one for every tool anyway.

4. Then the lubrication guys or the machine manufacturer come in and build out your process.

5. And last but not least, the alloy maker delivers the alloy to your exact specifications, so you just have to throw it in the furnace.

Non-Automotive Business Development

But now, as the automotive industry struggles with volumes, this system collapses. The target is now to fill the empty capacity, and in the best case, it is non-automotive business.

The hard truth is that there has been non-automotive business out there long before automotive volumes declined. You just didn’t bother to build out the process and strategies to bring solutions to these customers.

Why haven’t you already done that? The most likely answer is that it was way easier to work with the customers you already know. You know how their timelines work, and what you have to do to get the interesting parts. For non-automotive applications, you need quick decisions that are iteratively adjusted to arrive at the best solution. And all of this happens in very short turnaround times. In automotive, you have 2 to 3 years of lead time until series production starts; in many non-automotive applications, it’s around 6 to 12 months.

There is also no portal to download the castings to quote on. You need to market your solutions and show your target industries how HPDC can bring them an advantage. For this, you first need to understand the developments and constraints in that industry and build your go-to-market strategy around that. Then there is a lot more education and engineering work required. Do you have the capacity for that?

Even the best Runners have a Coach, why not you?

With Rheocasting, you can cast amazing parts with tailored properties for many automotive and non-automotive applications. However, you also need to know what small things need to be changed and adjusted for Rheocasting to work. Rheocasting is no golden paint that makes any part better like a magic trick. It requires adjustments to the go-to-market strategy, the tool design, the alloy chemistry (even when you stay within the existing specification), and the casting process.

Where to get these insights? In a week of trial casting with a worn-out tool, you will not get far. Without the proper preparation, you just proved that Rheocasting doesn’t work.

The same is true for me, proving that humans cannot run 100 meters in under 15 seconds. I can try it 30 times to make it statistically relevant; there is nothing wrong with my data. However, every athlete who puts in the effort and builds their skill over the years laughs in my face. They can run that in their warm-up session. But I cannot, even if I try as hard as I can.

Did these athletes figure out on their own how to run faster than my artificially set limit on human speed? Oh no, they had coaches and training sessions over the years to get where they are today. So, why don’t you get a Rheocasting coach that navigates you through the challenges in the transformation and helps you acquire one profitable casting after another?

Casting-Campus is that coach, that resource that guides you from business development and marketing, through the part development into series production. Schedule your Free Consultation Call below this article to start the conversation!