Foundry Essays

These are the some of the things I've written that are specific to foundries and/or the buying of castings. With the exception of those things that I've written regarding the control of tensile properties of gray and ductile iron. Click here to see those.

Something different - A while back I tried loosely copying Goldratt's style of writing to hopefully convey non-fictional concepts more interestingly  in a fictional setting. In my case, I have Uncle Joe advising his nephew Andy about situations faced in running foundries. I'm not sure this is really more interesting to the reader, but I find it more interesting (less challenging) to write in this format. I will periodically add to this series but I will issue this warning I won't be writing them in chronological order - the order that Andy should be learning stuff. I will list them below in what I think would have more likely happen.

1.    "Auditing a Foundry" was posted 8/31/10. It is a fictional interchange between Andy, a neophite casting buyer, assigned to audit a foundry and his Uncle Joe, a foundry expert.

2.   "Customer Complaint" was posted 5/23/20. Uncle Joe gives Andy some tips about handling a customer complaint.

3.     "Andy Wants a Metallurgist" was posted 2/15/20. In this essay, Uncle Joe talks about a different way of getting a staff metallurgist.

"Commodities" was posted 3/5/16. It tells foundries what to do to quit having their castings viewed as commodities.

"Auditing a Foundry" was posted 8/31/10. It is a fictional interchange between a neophite casting buyer assigned to audit a foundry and his uncle who is a foundry expert.

"What's Wrong with Foundry Research" was posted 1/14/10. Contains my thoughts why research conducted for the foundry industry doesn't get used by the foundry industry.

"Where Have the Captive Foundries Gone" was initially posted 4/18/08. These are my thoughts on why captive foundries are not the significant players they once were in the foundry industry.

"Predicting Scrap" was first posted 4/25/06. It addresses the issue of the response of "we're running high scrap jobs" when asking about high scrap rates.

"Where is the “Wow” in Your Castings?" was first posted 3/23/02. Most foundries are frustrated because castings are percieved as commodities. I have thoughts as why that perceptions exists and some ideas about what could be done about it.

"Unsolved Problems" was published in the January 2005 issue of Modern Casting. My thoughts on why the problems we perceive aren't being addressed by the boss.

"Why Should I" was published in the April 2001 issue of Modern Casting. In my opinion money shouldn't be the only factor when talking about selling castings or keeping good employees.

"Learning from Firestone" was published in the January 2001 issue of Modern Casting. It discusses the dangers of ignoring results showing the specifications aren't being met.

"HOW'S YOUR Q.M.I.S.? was published in October 2000 issue of Modern Casting. It points out the need for more complete information on foundry quality issues.

"Changes That Aren’t" was published in Modern Casting in August of 2000. It asks the question whether the changes being made in a foundry's operation are real or merely the same changes that are always made.

'“Who Cares” Research' was published in October 1980 issue of Modern Casting. It deals with the practicality of AFS research projects.

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