Federal Metal's Blog

600 consecutive work days without a lost time accident

2010-05-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just last month, some of us had our heads shaved in the employee lunchroom -- including Mike Buyarski, our technical guru and the regular contributor to this blog. It was part of our celebration of 600 consecutive work days without a lost time accident. The hourly employees got the opportunity to draw the names of three lucky people in management. Someone had the good sense to suggest clippers instead of a straight razor, and so the safety streak lasted beyond the haircuts and proudly continues to this day. The company has added several meaningful elements to the safety program in recent months. For example, each crew begins their shift with a safety talk, the daily operations meeting begins with a safety talk, and a system of documented safety improvements and audits are now in place. We’re at work coming up with another creative reward or recognition for our next milestone. Let us know if you have any ideas, and stay safe!

ASTM towards the alternative lead free casting alloys

2010-04-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of activity in ASTM towards the alternative lead free casting alloys. Casting purchasers are requiring certified samples from each heat so they are sure their product is in specification. Make sure you know what alloys you are certifying out of your facility. Also be very careful not to mix remelt if you are pouring different alloy groups in your foundry. Some of the specifications in ASTM have changed recently so make sure your requirements are up to date. If there are any questions, contact ASTM directly at: http://www.astm.org/ or contact the technical people at your ingot supplier.

The Basics are Important

2010-04-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of calls on getting back to the basics. It seems a lot of foundries are starting to pick up in business, and with the cuts they made to survive, some quality people are no longer employed. This is resulting in higher scrap rates. The best advice that is helping is look back at the entire process. Determine what steps have been streamlined due to less manpower and concentrate on getting the steps back as part of your procedures. Follow your verified procedures and if they don’t work modify them. Too many places are skipping steps in sand control, proper furnace charging and good temperature control. The basics are important.

For more information about this topic contact The Federal Metal Company at 1.800.736.6636 or visit our website at http://www.federalmetal.com/

AFS Copper Division Luncheon

2010-03-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Terri Kelsey wrote:

Our group attended the AFS Copper Division Luncheon on Saturday and found the topic of the presentation very interesting. Chris Norch, President of Denison Industries, spoke on the political issues affecting our industry.

For more information about this topic contact The Federal Metal Company at 1.800.736.6636 or visit our website at http://www.federalmetal.com/

CastExpo '10

2010-03-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

We are looking forward to seeing you at CastExpo '10.

Date: March 20, 2010

Location: Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL

Co-Sponsored by: AFS & NADCA

I will be there with Rik Kohn, Terri Kelsey, Mike Fekete, Todd Kidder, Warren Plesmid and Jason Seeley.

Lead Free Alloys

2010-03-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

It was another busy week in lead free alloys. Foundries are adjusting patterns to be able to pour C89836 and C89833 into existing leaded brass patterns. The feeding difference and fluidity are making it quite a challenge. Pay particular attention to the dimensional transitions in the parts and make sure the riser contacts are sufficient.

For more information about this topic contact The Federal Metal Company at 1.800.736.6636 or visit our website at http://www.federalmetal.com/

Test Bars

2010-02-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

I visited numerous foundries last week. I’m noticing a trend among end users who are increasingly requiring test bars on heats used to produce their castings. More and more, it is becoming important to have good pouring practices and melt control procedures to ensure the bars pass. Verify that you are meeting the requirements of the ASTM casting spec that you are producing material to meet. Failing mechanical properties can cause quality castings to be non-shippable. Put in place the systems that ensure the bars are properly poured and the chemistry of the metal is where it needs to be.

For more information about this topic contact The Federal Metal Company at 1.800.736.6636 or visit our website at http://www.federalmetal.com/

Overcoming the issues with C89836

2010-02-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks, lead free has still been very busy. A lot of companies are being required to pour test bars and mechanically certify both C89833 and C89836. The industry is seeing inconsistent results with C89836. Obtaining the required minimum tensile strength and elongation has been challenging. We have been experimenting with composition variations to overcome the issues with C89836.

Lead Free

2010-01-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of activity on lead free this past week. C89833 is becoming a very active alloy in 2010. Foundries are doing a lot of testing and procedure development to convert C84400 and C83600 castings to C89833. I am up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan riding a 1000CC Arctic Cat with a few fellow foundrymen. We will ride over 1300 miles and the weather is awesome. The big Cat has no trouble pushing triple digit speed numbers on these hard pack groomed trails.

Propeller Manufacturer in Mississippi

2010-01-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

I just visited a large propeller manufacturer in Mississippi with the AFS research committee. The castings weigh up to 100,000 lbs. and are poured in No-Bake molds. It was a very well run operation. The machine shop was off limits due to the machining of submarine propellers but the rest of the facility was very interesting.

Pouring Aluminum Bronze Tips

2010-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

I am working on some dross issues with a customer who is pouring C95400 aluminum bronze. It can not be emphasized enough on the importance of a good non pressurized gating system. The 1-4-4 is the best choice and the choke needs to be at the bottom of the sprue so the basin stays full during the pour. A tapered sprue is essential. These alloys need to be poured slow and with as little turbulence as possible so oxides are not generated in the mold cavity. We dropped from a ¾ sprue to a ½ round at the bottom, the pour weight is about 55 Lbs.