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How Can a Ductile
Iron Casting Reduce Costs?
The
Challenge -- Originally
designed as a steel forging, the coupler -
- Required 10 machining steps to
achieve final shape and to meet dimensional tolerances.
- Was purchased from off-shore sources
for the lowest forging price, but off-shore purchase required --
--- large-lot production
--- long lead times
--- substantial shipping costs
- The challenge was to reduce costs
and lead times.
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Benefits of Using a Ductile Iron Casting -- A casting design study showed that the
component cost could be reduced by 50% (compared to the original forging design) by using
ductile iron casting. This cost reduction was achieved by:
- Improved near-net shape which reduced
machining operations.
- Casting in sand for low cost, high efficiency
production.
Conversion to a domestic source casting also
reduced inventory costs by offering "Just-In-Time" production lots with shorter
lead times and lower total shipping costs, compared to the off-shore forging source. |
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