Voice of the industry: diescasters speak out.

In today's global economy, many manufacturers are charged with the task of redefining who they are and what they must do to remain competitive. Diecasters are no different. To find out what needs to be done to remain competitive, MODERN CASTING posed a question to several diecasters and suppliers:

With the continued push toward globalization, what are the keys for diecasters to compete and thrive in the next 10 years?

"The changes that will occur in the next 10 years in the metalcasting industry will Ice driven by technology changes and will push toward the limit of casting processes. Every day, our customers are pressuring us to design stronger and thinner parts of increasingly larger dimensions, using substitute material, this, in the context of more complex assemblies. Often, using the actual technology is not efficient any more: several compromise must now be considered to meet objectives, resulting in increased competitive pressures on manufacturers.

To stay competitive in this world of rapid change, diecasters have to get involved sooner in the product and process development cycle in order to develop solutions that meet the demands. One of the trends in casting is the collaboration between manufacturing and product development teams. By combining design and process features feasibility, virtual prototyping will be the key to reduced leadtime from order to first product. This way, the quality of castings will continue to improve and the number of physical prototypes, sampling, machining and process debugging will be reduced and become more cost-effective.

Despite improvements carried out in the fields of process simulations and electronic communications, using simulation software is still not a standard. Too often trial and error on physical prototypes is still perceived as cost-effective. With today's equipment, mold flow simulations can now be performed on affordable supercomputers. This, combined with fast CAD data exchange over the internet, is fading away the distance and language barriers. Complex analysis can now be realized in a very short time by suppliers of different countries.

Another growing trend is the emergence of prototype and low-volume production tooling for lightweight materials. The ability of the mold making industry to meet that challenge will be crucial for their success.

In order to remain competitive, the metalcasting industry must also adapt its technology with regards to actual and future needs related to environmental issues like reduced emissions. Consequently, reducing emissions by diminishing the vehicle weight will increase the need for lighter materials such as magnesium, Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) or overmolded nonferrous metals/plastics assemblies.

The last, but not least, key of competitiveness is to maintain highly skilled levels of workers. The technical staff has to stay updated about new technologies and keep their eyes opened on the world to put the globalization trends to profit the enterprise."--Stephane Bergeron, Styl & Tech

"In order to succeed in the diecasting arena in the next 10 years, training will be paramount. The North American Die Casting Assn. (NADCA) and Cast Metals Institute (CMI) have excellent training courses for operational people at all levels of their organization. When knowledge and experience are coupled together, North American diecasting operations will be successful. Innovations and technology will be supplemented with highly educated and trained employees."--Vic LaFay, Hill & Griffith Co.

"Times are changing for North American diecasters. Intense competition from the global marketplace has shaken the industry. Lured by offshore enticements, many North American manufacturers have moved their operations overseas, especially to Asia. At the same time, pricing pressures from automotive and other end markets, increased costs from governmental regulations, and decreased demand from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have taken their toll. Diecasters that realize all of this also realize that they will need to redefine who they are and what they do. It is not a surprise that the greatest challenge to the diecasting industry in North America over the next 10 years will be to clearly identify its strategy to overcome foreign competition.

When we say "overcome" foreign competition, it is obvious that it is easier said than done, and it will not simply go away. Companies that are changing with the times are doing such things as contract manufacturing, embracing the newest technologies such as customized alloys, partnering with other "non-casting" manufacturing and initiating their own global strategies.

As the North American diecasting industry looks into the future, it is our belief that:

* the largest market for die east components (automotive) will change dramatically;

* the highest volume work will be developed locally then move to low-cost countries;

* design and modeling capabilities will be key to maintaining close ties with customers;

* successful diecasters will provide high-integrity parts in small to large volumes--rapidly;

* the winners in the "race" to embrace new technology will always stay on top.

But OEMs must realize that working with a North American diecaster is critical to their survival and growth, too."--Leo J. Baran, North American Die Casting Assn.

"North American diecasters need to understand that this is a world market. They can benefit from this if they understand their core competencies, as well as their competitors. For instance, most diecasters are not die makers; therefore, they should be looking to the overseas suppliers to work with to develop new and replacement dies for their operations.

In addition, North American diecasters will need to be willing to work with their customers to determine if there are other operations or processes that they can perform on the die cast components before delivery. This may be a modification of their core competencies, but one that may give them a competitive advantage over their overseas counterparts.

And finally, diecasters need to work with their customers during the development of the castings. This is where being local should really be a competitive advantage for the North American diecasters. They need to come to the table with expertise in part design, analysis and material options that help the customers to develop the most cost-effective and functional component as possible."--Shane Brueggen, John Deere Seeding Group

"The "thriving" diecaster must become more than a cast and ship commodity Die castings are typically used because they are the lowest cost alternative for satisfying part shape and function. Because of this, most castings will likely move to the lowest cost country to manufacture.

Successful U.S. diecasters will likely be one or more of the following:

* Niche Market Specialists--diecasters that have "cornered the market" and Nave specialized on very complex castings where cost is not the sole driving factor (valve bodies, transmission housings, etc.);

* Value-Added Casters--diecasters that provide machining and component assembly to such an extent that it cannot be matched overseas;

* Product Development Casters--diecasters that have the technology and engineering resources and provide their service to help the OEMs design the casting for manufacturability and launch into production.

There will be fewer diecasters in the U.S. 10 years from now. However, many successful diecasters will remain and become even stronger."--Gary Greenlees, Briggs & Stratton