Castool Community

The future doesn’t play favourites.

It has no winners or losers.

It has no trends, business channels or emerging markets.

Because the future has’t happened yet. It is blank sheet. A clean state. Uncharted.

Together, we can create the future now.

We are going to post technical questions as they come up and our best explanation or answer.

1. There is plenty of strong evidence from metal flow studies (even the old plasticine experiments and then the work of Valberg and others in the 90’s) that clearly illustrates the frictional effect of the container wall during direct extrusion.  Reducing the container temperature with reference to the billet temperature will only enhance that effect.

2.  The frictional effect helps collect billet skin and enriched surface layers (plus contaminants) and allow this material to accumulate into the rear of the billet and be discarded in the butt.  Admittedly some of this accumulated garbage will flow into the extrusion interior – but for many commodity 6063 type extrusions where the emphasis is more on surface finish, this is quite acceptable.

3.  Recent studies show that not all the billet skin flows backward with typical container/billet temperature differences of around 70F, but some actually seeps forward and cause some surface finish issues on the extrusion.  Maintaining this delta T or higher minimizes the risk of forward flow of billet skin and helps maintain an acceptable surface finish. (I very much doubt forward flow can be totally controlled and avoided – there are too many other secondary factors at work also – edge distance of die aperture to container, press alignment, butt shear, dummy block performance etc.).

4.  An additional benefit using a colder container liner compared to the incoming billet temperature, relates to partial chilling of the billet, offsetting some of the extrusion deformation temperature gain towards the end of the extrude cycle.  This effectively compliments the benefits of a taper heated billet (colder back end) and thus helps achieve isothermal extrusion conditions and maximize extrusion speed.

5.  With indirect extrusion the situation is quite different.  First there is no container/billet friction and billet surface has a much higher tendency to flow forward.  Heat loss into the closure block at the back of the container, typically means the container temperature has to be controlled – at least at the back end – ideally higher than the incoming billet temperature, or at least as close to as possible.  This allows the extruder to optimize indirect extrusion productivity by maintaining maximum extrusion speed throughout the entire live cycle.

Therefore, with direct extrusion the container should be designed to run around 70F below the billet temperature. Less delta T for longer live cycle times (e.g. hard alloy extrusion).  Using a QR container with the front zones closer to the incoming billet temperature (say only 20F below) and the back zones approx 70-100F colder than the front is clearly advantageous.

For indirect extrusion, target the container temperature to be close to the billet temperature, with the back end zones hotter by around 70F if at all possible (QR container technology can do this)..

I left Toronto on Monday morning and arrove in Seoul via Bejing 18 hours later. Songsan picked me up as planned and delivered me to my hotel. Unfortunately my luggage did not arrive until the following night, either Air Canada or Air China misplaced it.
I have visited 4 Extruders so far, 2 more today. Our presentation benchmarking each Extruder in comparison to our global categories works well. Once the Extruder has understands his own capabilities, be is normally very open to Castool assistance to Better Extrusion. This seems to be common wherever we are in the world, no matter what industry.
Usually a new client is skeptical for a few minutes that a tooling supplier can add value, but once he has listened to us for a short time, it is hard to leave in under 3 hours.
The food is good and I have managed a Starbucks double short cappuccino each morning. So many things are the same no matter where you are you today.
There is one thing for sure about the recent global economic reset, Better die cast and extrusion sells.
I must repeat a quote that I heard the other day, ” for the last 15 years we have been running downhill, now we will see who the real athletes are”.
Back to the race, I will blog from Japan next.

What follows is an excerpt from an article that I recently read. Sorry, I unfortunately do not remember the source. “Even in these tough times, surprising and and extraordinary efforts are under way in businesses across the globe. These businesses will redefine our future and point the way to a better tomorrow. They possess innovative ideas and are executing them in a very creative manner”.

Castool’s design process includes the following points

1 There is a need to first define what the customer wants.  In terms of extrusion tooling support – what is the essential function the product needs to perform.  Too often extruders do not fully understand their process and what is needed to overcome.  They live in a thought that what technology they use today is good enough to meet their needs, and unfortunately this is worsened by their unawareness that their needs and goals are not set higher enough.  They essentially live in a comfort zone lacking efficiency with the false belief that “good enough is good enough”.  Castool can help by educating customers how to better optimize their process.  So while a design certainly has to be functional, the customer has to better understand that function and why improving that function adds to his bottom line.  He also has to fully appreciate, believe in and implement the correct practices to get the best performance out of the tooling/equipment.  Castool has some excellent procedures in place, e.g. supporting ROI studies by asking a customer to complete a simple questionnaire on (say) energy costs to support a QR container investment.

2 In the world of extrusion tooling, multi-functionality is almost a must have. The total function needs to be defined and then we must distinguish between the primary and secondary functions.  The primary function must not be jeopardized to facilitate secondary functions.  If you design a multi-functional product – try to define the cost associated with each function, then define the value each function provides.  Is a secondary function providing too little functional value for the cost?  There is the interaction between products as well – the role of correct die preheat, improved container design, container temperature control improvements, dummy block performance, butt shear performance – all interplay with each other, and all influence process control, productivity, surface finish, tooling longevity, etc. etc.   We’re never going to have a dummy block that can also perform as a butt shear for example, but both have significant roles in controlling extrusion surface finish, and trying to optimize surface finish without giving due attention to ALL contributory elements will never be successful.

3 Durability is of absolute importance.  It’s an aggressive environment around an extrusion presses and forces/stresses employed in the process are very high – especially when there are alignment issues, and other malpractices (which goes back to point 1 above on functionality and correct practices).

4 I think all good designs and products should fit any customer’s needs, but education is key to ensure all customers are best prepared and understand their current situation, their shortcomings and appreciate the benefits new technology will bring.  They must have the procedures in place to both effectively use and maintain the equipment.  Of course, for some customers a degree of customization of a product design is necessary, and in the world of supply of tooling for extrusion presses it goes without question that adaptation of designs will be an ongoing necessity.

5 A good design is as little design as possible!  Be careful the multi-functional need does not complicate the design.  Apply sound value engineering procedures during design to avoid unnecessary complication.
Simplicity applies not only to the design, but also to use, the operator interface and to maintenance.  A restricted product range and product line simplicity is the key to business success – try not to do all for all men, but focus on the specific needs that exist in the market sector you supply.

6 Castool’s product developments fall into two categories in the extrusion industry.  First there are the traditional products for the traditional process.  There will always be a market and there will always be customers who think good enough is good enough, so why not supply (say) standard shear blades to replace whatever they are doing.  Yes, you can make the Castool replacement blade work better that their original design, but to do so may require only minimal innovation and probably no invention at all.  Then there is the new improved product for a benchmark process.  The customer may be a benchmark producer and therefore his needs are most demanding.  His requirements may include a “revolutionary” design with considerable innovation and invention.  The replaceable ring dummy blocks, QR containers and single cell die ovens fall into this category.  Nice designs, most capable of performing as designed – at least when used correctly and by the most capable extruders.  But how often do we see our products being underutilized, even abused, by operations that wanted to buy, without fully appreciating the “need”.  Sadly, for the traditional extruders, the modern products may even be an uneconomic investment.  We need to overcome these situations via intensive education programs.

7  Maintenance and simplicity of maintenance, and reliability.  I think this is a basic functional requirement of any design.  It needs to perform and continue to perform within defined acceptability limits.  You should design for high reliability, and be able to quantify those defined acceptability limits.  Where possible fault finding software should be included, and the predicted life of electronic parts, elements, hydraulic components, pneumatic components be researched and known.  Failure mode analyses can be performed (FMEAs) to identify the statistical risk of any failure event occurring, and being able to identify alternate solutions.  Product testing prior to launch should be complete and thorough.   Yes, with all new products there is a learning curve experience and during that period unexpected events may occur.   Best if these can be identified during the product testing phase rather than in service.

8 You mustn’t forget safety!  The product must comply with and best exceed all mandated safety requirements and regulations.  It must be safe to use and to maintain.  It must not put people or other equipment/tooling at risk.

9 It must be easy to use.

10 I throw this one in at the end, not that I think any of our products are environmentally “non-green” but that care for the environment should be included in the thought process for any product design/development.  Ideally the product shall be free of parts that when replaced and disposed do not endanger the environment and it shall not operate in a manner that impacts the immediate surrounding environment.

Every now and then, I come accross a new “blue box” that appears to be identical to our single cell die heater.  Last month I was made aware of a blue single cell die oven with a stainless steel liner, and that uses an AB control. This die oven even had a similar model number to ours. Although, this company is attempting to copy Castool’s product.  This product’s function, and the makers approach, are really not the same as our own.  I will try to explain some of the differences.

There are two distinct kinds of market spaces in the world of business today. The most common are those whose boundaries are defined and accepted, and the rules of play are clearly understood.   Here, companies try to outperform their rivals in order to gain a greater share of an existing market. The result is that today,for more and more industries, supply is overtaking demand. Products are turning into commodities, and increasing competition is turning the waters bloody.

There are also, however, spaces which are not defined.  Theywere unknown and untainted by competition. Demand in these spaces is created rather than fought over. These spaces are normally created when a company alters the boundaries of an existing industry.

The main difference between these new market spaces and the more traditional are the set of managerial actions and decisions involved in making a business offering. The key is making the right strategic moves at the right time. Competition is not the benchmark in these markets, instead they make competition irrelevant by creating a leap in value both for buyers, and for the company itself.

These companies reject the fundamental belief that a trade-off exists between value and cost,  They pursue differentiation and low cost simultaneously.  By driving down costs while driving up value for buyers, a leap in value is created. Cost savings are made by eliminating and reducing the factors an industry traditionally competes on, and buyers value is lifted by raising and creating elements the industry has never before offered. The whole system of a company’s utility, price, and cost activities is then properly aligned.

In doing this considerable economic and cognitive task,  barriers to imitation are created. Imitation requires companies to make changes to their whole system of activities. Few have the flexibility to make the necessary organizational and operating changes overnight. Imitating the whole-system approach is not an easy feat.

Last Saturday. I got together with Danny Dunn our Extrusion Manager, and David Purdy our Die Cast Manager, in Tokyo. We had our first authentic Japanese dinner. Course after course, impeccable service, and absolutely wonderful. In truth, an evening to remember.

Monday morning, Danny and I met with our Japanese extrusion rep. and took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagoya for our first call. David took the Shinkansen to Hiroshima to meet our diecasting rep. there.

Japan has some of the best rail networks in the world. Quick and quiet Shinkansen link all major cities, speeds to 275 kph and, of course are on time, every time.

Danny and I are visiting existing extrusion clients, updating them on the latest Castool products and, perhaps as important, sharing with them our latest and constantly increasing technical knowledge, as well as our current knowledge of the state of the light metal extrusion industry globally.

A generalization, perhaps, but most Japanese extrusion plants are exceptionally well organized and clean. Most presses are meticulously aligned. The handling of billets and profile is usually automated. However, as with most extrusion plants worldwide, insufficient time and capital has been invested in their tooling systems. This is, of course, a not uncommon example of false economy.

Most Japanese extruders use conventional containers with exterior heating systems , and heat multiple dies in chest ovens. To date, we have equipped 3 presses with Castool QR containers, Accu-Temp single cell die heaters, and about 100 with Castool dummy blocks.

David presented Castool’s die cast tooling system to 3 large Japanese companies. Although we service the majority of Japanese companies located in North America, until now, we have not sold directly to their parent companies in Japan. David’s first presentation lasted 4 hours and his second 7 1/2 hours. To say the least, he was very well received.

Danny and I travel to Toyama then Kurobe in Northern Japan tomorrow, and then make our way to Ube City, in the south on Thursday. David is traveling to Toyohasi to visit one more die caster, and then making his way back to Tokyo and home.

The recent economic crisis has affected Japan similar to Europe and North America. 22 extrusion presses have been stopped and several plants closed forever. The extrusion market is still down by about 30% from last year. Die cast is starting to pick up.  As in N A, there is a common desire to increase output and reduce costs.

Today we spent 5 hours with the largest extruder in Japan. They have been using Castool dummy blocks on all presses for over 10 years and our QR container on their 14″ press.
The meeting went extremely well. They are interested in installing the QR container on more presses and investigating both the AT die heater and TC quench.
We still have a large extruder and a press builder to visit later this week.

David had another 7 hour presentation with a large die caster. They totally agreed with our philosophy and plan to trial a complete system inlcuding shot sleeve, plunger, lubrication and vacuum.

Castool’s die cast tooling system is definitely going global.  And fast.

With all the travel that I have done with Castool in the last 20 years, I had never before been to Malaysia.  I don’t know what I expected, but it definitely was not what I found.  Kuala Lumpur, by the way, is usually referred to locally as KL.
As we approached KL airport all I saw was beautiful manicured palm plantations. The largest industry is petrochemical followed by palm oil which is used in methanol.
The airport was one of the most modern and beautiful that I have ever seen. Immigration, customs and luggage collection were all extremely efficient. I even had a great cappuccino while I was waiting for my bag.
Justin and Siri met me as planned. Justin was driving a new Mercedes.
We took a modern toll road from the airport into KL, similar to 407 ETR in Toronto. It was completely elctronic, all tolls were unmanned.
As we approached KL, the cityscape looked like something out of a movie about 2035. The building are very high and most incredibly conceived and built. The Petronas Twin Towers is certainly the most famous structure.  Each 88story tower is 452 metres high.  We will visit a local Extruder on Monday, then take a flight of about 500 kms on Tuesday to see another large Extruder.
Thursday I’m going with Siri to call on an extruder that has specifically requested that we visit and present the Castool philosophy and system approach.

I feel certain that Friday or Saturday’s blog will be interesting.

As a direct result of last year’s economic meltdown, many industrial manufacturers failed. Their failure was most commonly caused simply by loss of market. Failure was unsurprising, totally predictable. There is another group of companies, however, whose demise will be discussed and analyzed in business schools throughout the world for years to come. These were fairly large, well-known, profitable companies with apparently capable senior management.

Why did they fail?

To date, a number of study groups have come up with four factors which, if taken individually, or in various combinations, have triggered the closing of some previously healthy companies.

First is the company that is so used to succeeding that it views success as well-deserved entitlement, and appears to have lost sight of the factors that originally made it successful,

Next is the company that has strayed from the disciplined creativity that led to greatness. When the crunch came, they attempted to enter a number of new markets simultaneously, and as a result , succeeded in none

A fairly common cause of failure is the alpha-male CEO who is so confident in his own invincibility, that he ignores brutal reality, thinking it only temporary. and usually blaming failure on other external factors.

Finally there are the companies that were overextended, and totally unprepared for so rapid a downturn. Once the downward spiral began, management soon gave up any hope for recovery, and either sold, or closed,

If another unexpected major market adjustment should occur, would you be ready?

As I’ve said before, industrial manufacturers are not usually the most progressive marketers in the world.

If you think that globalization just means selling to Europe if you’re a North American company, or selling to North America if you’re a European company, think again.

Globalization is as it says, selling around the globe. The other key word is “selling”. Globalization is not simply accessing inexpensive labour to make your product costs lower, so that you can offer your domestic market cheaper prices. Globalization means selling your products in all markets around the world.

Globalized companies reject the commonly held belief that a trade-off always exists between value and cost, They pursue differentiation and low cost simultaneously. By driving down costs while driving up value for buyers, a leap in value is created. Cost savings are made by reducing or eliminating factors an industry traditionally competes on. Buyers value is increased by raising and creating elements the industry has never before offered. The whole system of a company’s utility, price, and cost activities is then properly aligned.

Castool is a globalized company