Choosing the right alloy is a fundamental decision for anyone bringing a new cast part to market. The alloy determines not only part performance, but also optimal manufacturing and finishing processes. Casting, machining, heat treating, coating – every step of the manufacturing journey is essential to producing parts to spec. Ultimately, the responsibility for choosing an alloy falls to the customer, but metalcasters must have a strong understanding of how different alloys respond to their casting processes. The ideal situation is when both metalcasters and their customers understand material properties, allowing them to work together to optimize quality and efficiency. At the Eagle Group, we’ve learned through experience that, when it comes to material science, an educated customer is a satisfied customer.
Many casting customers know there’s a big difference between steel used to build skyscrapers and the kind of steel used to cast gate valves. But they may not understand the fundamental reasons for the difference, so it’s very helpful – for the metalcaster and the customer – to have fundamental knowledge of material properties for the parts on order. An educated customer can explain to the metalcaster the need for a certain hardness range, a minimum strength level or specific chemistry for optimal performance. Not only can they say what they want, but they can put it into clear, measurable terms.
This shared understanding empowers customers to communicate their requirements more accurately and allows suppliers to refine those requirements more effectively.
Eagle Alloy quality manager and metallurgist Jason Bergman suggested that customer education need not focus on customers knowing exactly what they want, but on getting the customer and the foundry engineers to a point of basic mutual understanding. For a casting buyer, having a foundational knowledge of metal properties, processes, and capabilities, along with asking the right questions, will go a long way. “Even if it’s a very broad understanding of what their need is, we can help coach them from there and sometimes it makes sense to test multiple materials if they are not sure,” Bergman explained.
Connecting with customers
It should be obvious to any manufacturer that selecting the right material is crucial for producing a high-quality part that will perform as expected. What many people do not consider, at least right away, is that alloy choice also plays a significant role in determining the casting process and selecting the right manufacturing partner. Even further, casting customers often assume that only one grade will achieve the properties they desire, though in reality the specifications may be more flexible – and that creates an opportunity to use faster or less expensive production methods.
“Customer education is important because customers understand best the final part application,” according to Eagle Alloy chief technical officer Nic Tarzwell. “The more they understand the capabilities of the foundry process and materials, the better we can help them maximize their casting design, take full advantage of the casting process and reduce unnecessary costs.”
From the metalcasters’ perspective, understanding alloys guides manufacturers toward the optimal production process while keeping application suitability top of mind, and that will lead to better product functionality and longevity, and reduce processing costs.
In turn, educating customers about alloys and the foundry’s capabilities fosters transparency in the manufacturing process.
Customers who can have an informed conversation about foundry processes and materials are more likely to trust the manufacturer’s expertise and understand the rationale behind the choice of a particular alloy. They can proactively ask questions about material properties, processing, and performance that help ensure the final product will meet their requirements.
In the long run, educated customers significantly impact the bottom line of both their companies and their partner foundries. By understanding alloys and their applications, metalcasting companies and their customers can ensure consistent product quality, cost efficiency, and innovation. Customer education is a valuable opportunity for building trust, managing costs, enhancing satisfaction, and fostering long-term relationships. And satisfied, well-informed customers are more likely to return for future business – enhancing business efficiency by creating a more stable and ongoing revenue stream for metalcasting operations.
The role of metallurgists
It’s advantageous for foundries to have a trained metallurgist on staff, when possible. These experts provide in-depth knowledge about the material, physical, mechanical, chemical, and metallurgical properties and behaviors of metals using ASTM standards.
“A metallurgist is a material expert for the steel industry,” Bergman explained. “Like going to see your primary care doctor rather than a specialist for a condition, the expert is going to know more about their area of study. The same goes for a metallurgist for metals. Having a metallurgist on staff allows that foundry to have direct access to expertise in understanding the materials they produce, how different processing methods may affect the material properties and other outcomes, and ultimately troubleshoot and stay ahead of issues at a fundamental level.”
The Eagle Group’s experience shows that customers also benefit from metallurgists' expertise. “As the supplier, it is our job to be the experts about our process and capabilities, and that includes the material properties,” Bergman continued. Metallurgists act as knowledge brokers by bridging the gap between complex metallurgical science and practical applications of metals, helping customers make informed decisions that meet application requirements, and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
Closing the knowledge gap
It isn’t practical for every foundry to have a trained metallurgist on staff. For many foundries, training sales and technical teams on the basics of metal properties goes a long way to smooth onboarding and ensure customer satisfaction.
When discussing metal properties with customers, metalcasters should be able to describe the most common metals used in manufacturing, and to compare them on factors such as corrosion resistance, machinability, price, tensile strength, hardness, weldability, wear resistance, and toughness. At a basic level, it’s often beneficial for casting customers to understand the difference between physical, mechanical, and chemical properties – at least in terms of the variables that enhance or diminish each property.
Foundries and their customers also must ensure that products can pass through each step in the manufacturing journey successfully. This requires understanding mechanical properties like strength, hardness and ductility, and how they relate to the physical processes of casting, forming, machining, welding and heat treating. The customer must determine the final properties needed for their part, but the foundry must determine the steps to get to that point.
When foundries and their customers work together with a solid understanding of metal properties, the optimal path often becomes clear to both parties.
For foundries, the key to success is providing their customers with good advice early. To close the knowledge gap among customers on the basics of metal properties, subject matter experts can positively influence the sector by creating and sharing content and offering actionable solutions. Making educational resources easily accessible and readily available promotes transparency and builds trust – and ultimately benefits the casting industry as a whole.
Jeff Cook is chief sales and marketing officer for Eagle Alloy. Contact him at [email protected]