Optimization of Alloy in SG Casting Foundry for Achieving Manufacturing Excellence

Abstract

Manufacturing Excellence (ME) is the ability to provide high quality competitively priced products and services in a global marketplace. Operational Excellence (OE) and Process Excellence (PE) are the components of ME.  As a primary market requirement, ME is addressed in the present study by reducing the product cost of SG iron casting to make it competitive in the market. Conserving the scarce resource of Copper (OE) and maintaining the quality specification (PE), thus demonstrating business intelligence, using the statistically evidenced innovative method, is the primary focus of this paper. Literature review has revealed that the approaches for achieving excellence through classical methods have been cost reduction by fault correction in casting, activity-based industry engineering and waste. Optimization of composition of alloys and deploying functional quality is the focus of this study. Both Shainin approach and the regression model techniques were used for arriving at the optimum combination of the Mn and Cu % (Manganese and copper). The scope is limited to as-cast grade pearlite+ ferritic SG Iron/Nodular Iron/Ductile Iron components and will not be inductively extendable to every component and other ductile irons.

Keywords: Copper , Manganese , Shainin , SG Iron Castings, Foundry