FOUNDRY FAULT LINES

Locate the “DEMONS” within & put them under leash
      G.SRIVASTAVA, R. C. KOTHARI & J. KUMAR
_______________________________________________________________PREAMBLE:
In Geological Terminology, “FAULT LINES” are breaks in Earth’s surface where TECTONIC PLATES come in contact or collide. Enormous stresses get built up around these fault lines leading to occurrence of SEISMIC TREMORS, EARTHQUAKES and even TSUNAMIS – undersea quakes. A chain reaction gets started and an unforeseen and unpredictable tragedy befalls on the living beings, their abodes and surroundings. Lot of Scientific research has led to identification of these FAULT LINES worldwide but still they have remained elusive and Scientists and Geologists, with all their expertise and knowledge over the years, have remained unable to predict when and where such calamity is going to take place. Since the whole phenomenon is unpredictable and uncertain, no remedial action can be preplanned and people are forced to
allow the calamity to take place and then react with actions to repair the damages. Japan is one example where the country has faced and probably will be facing these seismic tremors every now and then. But by complying fully with specifications of earthquake resistant designs and procedures, it has kept the
devastation at very low level. Six verticals of Seismic safety have been identified by Japan in this context - earthquake resistant constructions, retrofitting of lifeline structures, regulation and enforcement, awareness and preparedness, capacity development.

We cannot change the cards we are dealt with; it is important just how we play the hand.                                                   Randy Bausch _______________________________________________________________IINTRODUCTION - “FOUNDRY FAULT LINES”:

In a similar manner in Foundry operations, there exist weak areas and lines which can be named as “FOUNDRY FAULT LINES”. Foundry process has some typical problems – Each Casting, being unique in nature, has specialised specific requirements and naturally has unique solution specific to the Casting.
However a Casting produced on a day, may not have same quality parameter very next day or in the same or next batch of production. This is due to the Fault Lines existing in the setup and they are the root cause of the damage to the working system. The whole operation which happens to move smoothly suddenly gets disturbed by “PROCESS TREMORS/EARTHQUAKES and TSUNAMIS,” getting generated from these so named FOUNDRY FAULT LINES. Foundry operations are quite complex with a bucketful of variables, which become dominant and in many cases being independent of each other contribute to the wrongs in the operations. With advancement of Science and Technology, many issues in Foundry operation can be explained by Logic, but still many of the grey areas continue and therefore a “sure shot and right first time and every time” solution is elusive so far.
For an effective controlled operation, thus, it becomes imperative to locate, Identify, keep a record of all such Fault Lines, plan and act upon carefully all the time to keep the damage or variance in quality minimal and within the acceptable tolerances of the Casting in question. An attempt has been made to enlist these Fault Lines along with remedial actions – Twelve verticals for keeping the damage minimal, have been deliberated upon for Foundry Stakeholders on same lines as described in Preamble for Seismic safety. The
subject is very vast and this attempt, very brief though, is to bring them in a consolidated picture – putting all the cards on the table - on what are the root causes, how they affect and what damage can be anticipated from these so branded, FOUNDRY FAULT LINES. Side by side, required Preventive actions have also been deliberated upon – Expressed in Bold and Underlined in respective areas. It needs to be noted that “bravery is not in identifying these Fault lines” but also in devising Techniques to remain alert and keep the
damage minimal.

If a man will begin with uncertainties, he shall end in doubt; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in uncertainties.Francis Bacon       **********                                                   

THE WEB OF FOUNDRY FAULT LINES:

1. PROCESS RELATED:
The Foundry process is mainly an amalgamation of 3 major processes – Melting, Mould/Core making and,of course, Sand where mould is not a Die or Permanent. Mold/Core making and sand are interrelated but all are still totally different techniques from melting and are independent of each other, calling for different quality parameters. A good Foundry is expected to be fully aware of what can go wrong with these processes. Each aspect of these processes has numbers of actions in a certain predetermined and prefixed activity. These
activities do have measurable specific characteristics which can be easily monitored by evaluating the measured quantum. Main areas of concern in this category which wreck havoc, if left unattended will be:
a) MELTING: Almost every Metal infirmity has its root in Melting operation. They may differ in Foundries but are similar in nature, all the time and can be broadly clubbed as:

• · Metal Chemistry
• · Metal pouring Temperature
• · Metal Treatment – As additions to the molten metal for Nodulirisation,    Deoxidation and Grain refinement or similar actions
• · Slag Formation

b) MOULD/ CORE MAKING and SAND:
A major % of casting defects gets generated in Moulding/ Core and Sand making. They can be attributed to the Moulding technique adopted and the sand process selected, their limitations, variables therein and deviations from the specified norms. Sand making, being an inherent and continuous process, will
need very high vigilance continuously. 
It is, however, important to note that at development stage of the Casting, by and large about 60% of the infirmities in the Castings can be traced to Pattern equipments including the related Risering and Gating systems and therefore needs special attention, followed by periodic checks at regular bulk production. Broadly the concerned areas in these operational stages are:

• · Sand Parameters
• · Mould/ Core Compaction and Hardness
• · Mould and Core alignment during closing of the Mould halves/ parts
• · Pattern equipment design and related issues

Added to all the above, there are Post Casting operations like Heat Treatment, finishing, grinding, gauging and even salvaging to correct the undesired infirmities. These also call for a serious approach for monitoring of process in respective areas. With good Data recording system and statistical approaches to the data like SPA, SPC, SQC, Six Sigma, PPM and diligent monitoring, the Foundry process can be kept under control and fit for delivery of consistent acceptable Casting.
Telling the truth, it has been observed that many units with robust set ups have failed because of the fragile process control.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.  Dale Carnegie **********

2. QUALITY & CONSISTENCY RELATED:

Metal casting Technology is a complex web going around, and nothing happens for a single facile reason.In this, every Answer uncovers new Questions and no explanation can ever be complete! This affects the quality of Cast Products and makes them inconsistent in all major parameters like variation in Metal chemistry even within the same piece of a Casting, Dimensions, Weight, Infirmities and Defects on surface and subsurface. No two Casting made using same Pattern Equipment, poured in the same batch of molten Metal, will get formed in the same manner in the Mould/ Die, causing Variance/ Inconsistency in Castings thus formed. Casting Buyers decide the acceptable limits of such inconsistencies in the Casting, knowing pretty well his end user requirements and Tolerances applicable. The Foundry makes its endeavour to bring out the Casting well within the Tolerance limits. However, for sure success the Foundry should fix its own internal tolerance limits narrower than those specified by the customer. This will ensure its products always qualifying the specified requirement. No doubt, it will make the task of the Foundry Technologist tougher, but it is worth it. Regular Calibration of the Test Equipments and facilities is a must to ensure dependable Test Results. The Philosophy: “Quality cannot checked, it has to be in-built in the system” should be followed in words and spirits.

Quality is never an accident. It is always a result of an intelligent effort.

Vincent Lombardi
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3. KNOWLEDGE RELATED:
Foundry process deals with Liquid Metal temperatures. For different metals the temperature may range from about 4000C to 16000C, causing limitation in scientific analysis of flow of metals in the mould cavity due to simultaneous cooling of metals in the mould cavity – fluidity behaviour- and many more similar happenings. There have been, in the past, some investigations but clear cut theories are not yet to the mark. Similar is the situation during solidification process that takes place in the mould. Presently the basis of designing out the
Technical Process system – “Method” as it is called – for a particular Casting is carried out by theoretical observations evolved out in the scientific research conducted in the past and then supported by experimental observations digitally. But the Knowledge is still blurred and Experience, of course, supported by
Technical logic plays a big role in designing out the Casting Methodology. This blurred knowledge leads to a slightly unpredictable situation and thus is a major FAULT LINE, which cannot be prevented. It needs to be emphasised that Experience of dealing with the solidification process and basic Knowledge can
help one to get over the possible havoc/tsunami in producing the Casting. There have been some Digital devices (CASTING SIMULATION Set ups) which do predict the behavior of the metal in the mould and possible options for effective solidification solutions. But the best solution out of choices/options available through these simulations in designing out the Method still needs experienced persons.

You have to just learn rules of the game and then you can play better than anyone else.    Albert Einstein
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4. COMMUNICATION RELATED:
We all know what a COMMUNICATION GAP can lead to disasters in all our ways of life, industrial working included. Communication of all messages, instructions, monitoring systems etc. all have to be clear and precise keeping in mind that person making use of the instruction is vulnerable to missing/ misunderstanding the communication . Examples are many- details of Customer’s requirements to operating staff, process control and their yardsticks, trouble shooting communications and many more similar.
In Foundry operation, because of innumerable variables inherent with the process, any little missing in actions based on communication gap or wrong communication can lead to disasters and wastages. The disasters getting out of such FAULT LINES, basically coming out from Communication - A Management
Function- can be easily avoided if while preparing them, an insight of possible areas of what can go wrong is carried out. Communications of any sort need to be doubly checked before release and must be designed keeping in mind what recipient understands and his/her level of understanding without being unambiguous at all.

There are no facts, only interpretations.                       Friedrich Nietzsche
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5. DISCIPLINE RELATED:
It has been explained earlier that the Foundry Process being bogged down with a big list of variables will keep on damaging the outcome if not kept under control. For such a sensitive process, a discipline of high order from the players in the field is extremely essential. If it is missing, the damage will be the there and nobody can stop it. The discipline is also associated with the inculcation of the sense of “OWNERSHIP” of the process by the executers of the actions carried out by them.
Side by side an endeavour is necessary to keep on upgrading the parameters based on the feed backs from the running operations to achieve excellence. A mechanism for such disciplined and ownership exercise is absolutely essential along with a truthful reporting. Develop and encourage straight shooting persons.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a HABIT. Aristotle
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6. SKILL RELATED:
For any Enterprise and the actions involved there, the skill level plays a big role. Foundry is no exception and competence of all the players’ therein – Workers, Supervisors, Managers and even the Thinkers and Advisors – can make or mar the working of the unit. Inspite of providing, best equipments processes and
systems, the desired results cannot be achieved if the skill of people involved is not of high order. Even “Skillets” (quickly acquired skills) that help one, have been very useful. As an example -Foundries can develop their own Skillets like Charge Calculation in Melting Dept. carried out by the Melting staff themselves.
A constant push on increasing the skill level is necessary. Compiling an inventory to leverage potential training always helps. Skilling, reskilling and upskilling requires a paradigm in approach and thinking.
Technology tools may bridge the knowledge gap but there is a need to focus on constant reskilling by use of Videos, Internet clips, tutoring and online Tests. Continuous investment in increasing the skill sets improves the performance of people involved, of course only when provided with right tools they need, to be successful.
It should not be taken as an exaggeration that Indian Talent and Work ethics is higher than most of his counterparts abroad, but in the absence of a proper guidance, skill training and disciplined culture, he lags behind. He, unfortunately, has been groomed in a disorderly environment, without any training and left to
remain a self learner. The solution is in American Campaign “Each one,Teach one”.

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond his normal limitations. Peter Drucker
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7. ATTITUDE RELATED:
A Cricket parlance: “A century scored on a Saturday becomes Zero on Sunday”, is applicable to Foundry Industry fully. The Moral of this Statement is that the Batsman who is competent enough to make a century on a day can be a “Cipher” if he gets complacent. As indicated earlier, Foundry because of the complexity in its working will always remain vulnerable to slips which take place due to inattentiveness of the players there. They have to remain alert and vigilant all the time, and on the toes with broad open eyes while playing their
roles. If they get complacent, the slippages will be there creating havocs and tsunamis.

Also to a Foundry Technologist, Foundry problems, by and large, are simple in nature, may even appear to him trivial; but the other stakeholders of Foundry may wonder about it, feeling the pinch of not being able to think of it in the beginning itself. They (other stakeholders) by observing the operations happening around the Foundry, feel they can also solve the problems themselves thinking “Anybody or his Uncle can do the Casting”. It so happens that good number of people, while meeting their friends/relatives fallen ill, advise them for their treatment and claim to know of illness unless proven otherwise. In the same manner, other stakeholders of Foundry also claim to know about Foundry unless proven otherwise. This myth leads to havocs and is an attitude related FAULT LINE.

Every Foundry has a monitoring system in vogue for all the actions and operations, but based on feed backs on slippages, a CAPA (Corrective and Preventive actions) should be carried out and continuously system needs to be upgraded. It has to be an ongoing process. Almost all the Foundries do have their ISO-9001-2008 accreditation and this CAPA is a part of the exercise spelt out. This makes the Foundries responsible for carrying out CAPA without fail religiously. “Failing to plan is a planning to fail” – it must be kept in mind all the time and just scratching the surface will not help. Just like Human beings,
a Foundry also needs “SELF BELIEF” and of course needed corrective actions coming out of it. It must “refuse to sit on its oars” and has to be active all the time in innovative mode all the time.

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of shore.                                                                                            Andre Gide
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8. COSTING RELATED:
Foundry operation is not a direct assembly line operation where COST calculation can be very accurate by counting all the nuts and bolts or similar entities going into the assemblies/product. Foundry Costing/Economics have generally 3 Buckets – melting, mould/core making (all related activities included) and cleaning/finishing. Capturing Costing and Metrics associated with Materials, Energy, Manpower and their Productivity and Cost of potential investment and Finance are complicated and many a time get based on approximation. The process also has a feature of used Materials like Metal and Sand going back into the system mainstream. It makes the Costing difficult and is a bit blurred and it has to depend on approximation.
Being a business entity where Cost calculation is a must, for Foundries this area of Costing and Economies involved also becomes a major Fault Line. It becomes difficult to relate Cost of a particular Casting having a positive or negative impact accurately to the Foundry’s business. Since the Cost calculation is on approximation basis, the Foundries continue to remain on a weak wicket in
the exercise of taking decision of accepting an order or not. Majority of the Foundries, it is observed they go by the prices offered by their competitors- not doing their own homework- and may get into the trap of accepting the order at lower than offered by their competitors. This may not be necessarily Viable to them. They believe in the philosophy of “crossing the bridge when I reach there”. This is a big Disaster and effect of this Tsunami.
Also, generally when we plan the future of the Business, Foundry is no exception; we don’t plan for the Lean Period – “Hope for the Best and Plan for the Worst”. Any entity, which has the ability to plan for the lean period, won’t see Financial Trouble. To it, for the growth, Dream is one part, Vision is another part. It has to have head on shoulders so that it doesn’t go beyond its means.

A good no. of Foundries have failed because of Cash flow problem and not because of Profit and Loss account as they were not able to pay off their liabilities in time. It is always advisable to refuse orders with low contribution and late payments. Foundries must fix a full time Executive to get better insight of the COST, pinpoint areas where a Tsunami like situation is likely to take place. First focus has to be on Direct Cost consisting of Raw Material, ProductionStores/ Consumables, Energy and Direct Labour per unit of Casting – separately for all the different items in production. Such a Data base will enable them to take right economical decisions. No order price should be lower than the Direct Cost so calculated to avoid getting trapped in the web of “More you produce, more you lose.

Don’t judge each day by the Harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.
Robert Louise Stevenson
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9. HUMAN RELATED:
Foundry Industry comes in the category of Labour Intensive Industry. A majority of developments including Mechanisation and Process stability pertaining to this Industry have focused on reduction of Labour – Human Factor – involved. It may also be noted that reduction of Labour force is needed, not only because of
their numbers; but also because of Vulnerability of the Human beings making mistakes – “TO ERR IS HUMAN”. No matter how much high Discipline and Dedication in employees is created and infused, mistakes and slippages are going to occur. As such this factor also needs be taken for consideration as a FAULT LINE. To overcome or reduce damages on this account, the reporting/ recording systems of all the operations and activities, even Commercial, Marketing and Financial also to be monitored very closely and seriously. A
regular Surveillance Audit periodically and also a sudden check on their working will keep the damage on account of Human Factor to minimal.
A constant ongoing exercise, in form of Time and Motion study of all the Human force engaged and judicious use of Mechanical handling systems, Manipulators and even simple Robotics, is the call of the day. Operators must be trained for multitask and helpers, a total no no.

To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others use your heart.         Eleanor Roosevelt

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10. WASTE RELATED:
Foundry operation is an exceptional Industrial process, where a lot of wastages in form of metal, metallic oxides (slag and arc/gas cutting scarf), sand in form of lumps, gravels and dust etc. keep on flushing the operational areas; some of them, of course, being necessary evils and unavoidable. Foundry Stakeholders
have to live with them. However, acceptable industry norm is violated and surpassed by a majority of Foundries due to necessary diligence not being carried out in this respect. Such indifference increases the wastes all around and increases Cost unnecessarily. Foundries, as it is, even keep on cribbing of high costs and unviable condition of their units; unfortunately ignore this area- just Management lethargy. To keep this FAULT LINE at bay, Foundries have to put into practice, ways and methods to make these wastages as a measurable exercise. It is possible. An example can be quoted – A ratio of weight of black Castings shipped out and all the Metallics (Scrap and Alloys) should be
worked out periodically. The loss in weight such arrived at is a good monitoring index. It covers fully all losses like handling, burning loss in melting, finishing room loss. In a good Foundry it should be about 8 -10%. Benchmark fixing and then their monitoring will help the Foundry in cost reduction.

If you have been defeated by a difficulty, it is probably because you have told yourself for weeks, months and even for years that there is nothing you can do about it.
So what is the action plan (The Author suggests) - You should adopt “I don’t believe in defeat attitude” and endeavour to convince yourself through positive assertions that something can definitely be done about your difficulties.   Norman Vincent Peale
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11. INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED:
Foundries have moderately big Plant and Machinery installed for Production activities-Melting, Mould/Core making, Sand preparation and handling, Post knock out operating facilities like Shot Blasting, Dressing up, Salvaging activities and Heat Treatment. Then there are supporting Service facilities like Handling
Cranes and equipments, Compressors, Electrical installations, Laboratory set ups and Inspection facilities. All these set ups have their own individual FAULT LINES in areas like:

• · Selection of Machinery
• · Backup systems of the equipments
• · Layout set up
• · Upkeep of equipments
• · Preventive and predictive Maintenance

For a smooth and trouble free operation, all these areas need high level attention in form of consultations and discussions with Equipment suppliers and Plant operational teams including commercial also. It so happens that initially at the start of the Foundry project, the layout conceived starts with the objective of
unidirectional flow of movement of Metal, Mould/Core, Sand and Castings at different stages of production. As the Foundry grows for executing additional orders/new product mix or even to adopt newer Technologies, the bottlenecks and hiccups start popping up, if not taken care of properly. In this exercise, many times the uniflow gets disturbed and then it becomes a perennial bone in the neck. For this reason, hurried decisions
should not be taken at all and due diligence, going deep into the pros and cons and discussions amongst all the stakeholders are absolutely necessary. Preventive Maintenance of equipments, as recommended by equipment supplier or upgraded by plant personnel, must be carried out religiously without fail, duly backed up with requisite spares. AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) helps a lot in this aspect. For this a financial support in form of budget for such activities and for special overhauling needs to be
provided.

There are two ways to tackle difficulties: you alter difficulties or you alter yourself to tackle them.                                                                             Phyllis Bottome
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12. HEALTH & SAFETY RELATED:
Foundry operations make use of Heavy Equipments. Molten Metal at high Temperatures is handled in the process. All this makes the unit vulnerable to accidents, in extreme cases even fatal. As such operations are to be watched and supervised with utmost care. Operators are to be well trained to take care of themselves and their colleagues. Regular safety exercises to keep them fit and to meet emergencies are a must to avoid dangerous situations.
Lot of Dust and Smoke is generated in the operations, which make it necessary to have suitable Pollution Control facilities. These add to the Capital cost, but are needed to keep the working environment healthy and safe. Regular monitoring of such facilities will be needed all the time.
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CONCLUDING:
The deliberation above, though very short, has pointed TWELVE FAULT LINES which are the Root Cause for much malice, operations going out of control, Losses and low Viability of Foundries. The Foundry output staring down the twin barrels of inconsistency and unpredictability, though impossible to eliminate, can still be reined in controlled domain, if these so called FAULT LINES are attended to and taken care of. Actions for such big things (FAULT LINES) if taken in right perspective will automatically club the actions for little ones, with all desired results under control. Inaction on account of ignorance, indifference and even complacency will be costly in terms of Foundry’s Viability and Sustainability. But for all this, a knee jerk action is not going to help. Even small Fault Lines, if ignored, in Foundry operations can lead to an irreparable “Catastrophe”. One
shouldn’t allow them to deepen causing havocs and “hard landing”. A planned action play is the key of success. It is necessary to declutter the set up for better, bigger and more positive results. In Foundry-its operations being complex- something like making elephant dance or even taking a U turn for being successfulmultiple actions are to be pursued simultaneously. But in doing so compromises have to be made, which result into, that none of the action reaches its level of acceptance and satisfaction. No doubt it is true, but in
Foundry operations where all major operations, totally different to each other, go side by side; one has to put his nose and foot in all (FAULT LINES) what has been talked about in this deliberation. Theory of “one at a time” cannot work in Foundry operations. Scoring brownie points or cherry picking will also not work.
GO WHOLE HOG. General Motors have a placard in their shop –“You get what you allow”; something akin to “we reap what we sow”. Hoping for a survival after burning bridge is not going to work. As such, act one has to, keeping in mind that door to success is PUSH not PULL and push HARD.

By being different are qualities to be “unforgettable”. History recalls only such people and not those from the herd, who have taken to the comfort of being with the majority. The purpose of life is defeated if one acts like “comfort seekers” who come and go without leaving any trace of their existence on this earth. They are the ones who never try but they too have the ability to be different and make a mark in life. “Anybody can survive in a crowd, but can’t be a winner. To be a winner, he has to free himself from herd mentality and be in change mode all the time”. All this is a bit Philosophical but aptly applies to Foundries for their survival and keeping "DEMONS" within their set up, we talked about, under Leash.

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the winds in your sail. EXPLORE…DREAM…DISCOVER.     Mark Twain
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POST SCRIPT: All the Authors are IITians, having done their B. Tech. (Hons.) in Metallurgical Engineering. First two Authors did their M. Tech. about 55 years back, and the third Author about 40 years back. They have long and rich experience as well as deep insight in various facets of Foundry Technology and Management. In this Article they share their observations and wisdom about the Fault Lines in Foundry Operations, providing useful guidance to keep the business away from the ill-effects of these Fault Lines. For any further guidance or query, it may be sent to G.SRIVASTAVA, Mail ID: [email protected]
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