One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face is shipping. A continued shortage of drivers, rising logistics costs, and poor routing strategies are ongoing problems. However, the challenge only ratchets up when it comes to transporting large tubular components. As a centrifugal casting foundry, Spuncast had seen its customers struggle with shipping woes for years. Several […]

In an industry increasingly defined by technology and automation, clear communication from your foundry is a soft skill that’s often overlooked. But both effective and ineffective communication will have an enormous impact on your part’s production and the price you ultimately pay. “Without good communication between the customer and the foundry, an uneven production schedule […]

From material selection to testing, metallurgy touches every aspect of your metal part design. But still, many part designers overlook the ongoing importance a metallurgist plays in the foundry production process. Part designers may understand the need for the metallurgical research that goes into selecting the materials, but not that the significance of the science […]

No foundry can be everything to everybody. But finding one that can produce your part right on spec is crucial to your business. So, how do you know what to look for when you need a quality foundry to manufacture your metal part? Here’s a short video explaining what sets a quality foundry apart from […]

Centrifugal casting delivers a consistent, quality tubing product at a controlled cost. But a big part of what makes this such an effective process may come as a surprise: Permanent steel molds. What’s so special about permanent molds – and why are they so specific to the centrifugal casting process? To answer that question, let’s […]

There are multiple benefits to centrifugal casting, but one that doesn’t get talked about enough is the lower environmental impact of centrifugal casting. As long ago as 1997, a study by the global business school INSEAD concluded that recycling-based casting is the “wave of the (immediate) future” because of its intelligent use of existing material. […]

When you buy specialty tube components, you want to be reassured that you’re spending your money on something that will last. But if for some reason it doesn’t, it’s just as important to know you can reach out to the manufacturer for support. That’s where warranties come in. A foundry’s warranty is an extension of […]

As a purchasing agent, sourcing the best-priced steel tube components that go into creating a product is your job. However, an experienced agent knows it takes more than accepting the lowest bid from potential tube manufacturers to get what the engineer needs. Below, we’ve compiled 10 of the best questions to ask to get the […]

If you’re treating HSLA steel as a commodity, you may not realize you can get even closer to what you want without having to spend more, thanks to two processes. In this post, we’ll focus on those processes and why they make such a big difference. We’ll also explain how they can upgrade your HSLA […]

The 8620 material grade is popular in tube part designs and is usually viewed as only a commodity. But what if there was an equivalent metal produced using a different process that could manufacture a better tube product? Below you’ll learn how an 8620 equivalent can live up to (and may even surpass) the original […]