Casting Design
The factory of the future
Expert’s opinion: Right-shoring gains momentum
Integration is a key to casting quality at Lawton
New customer “digs” Lawton’s castability input
Kaizen inspires a world of change at Lawton
Kaizen is a Japanese expression meaning “change for better” or continuous improvement – whatever you are doing, you can do it better. Here at The C.A. Lawton Co., we strive for continuous improvement every day. Through kaizen, it is achieved. The first part of the word, kai, means “to break apart,” and zen means “to…
Read MoreHow to optimize the cost of your castings
Cost Drivers for Casting from an Engineering and Design Perspective Let’s say you were in need of a vehicle and had a family of 5, were living on a single income, and had a budget of $20,000. Would you start by going to the local Chevrolet dealership and start pricing a new Corvette ZR1? On…
Read MoreHow to make sure your castings measure up
One of the basic principles used in reviewing a casting design is Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T). This is a system for defining and communicating engineering tolerances through the use a symbolic language on engineering drawings. It explicitly describes the part geometry and its allowable variations. Using GD&T is one of the best ways for…
Read MoreHow to optimize the design of pattern tooling
Designing a pattern can be quite a challenge, especially if you don’t have a well-defined process. At The C.A. Lawton Co., the design review process begins when the customer and the foundry’s casting engineer review the required casting shape. It consists of drawings or models of a casting-friendly pattern and one or more core boxes.…
Read MoreLawton tackles the future of technical talent
10,000 baby boomers are reaching retirement age every day in the U.S. They’ve invested decades in the companies they work for, and they are a wealth of knowledge and experience. Each day, they wave goodbye to the workforce, and their knowledge walks out the door with them. Meanwhile, we’re scrambling to figure out how to…
Read MoreWinning the high-stakes game of large casting design
Large casting design is like a game of high-stakes poker: If you win, you’re a hero to your company and the OEM whose products they’re used on. If you lose, you tend to lose big. Here are some ways to increase your odds of success when playing the large castings game. Because of their size…
Read MoreHow Lawton’s 4-step process solves the challenges of transfer tooling
Many times, long-term production tooling is manufactured for use at one foundry and moved to another foundry during its useful life. This practice, referred to as “transfer tooling,” presents a number of challenges to the manufacturer who owns the pattern as well as the foundry receiving the work. These issues include the condition of the…
Read MoreIron 101 teaches the magic and science of modern casting
Old world ingenuity. Cutting-edge science. Two worlds that appear to be mutually exclusive. But they blend together perfectly at The C.A. Lawton Co., where engineers and craftspeople create high-quality, high-performance castings for some of the world’s most demanding OEMs. At a recent Iron 101 workshop, OEM design engineers and procurement people got a first-hand education…
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