Continuous Improvement
A case study in urgency and flexibility
At The C.A. Lawton Co., we take pride in our culture of flexibility and urgency, integrated offerings, dedicated customer advocates, and our focus on quality and on-time delivery. In this post, we’d like to highlight our culture of urgency. Knowing that our customers’ needs can change daily, we look to respond with urgency and flexibility…
Read MoreDamascus Steel Casting Company joins Temperform and The C.A. Lawton Co.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 4/1/2020 Contact: Andy Mastalir, Sales and Customer Service Manager, 920.983.4171, amastalir@calawton.com Damascus Steel Casting Company joins Temperform and The C.A. Lawton Co. New Brighton, PA – Private equity firm, Oakland Standard Company, announces the expansion of the specialty metals platform. Damascus Steel Casting Company joins Temperform and The C.A. Lawton Co.…
Read MoreHow 3D printed sand molds improve your casting experience
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is the process of making usable objects from digital models. By building up successive layers of material, additive manufacturing provides access to capabilities not available with traditional manufacturing processes. Not only can additive manufacturing technology build objects using materials such as plastics and metals, but advances have proved successful in…
Read MoreLawton and Temperform sales meeting is a success
On February 12, 2020, key members of Lawton and Temperform teams met at the C.A. Lawton Co. to get better acquainted and plan how to serve their customers best. The day started with introductions and orientations, including a safety discussion. Then the group discussed each location’s capabilities and how they complement each other. They also…
Read MoreFoundry Redesign – Mapping the Future
By TJ Aaron, Foundry Coach During the last week of January 2020, The C.A. Lawton Co. was invited to participate in a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) exercise by its sister company Temperform in Novi, MI. VSM is a lean management method for analyzing the current state of an operation to design a future state goal.…
Read MoreLawton looks good in green
At The C.A. Lawton Co., we take green seriously – so much so that we integrate it into our strategic and economic objectives. When we plan for the future, we use an environmental management system, which enables us to measure the estimated ecological impact of our actions. We seek to reduce waste, re-use or recycle…
Read MoreReviewing casting design
One basic principle in reviewing a casting design is Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T). This system defines and communicates engineering tolerances through symbolic language on engineering drawings. It explicitly describes the part geometry and allowable variations. Using GD&T helps the customer’s design engineer, the supplier’s manufacturing engineer, and quality inspectors to reach consensus on a…
Read More6S: A powerful engine for improvement at Lawton
An organization is like a machine and its departments are like the cogs that make it run. In order to function effectively, it requires proper tools and maintenance. At The C.A. Lawton Co., departmental 6S audits are one of the Lean tools we use to maintain continuous improvement. It enables us to operate like a…
Read MoreHands-on learning styles drive success at Lawton
According to educator Edgar Dale, who invented the Cone of Experience, we retain about 20% of what we see, 40-50% of what we see and hear and 90% of what we see, hear and do. That’s why hands-on, experiential learning is a staple in employee success and satisfaction at The C.A. Lawton Co. Although the…
Read MoreThe relationship between safety and sustainability
Our number one priority at The C.A. Lawton Co. is safety. When you focus on it as much as we do, you tend to notice how intertwined safety is with other important areas like sustainability. Noticing these connections is very beneficial because it allows Lawton to better integrate sustainability into our everyday work. We want…
Read MoreLean and green at Lawton
At the core of both sustainability and Lean is the concept of waste reduction. Lean focuses on reducing process waste. Sustainability focuses on reducing environmental waste. By acknowledging the similarities between these two frameworks, we open new doors for how organizations can integrate both Lean and sustainability into the workplace. In order to successfully employ…
Read MoreShaping the future of the foundry industry
As I mentioned in a previous article about the challenges we face in the industry, the problems we are working to solve now are what’s going to shape the future of this industry. As we find solutions to the workforce, political, and environmental issues we face today, we prepare ourselves to overcome even greater obstacles…
Read More