Engineering Process
From receiving the earliest technical drawings to delivering the finished products, we work in synergy with our clients.
As soon as we receive a request for a quote from an end client, our technical office analyses the drawings it has received and prepares a technical feasibility analysis. This is the first, crucial step: making sure that the manufacture of the piece under examination by our engineers is compatible with our production process and with the systems we’ve got in place.
During this step, thanks to the support of CAD software “Catia V5 R20” as well as the simulation software tools “Geomesh”, “ProCast manager” and “Visual Cast 9.6”, we are able to identify any potential weak points or critical issues throughout the entire project from our point of view, and to suggest corrective actions for the client to implement.
The result of this first stage of careful analysis is the preparation of a technical sheet to be used for pricing by the cost analysis centre. The latter determines the correct cost indices and assigns them to each item featured on the sheet: raw materials (e.g. nickel, chrome, iron, magnesium, silicon, molybdenum), sands, electrical energy and auxiliary materials.
By added this detailed information to the costs of the equipment necessary to produce the piece requested, the sales office is able to determine the retail price based on the cost of the product.
In the event that the piece also requires machining and assembly, we will call upon the assistance of the Machining Manager, who determines the cycle time (which has a direct influence on the retail price) after examining the rough piece and evaluating any critical issues and requests communicated in the drawing. The more components there are to assemble (such as, for example, seals, rings, bushings, valves and circuits, including electrical circuits), the longer the cycle time will be. The cycle may be either manual or automatic, as determined by convenience and on a case-by-case basis.
Once our company has been officially selected as the supplier for a component, receiving the commission, a more detailed study of the product is carried out and the entire process, from melting to satisfying the requested sales conditions (by machining or assembly, where required) is optimised.
Throughout these steps of research and refinement, we do not work alone: we embark on a co-design journey with our client and its own technical team to optimise the product and its performances in line with market expectations and, at the same time, to make it compatible with our foundry’s production process and the specific needs of the client.
Working either in our own internal workshop or at the premises of trusted external companies which have been approved by and collaborate with us, we study, design and produce foundry and machining equipment. Although most equipment is made from aluminium and steel, we are also prepared to use different materials chosen on the basis of the type of production they must guarantee.
It is crucial that such equipment match the design specifications; not least because the adequacy of the castings that will be produced depends in part on the precision of the equipment used. This is also true for machining: the equipment used is a guarantee that pieces will be compliant and within the tolerance range, as required by the design.
Finally, to meet the specific needs of our clients, we are also able to offer the production of prototypes. This involves making components identical to the standard pieces in terms of material and geometry, but produced using dedicated equipment and/or processes. The end client may use them to conduct their own internal durability tests. They differ from the standard models insofar as they are produced using equipment with a lower commercial value.