Minimising Waste In Investment Casting

Minimising Waste in Investment Casting

The team at Precision Investment Castings are, like many organisations, extremely conscious about minimising our impact on the environment in whatever way we can, not only from our own point of view but also from the perspective of our customers. The less material we use in investment casting, the less our customers are billed, without compromise on high-quality finishes. We are continually reviewing our investment casting processes and systems to minimise waste as much as we can.

In this latest blog post, we outline the top six ways to achieve waste reduction in investment casting…

Monitor Water Usage

The most obvious thing we do to minimise waste in investment casting is to monitor our water usage on a regular basis. Wherever possible, we will reuse water or as a minimum be as efficient with it as we possibly can. We see the monitoring of our water usage as a key component for minimising waste and resources when undergoing investment casting for our customers.

Using Recycled Materials

Recycling is fast becoming the norm within industries and organisations across the globe, it is one of the most obvious factors to investigate when looking to minimise waste in investment casting. We will always look for ways for us to recycle within our process, whether that is through paper based recycling, or recycling of materials used in casting and the lost wax process. We can recycle all the metals we use, which helps us to reduce waste.

Efficient Workflow

By establishing a more efficient workflow within the factory we are able to use less energy and other vital resources which helps to minimise waste in investment casting. We operate around the 8 Wastes of Lean Manufacturing which provides a process that allows us to overcome obstacles that get in the way of providing value to our customer but also being the most energy efficient we can be. This includes reducing rework and scrap, only producing what is needed, reducing the carbon footprint by limiting the transporting of goods only when necessary and the reduction of movement of people which may reduce the need for energy such as lighting and heating.

Preventative Maintenance

Carrying out regular scheduled maintenance is something we take seriously here at Precision Investment Castings, not only to safe guard our delivery obligations but also to reduce the impact that unexpected breakdowns can have on being able to minimise waste in investment casting. By staying ahead of our maintenance schedule, we can ensure that our workflow, machinery and equipment continues to run smoothly without stoppages, delays or increased waste.

Energy Saving

Energy management is something that we continue to look at, from an energy saving and cost saving point of view. With the plethora of technologies and energy saving equipment emerging, it is safe to say that it is an area that stands to make some of the biggest savings in waste reduction and one that we will follow with interest. As a minimum installing LED lighting wherever possible is one of the quickest and easiest things to implement.

Good Inventory Management

Having good inventory management is a further way to achieve waste minimisation in investment casting. This refers back to the 8 Wastes of Lean Manufacturing principles whereby you only order what you need to ensure that excess materials won’t go to waste. Here at Precision Investment Castings, we operate our inventory by this principle to ensure that we only order in materials to fulfil our customers’ orders and requirements.

Contact Us Today

Minimising waste is absolutely paramount in order to operate as an environmentally-friendly business and to also reduce cost wherever necessary. Find out more about our services by calling us directly on 0161 928 5811 or use our online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.