There are many steps between creating the specifications for a metal part and having that part completed and ready to ship. It used to be that two of the most crucial, the casting and the machining, would be done by separate companies: the foundry and the machine shop. That no longer has to be the case. Full-service foundries like LeClaire Manufacturing provide both casting and machining services.
No middlemen, no communication breakdowns, no excuses. When all your casting and machining work is done by one shop, your company reaps the benefits.
Advantages of a Full-Service Foundry
1. Simpler Communications
Often when working with separate foundries and machine shops, one would serve as a subcontractor of the other. For instance, the company would contract with the machine shop for the part and the machine shop would contract with the foundry to do the casting.
In this set-up, all communications would flow through the machine shop. This could lead to breakdowns in communications, with items either being relayed incorrectly or with the contractor supplying answers that are best for them rather than best for the client.
Hiring them separately would allow more direct communication, but it would also force you to mediate disputes in areas that aren’t your expertise.
When you hire a full-service foundry and machine shop, all communication is direct. All of your questions and theirs can go straight to the source rather than being tinged by going through an intermediary.
2. Easier Logistics
When you contract with a single-source shop, it cuts out many of the unnecessary holdups and potential delays that come with going through separate foundries and machine shops.
You only have to get on one company’s schedule, not two.
Parts don’t need to be shipped between the two companies’ facilities.
This adds up to a more efficient process that can help your company reach tight turnaround windows.
3. Superior Design Process
In some regard each part to be made is a problem to be solved. How are we going to make this part with the greatest efficiency and tightest tolerances possible?
A foundry is going to attack that problem from a casting perspective. A machine shop is going to view it from a machining perspective. Those visions might not always align.
A combined foundry and machine shop can attack the problem from a more comprehensive vantage point. This will lead to a better casting and machining plan and, in the hands of a company with expertise in both areas, a superior part.
4. Cost Benefits
Companies opting for a single-source foundry can save in two ways.
First, as noted, the process is more efficient. At minimum, no costs are accrued shipping parts between facilities that are sometimes many miles apart.
Second, any time that you are going through a middleman for a service, there is a good chance you’ll be paying the dreaded markup. At LeClaire, you pay what we charge without a different company bumping the price up to get their cut.
A Warning When Considering a Full-Service Foundry
While the vertical integration of full-service foundries can benefit customers, there are risks. Just because a company does both casting and machining doesn’t mean they do both at a high level.
Look at the level of investment.
Do they have state-of-the-art equipment in both areas? Make sure you aren’t hiring a machine shop that can do some simplistic casting or a foundry with bare-bones machining capabilities.
Ask yourself two simple questions: Could the foundry survive independently with its level of technology and expertise? Could the machine shop? If the answer to either of these questions is no, either continue employing two different companies or, better yet, find a company where you can answer yes to both.
Make LeClaire Your Full-Service Casting and Machining Choice
At LeClaire Manufacturing, we may have started as a foundry, but we didn’t just create a basic machine shop to say we have a machine shop. We put the time and effort into creating a high-quality machine shop with CNC machining equipment. This allows us to produce quality cast and machined parts with tight tolerances. Contact us today to get a quote for your casting and machining needs.