Can you produce aluminum sand castings weighing more than 50 pounds?
Tri-State Cast Technologies produces aluminum castings in both greensand and no-bake sand molds. The greensand mold castings weigh up to about 35 pounds. Larger and heavier castings are made in our no-bake molding process. There, we make castings up to about 200 pounds.
Can you provide us with castings that are fully machined?
Most of the castings that we supply to our customers are completely machined and ready for assembly. We can also provide hard anodizing and other finish coats.
Our machining capabilities include the following
Do you certify any of your production to military or aerospace specifications?
We have numerous customers whose parts require certification to specifications for chemistry, mechanical properties, x-ray, dye penetrant inspection, anodized surface finish, and impregnation. Some of those specifications are as follows:
How flexible are you in dealing with different casting materials and different casting processes?
We understand that material and process flexibility is very important to our customers. We have one customer who we supply with aluminum and ZA alloy castings in sand cast and permanent mold processes as well as steel in the forging process. To another customer, we supply aluminum die castings and steel investment castings. Our customers are our most valuable asset. It is important for us to build as broad a relationship as we can. The following is an overview of our materials and processes
Are you ISO certified?
We have ISO and other quality certifications based upon processes.
Foundry
Machining
Non-Destructive Testing
Anodizing
What alloys do you pour?
We are currently pouring the following metals and alloys.
Aluminum Sand Castings
ZA Alloys (Zinc Aluminum)
Aluminum Permanent Mold
Aluminum Die Casting
Brass & Bronze Sand Casting
Iron Sand Casting
Steel Investment Casting
Forgings
Can you produce our castings and then stock them for us?
We stock both raw and machined castings. Some of our customers provide forecasts and with some we simply go by our past shipping records and use blanket purchase orders. This is a very effective way to reduce costs both for our company and for the customer. We have a stocking plan with one customer that involves more than 50 part numbers. The benefit for the customer is that they do not bring the product into their inventory until they need it. The benefit for us is that we can produce castings and machine them in more cost effective quantities.
Our ordering pattern is very volatile. In some cases, we could need what would be a normal one year quantity in a matter of weeks. Not just on one part number but on many. Can you supply castings under this condition?
We have just that situation with two customers. Their demand can spike with events that are unpredictable. In each case we have multiple sets of tooling at as many as three of our locations. We can respond quickly to meet the need during these emergencies.
Do you work with customers who have small quantity orders?
Some of us remember a day back in the 70’s when two hippies stepped out of a flower painted VW Microbus carrying a 12-on combination matchplate with various belt buckles on it. They asked if we could make and pour 10 molds for them. We did that within an hour. They were happy, paid cash, and were on their way. Within a matter of time, they had about 20 matchplates and 30 different designs. At that point, we were making 10,000 belt buckles a month for them. Sand cast custom brass belt buckles had a relatively short life but it taught us that every order is a good one. We frequently see orders for less than 10 pieces.
Can you provide a rapid prototype part for my new project?
We can deliver rapid prototypes for one piece or for an entire assembly. It generally requires 5 to 10 days depending upon the level of complexity. The parts can be produced by CNC machining from the exact production material or they can be replicated through stereo lithography and 3D printing. Our envelope size for 3D printing and stereo lithography is up to 24x24x24.
Our company has attempted to source in China but had serious problems with quality issues and communication problems. Can you help us to overcome these obstacles? We would still like to take advantage of the lower cost opportunities but we do not have the internal structure in place to do that.
We began doing business in China in 2000. We established our own sourcing office in Qingdao, China in 2004. The purpose of this operation was to supplement our domestic casting and machining production with product from a lower cost environment. We currently have a staff of six engineers in Qingdao who manage approximately 200 part numbers. We are an ISO certified sourcing company providing total supply chain management including logistics. We take on the full responsibility for delivering to you the products specified on your drawings. Our depth of experience in casting and machining plus our trained staff in China create the platform for full customer satisfaction.
Do you review our casting design to make the part foundry friendly?
There are many characteristics of a casting design that can be adjusted to make the casting and machining process more efficient and avoid potential defects. We evaluate every drawing to look for ways to reduce cost and improve quality. Wall thickness, draft angle, radii, gussets, tie bars, core prints, and other part properties or casting techniques are all considered before we begin the quote process.
I have a casting that has historically been a quality problem. Would you like to attempt to solve it?
Things do not always run perfectly in the machining and casting business. When customers call with an issue, we have a technical committee of six people that report to work every day to take on these challenges. The team consists of 6 staff members with incredible experience in foundry and machining. If you add it all up, the total is more than 200 years of hands-on experience. This group makes up our technical committee. Whether your issue is with something that we have produced or with something that was produced by another supplier, our team is ready to attack the problem.
