Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Spokane Precision Castings Division

Precision Investment Castings
by: Jeff Kuntz, Division Manger

Manufacturing Design Engineers often specify machining out of stock material, metal parts that in practicality would be more cost effective and efficiently produced as an Investment Casting. This happens because of the familiarity and abundance of machining facilities compared to the relatively small quantity and less understood advantages of Investment Casting operations. Similarly, parts designed as fabrications are often well suited to conversion to castings. In that never-ending quest to increase efficiencies and lower costs, companies are discovering the value Investment Castings can bring to their product lines.

SPOKANE INDUSTRIES, through our Precision Investment Castings Division, specializes in bringing near net shape casting production to the marketplace. SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS can minimize dimensional tolerances without machining or other subcontracting methods so that you may have a finished product ready for rapid assembly. We’re able to produce parts that weigh as little as a few grams up to 80 pounds. In many cases, injecting multiple pieces or several different parts in a single die saves additional operations and reduces costs.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS offers an almost endless array of alloys. Carbon Steels, Low Alloy, 17-4, Tool Steels, Precipitation Hardening Alloys, Silicon Brass, 300 and 400 Series Stainless Steels, and most other air melts are common. We offer an endless number of commercial applications from the food, automotive, dental, military, and oil industries, to name a few. Our real forte is to get involved at the engineering genesis by taking multiple metal components that may currently be machined or fabricated and design them together. We can then create a single near net shape casting. This eliminates multiple operations, saves time, energy and money - to bring savings to the bottom line for our customers.

Converting fabrications to castings brings a multitude of benefits to a manufacturer. Investment Castings can oftentimes be designed much stronger, with less material, creating less weight and at the same time lower failure rates. In addition, where there are multiple parts creating a fabrication, a single casting can often times be designed to do the entire job. This results in assembly time savings, lower overhead, simplified workflow and improves uniformity and aesthetics.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS workforce is highly cross-trained. Employees are encouraged to move from department to department throughout our production areas where strong visual and written controls facilitate process standardization. SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS has implemented Lean Manufacturing processes where continuous improvement is ongoing and reducing variables ultimately drives lower costs.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS is augmented by in-house capabilities including machining, x-ray, full dimensional layout, spectrometer and Non-Destructive Testing of mechanical properties. We also perform Magnetic Particle Inspection, liquid penetrant and utilize heat-treat facilities both internally and contractually.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS has been part of the Spokane Industries family for 18 years. SPOKANE INDUSTRIES, it’s parent company, has been in the foundry industry since the 1952. This offers full access to a large and diversified engineering department with the latest in CAD/CAM and Flow Test Analysis. We accept a large array of electonic files as well as your CAD/CAM files so that we can rapidly prototype and meet your specifications and schedules.

Jeff Kuntz, Spokane Precision Castings Production Manager states, “SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS has been working with industries from military grade castings – like Class II Armor Certified, to dental equipment castings with high esthetic appeal. We’re accustomed to producing quantities that range from low volume/high variety to commodity products that range up to 80 thousand Investment Castings every month. Our goal is to exceed the customers expectations at every opportunity.”

The combination of all of our in-house capabilities along with some local strategic partners help us stand alone in the marketplace and adds to our ability to help our customers meet their ever changing needs. Starting with our customers’ drawings and vision, we strive to meet all of your Investment Casting needs.

Bottom line – faster R and D, first articles get to you faster and ultimately saves you time and money. Isn’t that what it’s really all about?

High Quality Industrial Steel Castings & Crusher Wear Parts

High Quality Industrial Steel Castings and Crusher Wear Parts
by Richard Palmer

SPOKANE INDUSTRIES, through its Steel Castings, Metal Products and Precision Castings operations, has been providing customers around the world with cost effective solutions to their steel castings and industrial fabrication needs since 1952. Today, SPOKANE INDUSTRIES is a modern diversified company with plant and manufacturing facilities occupying more than 240,000 square feet. The company serves a large number of customers in many industries -- from aerospace, construction and agriculture, to transportation, aggregate processing, and manufacturing.

While the company has experienced decades of steady growth, SPOKANE INDUSTRIES continues to serve many of its original customers -- some of who still order steel castings from their original patterns. The reasons for that kind of loyalty are simple -- SPOKANE INDUSTRIES delivers -- with precision, performance and productivity that meet and often exceed customer expectations. Today, SPOKANE INDUSTRIES operates an environmentally clean, well-managed and technologically advanced organization dedicated to meeting the needs of its customers.

With over 50 years experience in wear resistant steel castings SPOKANE INDUSTRIES Wear Parts have proven superior performance under a variety of conditions across America, Canada, South America, Mexico and Australia.

Known as an industry leader in vertical and horizontal shaft crusher replacement wear parts, our stringent process controls coupled with our new automated molding line assures you a consistent fit. Heat-treating is essential for longer lasting and consistently uniform wearing parts to achieve maximum wear life. Our patented ceramic technology leads the way for reducing wear cost in most applications for Vertical Shaft Impact Crushers, extending wear life 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 times compared to standard high chrome parts.

We provide Mining Components that play a crucial role in the development of one of the worlds largest open pit mining shovels as well as the multi-hundred ton wheeled vehicles utilized to haul the materials to processing.

Additionally, our long wall components, cutting heads and steel castings for conveyor belts can be found in mines throughout the US, Australia and China. Short lead times, high quality and quick turnaround allow us to respond quickly to our customers needs.

SPOKANE INDUSTRIES has developed and maintains a long-term, successful relationship supplying high-quality steel castings to various oil-tool companies. Our steel castings are required to perform in the extreme low-temperature environment of the North Atlantic Ocean where failure could result in severe injury or death. We are able to achieve this by working closely with our customers on design requirements, fabrication to casting conversions, material selection, mechanical properties, and inspection requirements.

SPOKANE INDUSTRIES Is a place where were both personally and professionally committed to the satisfaction of each and every customer. In our relationships with customers, we try to keep in mind that youre not just coming to us to buy steel castings or metal fabrications, but to solve a particular problem. At SPOKANE INDUSTRIES, weve always taken pride in our company as more than just a place to work. Thats why we put all our experience, effort and technology at your disposal to find the solution you need to help make your business more successful. And thats why we go the extra mile to be sure youre satisfied that weve done the job on time and in a cost-effective manner.

Many of us are second and third generation employees - that's why we're proud of our workforce, where our record of employee retention and good labor relations is based on mutual respect and pride in a job well done. Were also proud of the fact that were a family-owned company. We would like to invite you to come and see the precision, productivity and pride that makes SPOKANE INDUSTRIES the right choice for your next job.