Can you tell us a bit about that risk? What can foundries do about it?

Our field service and support teams are seeing a lot of secondary damage inside machines because foundries don’t have the scheduled downtime to prevent wear beyond the wear parts. The big risk is that this lack of downtime eventually leads to prolonged forced downtime due to severe damage. We encourage our customers to contact us regardless of the issue or severity. We will find a way to maintain their equipment and minimize downtime. We might also plan a solution, whether it’s a planned upgrade to increase machine throughput for more maintenance headroom or introducing digital tools to predict issues early. For customers struggling with multiple machines, the answer could be replacing them with a single new machine. This is why many foundries are buying our continuous tumblast (CT) machine right now.

Circling back to the big opportunities, what are they and what do foundries need to do to seize them?

The reshoring trend is here to stay, so making current production sustainable or increasing capacity is crucial. There’s a significant opportunity for domestic foundries in electric vehicle castings, which may require producing larger castings and investing in casting quality. I expect foundries to invest in machinery that delivers automated, tightly controlled processes. Additionally, I foresee an increase in digital and IIoT deployments, like Grede Holdings LLC’s rollout of Monitizer across nine North American foundries. This IIoT solution helps foundries operate smarter, longer, and produce better castings with less scrap.

Is there any difference in needs and pressures between large foundries and the smaller “mom & pop” foundries?

Smaller foundries are just as busy and may be running at capacity. They need to be flexible and versatile but may not have the same capital to invest as larger foundries. They still need reliable machines. We offer affordable standard equipment and achieve significant improvements through upgrades. For example, 1% of sand in your abrasive mix cuts part life in half, but a magnetic separator can help. New blast wheels provide a fast ROI, offering new machine performance at a fraction of the cost. Internal upgrades to existing wheels, like converting EZEFIT wheels to EZX technology, reduce abrasive consumption and extend blade life.

Tells us a bit more about EZX – what else is new?

The EZX is a direct-drive wheel with a unique cast manganese housing. It offers a broad range of motor powers for all types of applications, from light to heavy duty. It’s been designed for radical ease of maintenance. It’s incredibly fast to access, take apart and reassemble. That is so important today, when maintenance crews are stretched and every second counts.
The new EZX design features thicker blades in a different alloy, for an extended operating life. We’ve also redesigned (and patented!) our impeller for reduced abrasive consumption.