Purchasing Guidelines for Metal Casting Buyers

The following is a list of purchasing guidelines that will help metal casting buyers:

1. Always give potential suppliers’ casting weights, if known.
2. All quotations submitted by the foundry solely on a price per pound basis or any price which appear to have been calculated in this manner should be carefully evaluated.
3. Insist on supplier stating estimated weights on all quotations.
4. For the purpose of comparing suppliers, types of castings and differing metal specifications, and for statistical reasons, it is helpful to calculate the price per pound from actual or estimated weights, but do not expect dissimilar castings in shape, weight, or size to convert to a constant price per pound.
5. When changing casting sources, advise the new supplier of any quality problems. Do not transfer your quality problem with the pattern equipment; give him a complete description of the tooling.
6. Encourage suppliers to suggest design modifications to improve quality and to discuss their problems openly.
7. Always use the best pattern equipment you can afford relative to casting demand.
8. Seek to reduce cost by maximizing the number of castings per mold.
9. Encourage suppliers to report on pattern equipment periodically.
10. Establish responsibility for routine pattern repairs.
11. Obtain estimates annually for pattern repairs/renewals to facilitate preparation of budgets.
12. Involve the supplier in your problems and advise any machining changes or introduction of new machine tools as soon as possible
13. Insist on routine monitoring from suppliers according to the volume of business transacted.
14. Do not over specify.
15. Do not use vague specifications.
16. Do not expect good, consistent quality from cheap equipment or at an unrealistic cost.
17. Look for positive, enthusiastic management attitudes among your suppliers and try to cultivate long-term relationships.
18. Get to know who to contact for what purpose and encourage technical personnel to contact their opposite numbers at the foundry.