Finding a Foundry That’s the “Best of the Best”
When looking for a foundry for your casting needs, you may find they make similar claims about their quality, their experience, capabilities, and more. So, how can you be sure you’re getting the “best of the best”? As you research your options, keep an eye out for these key differentiators that can guide your decision-making.
Current Lead Time
Without castings, you can’t plan your business. And you definitely don’t want to find yourself in a position of not knowing when you will receive your order. Therefore, one of the first things you should take into consideration is the foundry’s current lead time. As you browse their website and/or speak with them, be sure to get answers to the following questions:
- How quickly can they respond to your needs?
- What is their lead time history?
- What is their on-time delivery performance?
- Do they have the facilities, equipment, and support to provide the necessary quality and delivery?
Buck Company prides itself on producing quality products in a fraction of the time of our competitors. We are currently maintaining a 4-6 week lead time and 95% on-time delivery rate. Compare that to other foundries’ 26-week turnaround time and you can be assured that Buck gets you what you need when you need it.
Even at this brisk delivery pace, all of our quality standards are rigorously maintained throughout the production processes to control variables and produce an end result you can count on.
Capabilities
In addition to making sure your foundry can deliver according to your schedule and deadlines, you’ll also want to look at the foundry’s capabilities. After all, you want to be sure that they are able to make the parts you need! Make sure that they are using best-in-class and up-to-date processes, equipment, and protocols. All of those factor into the end product and its quality. Some questions to consider as you evaluate a foundry’s capabilities:
- Are they a full service foundry? Or will you need to use multiple foundries for your casting needs?
- How have they re-invested in their facilities and equipment?
- Do they offer in-house engineering, quality, and metallurgical support?
- Do they have simulation and prototype capabilities to evaluate casting designs before production?
Did you know that the 70-year-old Buck Company is technically two independent foundries in one facility? In our Ferrous Foundry, we pour Ductile and Malleable Iron castings while Aluminum, Bronze, and Brass castings get poured in our Non-Ferrous Foundry. Additionally, our core-making capabilities, including Shell, Isocure, and No-Bake processes, allow us to handle any volume or complexity of cores. In our in-house metallurgical lab, we can analyze and certify your castings; it’s just one of the steps we take to assure you get quality castings. In addition to our automated molding, pouring, and finishing equipment, Buck continually updates the foundry floor with the newest technology equipment so we stay current with the latest industry developments.
Safety and Certifications
The safety of employees is of utmost importance to Buck Company, and our ratings prove it: OSHA Recordable Injury Rates at less than half the industry average, AFS Metalcasting Safe Year Award in 2021 for 365 consecutive days without a lost-time injury or illness, and a Lost Work Case Rate that was less than half the AFS Industry average.
In addition to our safety ratings, our Quality Management System is ISO 9001: 2015 registered and regular town halls with team members help us keep the workforce engaged. Our safety commitment extends beyond our foundry and employees to the community and environment; we use energy-efficient programs to reduce our carbon footprint and protect the environment.
Customer Service
So the foundry you’re researching checks all the boxes so far: certified, fast production times, follows safety guidelines, multiple capabilities, and thorough testing, that’s great! But there’s one more factor to consider: the people! After all, they’re going to be the ones you deal with day in and day out. You want to make sure they’re the right fit for you.
In your research, you’ve probably already uncovered things like if they give back to the community, if they are environmentally friendly, and what employees and customers say about working for/with them. You’ll also want to explore their front office staff structure:
- Do you have a dedicated account rep who will provide you with updates and be someone you can talk with should problems arise?
- What is their account and billing process like?
- How quickly do they respond to messages?
- How transparent is the foundry with their customers and team members? Do they share information willingly and openly?
- Once you know about their team and services, you’re ready to choose a foundry!
Come See What We’re All About
We don’t want to just tell you about our full service foundries, vast capabilities, certifications and safety standards, and our people. We want you to experience it for yourself so you’re certain that you’re getting “the best of the best” should you choose Buck for your casting needs.
Come visit us in person or take our virtual tour. See our work in action and then let’s talk about how we can meet your needs and be your preferred casting choice.