Delivering value by optimizing costs in use

Interview with Thomas Oliver, Director of Commercial Operations North America

Interviewer: Optimizing costs in use with value. Could you please explain what this means to ASK Chemicals and why it is important for foundries?

Tom: Optimizing costs in use is crucial for foundries to improve profitability, reduce waste and remain competitive in a global landscape. There are several different ways of accomplishing this goal. Cost in use can be achieved by negotiating lower prices but there are more effective ways of delivering value to foundry operations for long term viability. Targeted measures that optimize energy, material consumption, or process adjustments are more sustainable in delivering value and make the foundry more efficient while delivering high quality castings.

To understand the levers for optimizing costs in use, the foundry needs to have cross departmental collaboration along with support from the supplier. Purchasing departments need to work closely with the foundries’ technical experts as well as the suppliers’ experts. ASK Chemicals has a diverse team with many years of experience and knowledge in both foundry processes and chemical innovations. ASK Chemicals provides the foundry with support through documentation while delivering cost reductions and increased value through process improvement and waste reduction.

Interviewer: How can foundry chemicals help with costs in use?

Thomas Oliver

Thomas Oliver is the Director of Commercial Operations North America at ASK Chemicals.
He joined ASK Chemicals 34 years ago and since then, he helped and supported many customers with his expertise.

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Tom: Foundry chemicals are an integral part of the casting process and have an impact on efficiency and quality. ASK Chemicals is a leader in foundry consumables. As an industry leader, we continue to develop new technologies that assist foundries in lowering binder level, reduce scrap and improve product throughput. Our ISOCURE FOCUSTM  technology is a good example. This innovative product has proven successful in increasing throughput in the foundry by reducing the amount of time a casting spends in the cleaning phase.

Interviewer: That sounds like a promising way to optimize costs. Could you give us some specific examples of other ways to reduce raw material costs with foundry chemicals?

Tom: Of course. Raw material adjustments can have a positive impact on cost in use reductions if product quality, performance and productivity are not compromised. Let's discuss casting performance for example. By using an engineered sand additive in core production, foundries can improve the quality of the product while also reducing material costs. By replacing a portion of the chromite sand with an engineered sand additive, the overall mixed material cost in use becomes lower. In addition to the mixed material cost savings, there could be additional benefits seen in scrap reduction and improved product throughput.

Interviewer: These are compelling benefits. Are there other ways foundry chemicals can create value for foundries?

Tom: ASK Chemicals has made improvements in our technology that have improved environmental attributes which translates to a positive impact at the consumer level. For example, our environmentally friendly binder technology is used at a reduced binder level and uses less amine for curing all while assisting sustainability.

Interviewer: Finally, is there anything you would like to share with our readers on the topic of optimizing cost in use and foundry chemicals?

Tom: It is important to focus not only on the initial purchase price of a product but also to consider the long-term impact on operating costs. ASK Chemicals' goal is to form a partnership with our customers to support cost reductions while increasing overall efficiency, improve product quality and maximizing profitability. The proper selection and application of foundry chemicals can have a significant impact on a foundry's overall performance and delivered value.

Interviewer: Thank you for this enlightening information and insight.

Tom: Thank you, it was a pleasure to speak on this important topic. If there are any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our ASK Experts. They are happy to collaborate with you to optimize your cost in use for your individual foundry: https://www.ask-chemicals.com/support/ask-your-question