Foundries that supply fully finished parts are value-added providers, and suppliers that also provide support for piece optimization are considered technically capable. A foundry that is also flexible and cost effective, could be considered a competitive supplier, and one that is willing to also share costs and opportunities is a committed supplier. If a foundry can accomplish perfect quality and delivery and operational excellence, it is probably considered a reliable source, but the customer wants more. They are looking for suppliers that provide perfect quality and delivery, operational excellence, flexible and cost effective, cost transparency, fully finished parts, support to piece optimization, and integration of components. Today’s customer is also looking for more than a cheap component. They are seeking high strength in some areas, ductility in others, and they are open to any material that will achieve this. Figure 5 is an example of how automotive OEMs identify the need of materials. The possibilities for new materials and new composites are wide open. What the customer wants is performance of the material in terms of durability, heat distribution, damping resistance, strength, etc. Customers are not buying chemical elements or alloys, they are buying mechanical properties. In the end, the market is open for new developments and ways to offer better products. Foundries will need to learn how to use this new raw material. In the future, this raw material will change from low-alloy steel scrap and will have high contents of chromium, molybdenum, manganese, etc. This is important because it’s going to affect the automotive steel scrap that iron foundries use. In automotive, the portion of high-strength steel used is trending from 15% in 2010 to 38% in 2030, while regular steel goes from 52% in 2010 to 13% in 2030. The makeup of aviation and wind equipment between 20 does not show much of a change compared to automotive. Figure 4 shows the share of different materials used in the aviation, wind, and automotive markets. ![]() Foundries might consider offering more alloyed products to meet the changing goals from the automotive customer.Īt the same time, the materials used in automotive are also changing significantly. Battery electric passenger light vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are expected to expand significantly in the next decade. Figure 3 is a projection of market share growth. We have also witnessed how electric vehicles are growing rapidly. To continue this trend, OEMs need lighter and more resistant materials. The relation of power to weight is not that high. Since 1975, horsepower has increased greatly while vehicle weight has not increased as much. The drivers for vehicle weight reduction include oil price increases plus horsepower increases plus emission reduction regulations (Fig. The industry is pressing to develop and use new materials that are lighter weight with more wear-resistance to accomplish these goals. Looking at the automotive industry, the main trends have and will continue to be on the reduction of fuel consumption, emissions and vehicle weight and the development of electric and hybrid cars, as well as car connectivity and autonomy. The world is seeking renewable ways of power generation and foundries can be a part of this change. ![]() ![]() The share of coal, oil, gas and natural resources use is shrinking every year while renewables are going up. These trends point to transportation, food, infrastructure, power, water and health as key markets for the future in which foundries should try to position themselves.įor example, Figure 1 shows how power generation has evolved over the last 40 years and how it is expected to change in the future. World mega trends include globalization, climate change, urbanization, scarce resources, population growth, electrification, communications/big data, and an aging population. The North American metalcasting industry is part of a connected world, and exploring global mega trends is important when strategizing your company’s future.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |