Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 16

FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING TRENDS 27 Continued on next page STEVEN HARKER Technical Director Acetarc Engineering Co. Ltd ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • The importance of clear description of the project requirements • Don’t assume that the other party understands what you communicating • Don’t be afraid to ask really obvious questions—failure to do so can be devastating The Value of Clear Communications in a Global Market T here is a saying, usually attributed to George Bernard Shaw, that goes “England and America are two countries separated by a common language." Something that I’ve found to be true, especially at CastExpo. If you are fan of the English comedian Al Murray then you might add “and a bloody great ocean” – which is a useful way of remembering that there are also significant time differences to factor in. As Acetarc is a UK based company, Palmer and their associates act as our “eyes and ears” and are usually the first point of contact. An inquiry however, usually quickly moves to the point where we will need to communicate directly with the foundry, especially if there are a number of technical questions that need answering. This can present challenges when the customer’s first language isn’t English. However, it can also create potential problems when the customer’s first language is English but just not the same as mine. Clear communication and understanding between all parties is paramount to the successful progression of a project. There are a lot of communication tools available, from the telephone and email to zoom calls etc., that make communication far easier today than it was, say a couple of decades ago. I’ve found that current cell phones make the placing transatlantic telephone calls far simpler and with better quality they used to be. 30 years ago, if I wanted to get a GA drawing to a customer, it had to be printed out, and then cut into pieces that could be faxed. With numbering to enable the receiver to reassemble it correctly. Today we can send PDF’s or even “live” drawings by email and 3D step files via file transfer. However, it is easy to forget that we do not all speak the same language and to take things for granted. Assuming that each party understands what the other is saying. Which is often not the case. Added to this is the fact that we deal in a specialist field of foundry engineering, one that often has its own terminology that can vary not just from country to country but also from foundry to foundry. So I thought that it might be useful to list a few terms that we use when it comes to ladles. These are not the definitive terms; they are just the ones that we tend to use and that I mostly come across. TRANSFER OR CASTING LADLES Transfer or casting ladles, as the name suggests can be used for the transfer and pouring of molten metal. I have also heard it referred to as a “bull ladle.” As I understand it, bull ladles are not used for casting, just the transfer of molten metal, with the contents usually being transferred to either a holding furnace or another casting ladle. TEAPOT LADLES Teapot spout ladles, as the name implies takes the metal from the base of the ladle with the “dirty” metal being held back. I’ve occasionally seen these described as siphon ladles. We started to use the terms open back and closed back teapot spout ladles. Something I’ll go into much deeper in another article. Suffice it to say open back teapot spout ladles are really good when it comes to pre-cast refractory liners.