Fall 2014: Robertson Review
Adapting to the Changing World of Manufacturing
Download Fall 2014: Robertson Review in PDF
Since 1958, Robertson Foundries has delivered on its promise to provide technical assistance, competitive pricing and timely delivery of casting products to our customers in a wide range of industries. We provide solutions for designing, casting and finishing brass, bronze and aluminum alloy castings ranging from 1 ounce to 600 pounds from our 30,000-square-ft. facility located in Toronto.
Over the decades, we have experienced many changes in our industry as we’re sure you have in yours. Technology allows us to cast more complex components from new alloy. Today we work with casting solutions that are the result of using new minerals, chemicals, equipment and techniques that were unimaginable more than 55 years ago.
Adapting to these new technologies, equipment, materials and overall capabilities, has required us to train our people on a continuous basis while perfecting our craft within the parameters of constantly changing ways of doing business.
Adapting to a Global Market
In addition to changes that have impacted the way we serve you with the finest casting capabilities in North America, we, like you, have had to adapt to the global economy. Back in 1958, North American foundries dominated the world market with few competitors in places like China, India, South America, and Africa. Even Europe in the 1950s was still recovering from the effects of World War II and offered weak competition at best.
But that all changed in recent decades. Low labor cost markets have arisen to take market share and force North American companies to work smarter, faster and better. Our advantages included high productivity and high quality.
Bringing Business Home
Fortunately for North American manufacturing, what used to be “offshoring” has begun to turn around as “on shoring.” The new trend is to produce close to your market as the low cost alternative. This has become possible because the major low cost labor markets are no longer low cost. Labor costs in these markets have skyrocketed along with the costs of electricity and transportation.
Robertson Foundries today is a leaner, cleaner and more efficient foundry operation than at any time in our history. Education and training continues to meet the changing needs of our customers. We are more technically competent, more educated, more nimble, more diverse, and more “in-tune” with global foundry dynamics than ever before. We invite your interest in learning more about how Robertson can meet you production requirements.
High pressure fluid testing
High Pressure Fluid Handling Metal Casting
When a customer needed a non-drip, high-pressure fluid handling recoupler, Robertson Foundries advised them to use a gravity permanent mold to cast the re-coupler so that it could meet their requirement that the part withstand an operating pressure of 250 psi.
To produce the re-coupler, we used A356.2 T6 alloy for the cores. The design included 4 “O” ring seal surfaces with a .32 micro-finish or better. To assure long life, we anodized the component while retaining a 100 percent pressure tight result.
Where Do You Need Help?
Robertson Foundries is ready to assist with your metal casting needs from concept to final production. Consider us for:
Tooling Castings: Includes all necessary fixtures to machine your products efficiently with our CNC cut tools, including 2D and 3D geometry. We produce tooling for a variety of materials.
Part Design Assistance: We’ll help you add or subtract part features to improve cast ability and machining to improve cost efficiency.
Prototyping: We can provide temporary tooling and preproduction tooling to facilitate the development of your final casting or the machining requirements for your products.
Machining: We can machine to your tightest tolerances to+ 0.0005. Our service includes providing CMM verification reports. Heat Treating: Our in-house heat treating can reduce your costs and delivery time.
Pressure Testing: Includes leak decay and air underwater verification.
In addition, our Special Capabilities include x-ray certification, mechanical and chemical testing, specialty finishing and anodizing.
Markets Served by Robertson Foundries
Did you know Robertson Foundries serves a wide variety of industrial markets? Our 55+ years of experience include casting products for the following:
- High and low voltage hardware
- Special purpose fluid handling devices
- Recreational vehicles
- Heavy trucks
- Mining applications
- Architectural lighting and hardware
- Plumbing and valve works
- Heat exchanger manufacturers
- Natural gas and hydrogen re-fueling systems
ISO Certified: ISO 9001:2008
Robertson Foundries is an ISO 9001:2008 certified quality management system facility.