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Stay Educated, Metalcasters

One of our editors got a chance to talk with a friend this weekend who sells chain for industrial applications. He counts several metalcasters as customers, but we already knew that. That’s not what we found particularly interesting in the conversation on Sunday.

Our friend is in the business of selling manufactured metal components, just like we are in the metalcasting industry. And two things immediately became apparent in our short discussion about business. First, our friend knew exactly how his product is made. Second, he knew all about the markets he serves. He easily described the manufacturing process behind his products and came off sounding like someone you could trust when purchasing a manufactured good. And he knew who was using his chain and who might benefit from his chain.

This is Sales 101, but it never hurts to reiterate that if you’re involved in the metalcasting industry in some capacity away from the manufacturing floor, that does not let you off the hook from knowing how the process operates. And if you’re on the manufacturing floor, you should be on the hook for knowing what the heck you’re making and where your products will end up.

If someone in your organization is in need of a refresher course on the metalcasting process, send them over to www.metalcastingdesign.com, where the editors of our sister publication Metal Casting Design and Purchasing (formerly ECS) have put together a great collection of information on the basics of metalcasting.

We in the metalcasting industry don’t sell chain, but we can stay educated up and down the production chain.