The fact that manufacturing companies are continually looking for ways to improve their bottom line is not surprising, especially with the current economic climate. Companies are challenged to do more with less and increase their competitiveness. This was no different for Precision Propeller Industries (PPI). A recent area of focus at PPI was the evaluation of the use of a high percentage of zircon in the primary slurries. The price escalations in zircon made this a focus area for potential cost savings through zircon reduction as replacement seemed unlikely. A Design of Experiment (DOE) study was developed between PPI and Ransom & Randolph (R&R) and extensive lab work was performed to provide a basis for process changes that would reduce overall costs and improve shell performance while maintaining the high surface finish requirements for a marine propeller. This paper will present the detail surrounding the various phases of this process optimization and will give the results found to date. The results of the DOE and lab work and the confirmation production results will be discussed as well.
展开▼
