Domestic Engineered Solutions for Your Toughest Precast Challenges: Step One
Design (Planning the Shape)
What is Onex doing differently than other suppliers? We specialize in analyzing failures and problem-solving.
Onex succeeds where others fail thanks to our experience, expertise, and unique perspective. When a customer brings Onex a precast failure, either from other suppliers or made in-house, the Onex engineering team goes to work to understand the problem and develop a superior product. Rapid prototyping allows our team to run trials and get a new product to the customer, fast.
Precast shape manufacturing starts with making a mold or pattern that will be used to form the shape. Existing prints of the steel shell or share are always a plus. However, field measurements will typically be required.
We have many options at our disposal in terms of mold construction and materials used – which will vary based on the shape’s size, number and frequency of pieces required, complexity, and dimensional tolerances required.
The quantity of shapes that will be needed is a key factor in determining what material should be used for maximum life. For simplistic shapes, plywood or metal-fabricated forms do the job. Shapes with very tight tolerances may necessitate the use of a more complex mold made from wood, plastic, or metal. Also prior to selecting a material, the environment and failure causes must be understood along with how it impacts the precast shape.
For Onex, this part of the evaluation starts with a detailed questionnaire and follow-up interview to understand the needs of the customer and the precast’s environment – different environments require different precast materials. Copper and steel, for example, have different needs for their precast refractory materials.
Our focus is not on selling refractory materials - but rather on selecting the correct material for the application. Discussion points to determine the best material used for the application, including the customers’ current use failure mechanisms:
Have you been using this shape already?
If so, what are the failure mechanisms?
If it's a new shape, then let’s explore the application so the Onex team can help ensure the best shape for that application:
What are the current issues?
What changes are needed?
What materials are to be used?
We have helped scores of customers with their ceramic bond and their stainless steel fiber technology. Recently, a customer came to Onex losing 10 shapes a week, so Onex switched the mold-making process to a stainless steel fiber technology with an extra additive. Now this customer is only breaking a single shape a week!
How are we different? Unlike other companies that make refractory precast products, Onex is not a refractory materials supplier.
Onex has relationships with multiple refractory supply lines, which means we are able to select the best product option for the application rather than just offering one we manufacture. Onex provides the best available technology from numerous sources to solve your specific and most difficult problems.
Reach out to us to talk about your precast needs and stay tuned for the next process step in our precast solutions installment.
