Do You Want to Know About Meehanite® Equivalents?
So you would like to know what is available as Meehanite® equivalent castings. As the number of Meehanite® certified foundries has declined (as well as the number of foundries in general), it is common to look for Meehanite® alternatives. Well, I have some good news and some bad news for you.
First off, there is NO true Meehanite® alternative available for making Meehanite® castings (keep reading, I will explain more below). More importantly, there is NO advantage to getting an “equivalent” to a Meehanite® casting. While we are obviously a Meehanite® certified foundry with some perceived bias, I can also tell you we are a cutting-edge foundry, and knowing what we know, we can say you have little to gain by going away from certified Meehanite® castings.
At the end of the day, a foundry would charge the same amount for a “Meehanite® equivalent” casting as they do a certified Meehanite® casting. The reason is to meet the form, fit, and function requirements of your castings we would need the same raw materials and the same processes.
Casting with the same raw materials and the same amount of labor using the same equipment means you have the same parts, so with nothing changing, the price would be the same, does that make sense? That means you will not get a cost advantage choosing a Meehanite® “equivalent” versus a genuine Meehanite® casting.
The only reason to go away from Meehanite® castings is if your part was spec’d out improperly in the first place. If Meehanite® was the best to begin with, it is likely still your best solution now. We don’t say that lightly as Willman stays on the cutting edge of foundry practices and we don’t mind showing people where the latest technology will better serve their purposes, but Meehanite® is still a really good casting.
But A Foundry Told Me They Have Meehanite® Equivalent Castings!
It is very easy to SAY you have “Meehanite® Equivalent” castings, just like it is very easy to say you are “ISO Compliant.” Yet if you have ever toured several “ISO Compliant” facilities you know the level of “compliance” can vary to a wide degree, while with an ISO certified facility you know they have a baseline QMS system in place with known processes and known controls that have been audited by a third party.
If you are a buyer or a quality engineer vetting out a supplier, you know you have to go through the work of auditing an “ISO Compliant” facility because you don’t really have absolute assurance they have a good QMS.
The same is true for a “Meehanite® Equivalent” casting. A foundry may claim to have the internal capabilities and processes to manufacture Meehanite® castings, but the truth is another matter. To be sure you are getting a true equivalent, you will need a metallurgical expert to audit your supplier, and that my friend is not going to be cheap.
When you go with a Meehanite® foundry, you know the foundry has recently been audited similar to an ISO certified foundry has recently had their QMS audited. You no longer have to pay to vet out the supplier, the work has been done by a third party.
The Question is “Why Change a Good Thing?”
If you have a part requiring a Meehanite® grade, what is the advantage of changing from a genuine Meehanite® castings? If the parts are truly equivalent, you will not see a price difference between Meehanite® and Meehanite® “equivalent” quotes from the same supplier for the same part.
You would either create extra work and headache in auditing a supplier to buy “equivalent” parts from them or you could create risk for the company buy ordering castings on a hope and a wish that the parts will have the exact same form, fit, and function you need. Especially when it comes to service parts and prototype parts it makes no sense to waste your time on a Meehanite® “equivalent” when you can get the genuine, real deal, Meehanite® casting without the headache.
Why Willman Industries for Your Meehanite® Castings?
We know there are several Meehanite® foundries out there, yet we bring to the table several advantages to you that not every foundry can offer.
- We are Meehanite®, ISO, and ABS certified guaranteeing you high and consistent quality parts.
- We are a growing company – more and more companies are choosing Willman Industries because we are the best solution for their casting needs. We service a number of high expectation Fortune 500 companies including Caterpillar, John Deere, and Case New Holland, so you know we can meet your needs
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- We are a stable company with no long-term outside debt – You can be assured we will be around to serve you for decades to come.
- We have a wide range of capabilities – we can pour 1-10,000 parts with casting sizes from mere ounces to 40,000 lbs. We can pour your castings using green sand or no-bake molds. You can buy your parts machined and finished from us so you only have to work with one supplier.
- We can handle a wide range ductile and grey iron casting including ADI, Hi-Sil Moly, Meehanite®, so we can help you out with your future needs as well.
- Our experienced casting engineers can help you design your parts to meet your form, fit, and function needs while keeping manufacturability in mind.
Your best next step is to just give us a call to get additional information about your Meehanite® casting needs. We look forward to hearing from you today.
