Get to know our companies, and learn about the metalcasting/machining industry, by reading the Eagle Group Blog.
ESOP is a way to transfer company ownership from one generation to the next—in many cases, this transfer happens when the original owners sell their stake in the company to their own employees. ESOP stands for Employee Stock Ownership Plan, but the acronym hardly conveys the potential of this empowering ownership model. That’s because ESOP is […]
Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to make incremental changes in a company’s processes that improve efficiency and quality. While the concept is fairly simple, many businesses find it challenging to sustain continuous improvement over the long term. Continuous improvement is one facet of Lean Manufacturing, which is a set of tools used to maximize […]
When done right, weld repaired castings are just as structurally and functionally sound as their non-welded counterparts. However, weld repair in steel castings is often misunderstood by casting customers. Some companies simply do not allow weld repair, and others place strict requirements on where weld repair can take place on a part. By better understanding […]
Design for Manufacturability, or DFM, is an engineering practice that takes into account not just the way a product will look or function, but also how it will be produced. By applying DFM principles to new or existing products, manufacturers can improve product quality while optimizing cost and delivery time. According to Eagle Alloy CTO, […]
Metalcasting is a modern manufacturing industry, and cast products are utilized in 90% of durable goods, from lamp posts to space shuttles. Still, no casting is perfect. Even with recent innovations in simulation and process technology, nearly every cast product will contain some level of defect. A clear understanding of casting defects is vital for […]
APQP, or “Advanced Product Quality Planning,” is a product-design process developed by automakers in the 1980s. Since then, a large number of businesses have adopted APQP for the product development stage. A major portion of APQP is devoted to planning the production process, and making the right design decisions at an early enough stage to […]
Eagle Alloy has been practicing lean manufacturing for close to a decade. Beyond the benefits to productivity and efficiency imparted by lean tools, Eagle companies have come to see lean manufacturing as part of their company culture. The inclusiveness, creativity and quality improvement they’ve been able to foster has paid off dividends, both in workplace […]
The history of lean manufacturing dates back at least to the 1700s, when Eli Whitney developed interchangeable parts in order to deliver a massive order of muskets to the American Army. It wasn’t until 1988 that John Krafcik coined the phrase “lean manufacturing” in his research as an MIT student. For most of the 20th […]
Whether you’re bringing a new product to market, improving on an old design or entering the world of metal manufacturing for the first time, you’ll need to find the right foundry for the job. Choosing a metal casting supplier can be a daunting task, and not everyone makes the right choice the first time. These […]
When time and flexibility are top priorities, rapid prototyping for castings offers manufacturers a fast-track route to producing complex cast parts in small quantities. At
Eagle CNC’s West Michigan machine shop provides some of the highest-precision machining available, but the meaning of precision in machining is constantly changing. Industries across the board
ESOP is a way to transfer company ownership from one generation to the next—in many cases, this transfer happens when the original owners sell their stake
Recently, Eagle Alloy squared off against the demanding technical requirements and thorough audits of the American Bureau of Shipping’s “Type Approval” certification. Through this process,
The latest resource from the Eagle Group provides a comprehensive introduction to heat treatment in metalcasting and CNC machining. This 40-page guide is available as
