Metallurgist, Foundry, Cast Metals Expert ConsultantThis expert provides technical consulting to foundries and OEMs. This expert has knowledge in foundry turnarounds. This consultant provides expert witness services. This expert also has experience in training, arc and induction melting operations evaluation, furnace cost reduction, and plant operations review.
This consultant also specializes in cold lap and porosity defect elimination, plant quality, productivity and profitability improvement, and melting and pouring operations evaluation. Other areas this expert has knowledge in include electro technology and casting quality improvement, low alloy steel, stainless steel and white iron operations review, and porosity and macro inclusion elimination. Furthermore, this expert has experience in micro alloys research and development, melting, heat treatment, sand system, metallurgical lab and casting design, and casting shrinkage elimination.
Additional areas of expertise this consultant has include electric ladle preheating technology, cope surface macro inclusion reduction, stainless steel and nickel based casting quality improvement, and austenitic manganese steel casting failure analysis. This consultant also has knowledge in design, development and operation of DC Plasma furnace, manufacturing cast iron pipe and fittings, powder metallurgy plant melting operations evaluation, ultrasonic testing and evaluation of steel pins.
This expert has extensive knowledge regarding new steel casting counter gravity pouring technology development, ladle metallurgy practice development, technology development for plasma melting of aluminum, and marketing and sales of heat treatment simulation software. Furthermore, this expert has knowledge in outsourcing castings, e-training, e-learning, ISO auditing, clean steel technologies, and flux technology. Melting, pouring, heat treatment and welding of steels and gray iron, ultrasonic, liquid penetrant and magnetic particle inspection techniques for steel castings are other areas of interest this expert has.
This expert has conducted numerous studies in areas including casting failure analysis, tensile tests, spectrographic and combustion analyses, design, installation and development of new liquid metal refining technology for foundries. Other areas of study this expert has been involved in are low alloy, stainless and austenitic manganese steel casting failure analysis, radiographic testing of steel castings, and austenitic steel alloy cracking investigation. Molding, induction melting, gating and risering, heat treatment and inspection, and austenitic manganese field failures are other areas of interest this expert has. This expert also has knowledge in low alloy steel field failures, foundry asbestos litigation, focused transducers, and inspection of steel castings. This expertise also has experience in economic analysis of acid and basic melting, low-dross melter, and refractories and slags.
Additional areas of related expertise this consultant has include clean steel using the cruciform nozzle, investigation of cracking and microstructure, focused transducers, and new inspection techniques for steel castings. Also included in this expert's knowledge is cracking phenomena review, heat treatment of heavy section castings, ultrasonic testing of steel castings, and sound of quality castings. This expert also has involvement with development of plasma ladle furnace for steel applications, economic analysis of acid and basic melting, cast steel metallurgy, clean metal technologies, and ultrasonic testing of steel castings.
Areas of interest this expert has include refractories and slags, plasma arc ladle refiner, mechanical properties of plasma refined cast steels, and specification tips for purchasing steel castings. Additional areas of interest this expert has include electric ladle preheating, plasma ladle refining, control of hydrogen and nitrogen, and interpretation of ASTM specifications to product quality castings. This expert also has experience in cost savings in steel foundries, low alloy cast steels, and effects of chemistry and processing on mechanical properties
Consultant, Kevin Kennedy Associates Inc.
Providing project management, metallurgical and process consulting, foundry consulting, cast metals consulting, failure analysis, and related expertise to a wide variety of clients.
Project Manager, Metallurgist, Foundry Consultant, Cast Metals Consultant, Failure Analysis, Expert
Technical consulting (to foundries and OEM's), foundry turnarounds, expert witness, and training. Alliances include Advanced Technology Institute - Technical consultant to the casting team for government castings; MAGMA Foundry Technologies, Inc. Business partner to market and sell MAGMAsteel heat treatment simulation software; Intellectual Capital Exchange, LLC - Outsourcing castings, e-training, e-learning, ISO auditing; Nuflux, LLC - Clean steel technologies - Flux technology consultant for foundries.
VP Technology, Process Metallurgy International, Inc.
Metallurgical & Process Consultant, Nupro Corporation
Chief Metallurgist, Maynard Steel Casting Company
Managment
Managed a department of approximately 20 people, including superintendent, supervisor and hourly employees. Responsible for cost saving through process improvement.
Metallurgical
Set-up procedures and trained personnel for melting, pouring, heat treatment and welding of steels and gray iron.
Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE)
Set-up procedures for ultrasonic, liquid penetrant and magnetic particle inspection techniques for steel castings. Performed ultrasonic testing of castings, radiographic testing using Cobalt 60 and X-rays, magnetic particle testing and liquid penetrant testing.
Failure Analysis
Performed numerous failure analyses on a wide variety of castings from varied industries including oil related, trucking, mining, cement, defense, railroad and automotive. Analysis was conducted on austenitic manganese, carbon, low alloy and stainless steel castings. Responsible for conducting the analysis, interpreting the results and determining the cause of failure.
Review of Purchase Orders and Requests for Quotation (RFQ)
Reviewed purchase orders to ensure compliance with specifications. Also reviewed more than 5,000 RFQ's with engineering drawings and designated the proper metal type, heat treatment and quality specifications to meet customer requirements.
Metallurgy Lab
Performed numerous tensile tests, spectrographic and combustion analyses. Examined hundreds of microstructures for quality control purposes and for research. Typical cast microstructures examined were austenitic manganese, carbon, low alloy, stainless steel and grey iron.
Plasma Refining Technology
Project manager for design, installation and development of new liquid metal refining technology for foundries.
Technical Officer, Steel Castings Research and Trade Association
Failure Analysis
Conducted numerous metallurgical investigations involving low alloy, stainless and austenitic manganese steel castings from member foundries.
NDE
Performed radiographic testing including filmless radiography of steel castings. Investigated the applications and limitations of various non destructive methods for locating and sizing discontinuities such as shrinkage and cracks.
Research
Investigated various austenitic steel alloys to determine the heat treat temperatures for promoting the solution of carbides. The susceptibility of such alloy castings to cracking due to grain boundary carbide precipitation was also investigated. Various molding sands were studied with different thermal conductivities and expansions. Lead investigator on "cracking" project.
Casting Experience
Learned hands on casting operations including molding, melting, gating and risering, grinding, welding, heat treatment and inspection. Consulted to several foundries and observed casting operations at several foundries.
Executive
Presentations of research reports to industry professionals and to Government (DTI) executives.
Plasma Refining Technology
Project manager for design, installation and development of new liquid metal refining technology for foundries.
CONSULTING - Foundry Projects
American Magotteaux
Evaluated arc and induction melting operations to improve quality and reduce furnace costs for iron and steel casting production. Major emphasis in reducing clogging of channel holding furnace.
Atchison casting
Conducted due diligence assessment of operations/processes for potential buyer.
Auburn Foundry
Technical and economical assessment of all plant activities to maximize profits. Reviewed all plant operations, and made recommendations to foundry management and Banks to successfully increase daily production from 1,700,000 lb to 1,900,000 lb.
Aurora Metals
Served as technical consultant for stainless steel and non-ferrous processing including advanced technology for casting technologies.
Citation
Provided recommendations to eliminate cold lap and porosity defects at iron foundry
Decatur Foundry
Conducted assessment of plant activities to improve quality, productivity and profitability. Reviewed all plant operations, assessed equipment and provided analysis to senior management and to banks.
Dotson
Provided evaluation of melting and pouring operations to improve productivity. A conceptual proposal was developed for a new and upgraded operation for production of gray and ductile iron castings.
EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute)
Conducted audits and implement strategies at many foundries to improve efficiencies, determine electrotechnology opportunities and solve casting quality problems.
Hiler
Reviewed all operations for production of several steel casting alloys including low alloy steel, stainless steel and white iron. Successfully eliminated casting defects such as porosity and macroinclusions.
Maynard Steel
Served as consulting Metallurgist. Was involved in new and innovative processes for producing large castings. Provided technical input to increase efficiencies and quality.
Metalogenia (Spain)
Involved in research and development of microalloys for digger and dredge teeth castings for wear and impact properties. Was involved with the design of the alloys, the melting, pouring, molding and heat treatment of test blocks and castings, and the evaluation of test results.
Monett Metals
Served as technical consultant to foundry producing stainless steel and nickel based castings.
Omaha Steel
Provided evaluation of foundry operations to improve quality, productivity and energy efficiency.
Pacific Steel
Observed plant operations for heavy section casting production. Recommendations were made for all areas of manufacturing to improve quality of steel castings. Melting and heat treatment procedures were developed.
Paxton Mitchell
Provided evaluation of foundry operations and recommendations made to improve quality, productivity and energy efficiency.
Pelton Casteel Inc
Served as consulting Technical Director responsible for melting, heat treatment, sand system, sand/metallurgical lab and casting design.
Quaker City Castings-iron and steel
Provided evaluation of manufacturing operations to alleviate constraints in the cleaning (fettling) room.
Sarcol
Provided evaluations of practice to improve the casting quality- specifically eliminate shrinkage and porosity in tool steels.
Sivyer- steel
Conducted operations assessment- made recommendations to investors and senior management and implemented procedures for turn-around.
Southern Cast Inc.
Was involved in development of new electric ladle preheating technology as an alternative to gas heating.
Southern Cast Products
Improved quality by reducing cope surface macroinclusions in low alloy steel castings. Investigated applications for low alloy steel and Hadfield manganese steel. Modified practice to reduce hydrogen and nitrogen gas contents to acceptable levels.
Vermont Castings
Reviewed plant operations and provide recommendations for quality and productivity improvements.
Waukesha Foundry
Modified melting and pouring operations to improve quality in stainless steel and nickel based castings. Modified melting operations to reduce the severity of cracking and hot tearing in low alloy steel casting.
Whemco Foundry
Consulted on a number of projects; world's largest coiler drum for steel mill; large eccentric castings for dragline machines; steam turbine chest castings.
Winsert
Provided evaluation of melting, pouring and molding to reduce incidence of porosity and macroinclusions in cobalt based alloys.
CONSULTING - Non-Foundry Projects
BP America Production Company
Analyzed manufacturing processes for gas compressor castings and recommend changes to improve quality. Audited UK foundry and evaluate casting quality.
Bucyrus International
Provided expert independent analysis of austenitic manganese steel casting failure. Performed numerous audits of foundries in North America, Europe and Asia to evaluate as potential casting suppliers. Benchmarked the suppliers and assessed technological and human resources required to improve casting processes.
Cast Metals Institute (American Foundry Society)
Was involved in design, development and operation of DC Plasma furnace for the Cast Metals Institute foundry.
Concurrent Technologies Corporation
Provided technical advice for casting issues during the development of a new casting design for US Navy. This included participation in development of cast part design, technical advice requested by casting vendor, technical consulting to prevent and resolve quality, dimensional and distortion issues, input for magnetic particle, radiographic inspection levels for casting, and input for weld joint inspection procedures.
Erie Press
Developed specifications for large steel and grey iron forging presses and ductile iron shafts. Observed operations and audit several international foundries to determine capability for producing castings to the specifications.
Josam
Provided design of new foundry for making gray iron castings. Specified all equipment for manufacturing cast iron pipe and fittings. Produced a floor plan of the major items of equipment.
MAGMA Inc
Developed case studies for a foundry using the solidification modeling MAGMAsteel program. Performed riser segregation studies. Analyzed numerous computer simulations to improve casting quality.
Manitowoc Cranes Inc
Performed audits of North American, Korean and Czech foundries and prepared FMEA. Developed casting specifications. Consulted on failures.
Paragon Metals
Evaluated investment castings from Chinese supplier and recommended changes to improve quality.
Pyron Corporation
Provided evaluation of melting operations at powder metallurgy plant. Project involved observation of practice and formulation of new melting procedures to improve the quality of the metal powder.
Rexnord
Conducted level III ultrasonic testing and evaluation of steel pins. Development of procedures for future pins.
Reynolds Engineering
Developed applications for new steel casting countergravity pouring technology using permanent molds.
SinterCast - Cost Benefit Analysis of Automotive Engine Block Materials
Performed US study to look at alternative alloys to gray iron and aluminum for cast engine blocks. All casting operations were reviewed and costs determined for each operation. Auto scientists and engineers, EPA scientists and environmental engineers and foundry experts were interviewed.
TAM Ceramics - Flux Consultant
Developed ladle metallurgy practices at several steel mills and foundries including US Steel and Inland Steel.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO
Served as part of an International consulting team of experts to assess the foundry and metals industry in South Africa. In this high level position interacted with government, capital equipment companies and major OEM's.
Wabash Alloys
Helped develop a new technology for plasma melting of aluminum. The technology features a furnace which melts aluminum by DC power with the arc stabilized by argon gas. The main benefits of the process are cleaner, cost effective and more efficient melting of aluminum scrap.
Yeomans Pump
Conducted audit of foundry processes and redesign of casting to eliminate major cracking problems.
EXPERT WITNESS
Field failure of truck-hitch-Defendant
Field failure of crane-track-Defendant
Asbestos claim from foundry workers-Defendant
Field failure of road marker-Defendant
Foundry explosion-Plaintiff
Non-conforming steel product-Defendant
Unresolved defects in new foundry-Plaintiff
INSTRUCTOR
Cast Metals Institute Instructor for the following CMI courses:
Direct Arc Melted Iron & Steel
Casting Finishing and Cleaning
Metallurgy of Cast Steel
Induction Melting of Cast Steel