Implementation of Metal Casting Best Practices - EERE - U.S. ...

to provide the Lost Foam effort with both cash and in-kind support. Similar detailed impact
analyses are necessary throughout the industry to determine what is effective commercially to
aid in future decision-making processes.
6.3 Providing Explicit Case Studies on ITP Recommendations
As part of this effort, the team advised each facility as to specific recommendations that the IACs
had made to similar casters over the years. That information was obtained from an IAC database,
which can be searched by NAICS code. Making recommendations available to the industry is
potentially important because it provides insight into energy-saving techniques that constitute
practical, cost-effective solutions. However, the assessment team found that the level of detail on
the IAC site often was inadequate to convey a detailed understanding of the exact nature of some
recommendations or any insight into the means of their implementation.
For example, when visiting Die Casting Facility-2 (page 42), the assessment team provided
facility staff with a list of recommendations from the 10 most recent IAC assessments conducted
at aluminum die casting facilities. One of the recommendations made by the IAC was “Avoid
Operating Aluminum Furnace on Low Fire.” The IAC database indicated that this
recommendation had an implementation cost of $120, while offering an estimated savings of
$43,287. However, the plant personnel were unable to find any details as to what the
recommendation actually entails (i.e., what is meant by “low fire”), thus hindering its
implementation. Although this is not the case for all of the recommendations within the database,
there is a lack of consistency in the depth of information explaining adequately the rationale
behind some key recommendations.
Many of the facilities that participated in our project recommended building case studies that,
while protecting the IAC-assessed facility’s identity, can highlight the specific recommendations
and the implemented results. These case studies should be clear and concise and be subjected to
a professional review process by DOE and industry experts to ensure that the recommendations
are realistic and practical. Furthermore, case studies should provide industry members with
details to which they can relate to visualize the results they can anticipate for their plant.
Harvard Business School has been using the learning-by-case-study method because the faculty
believes that it is one of the best methods for learning as it forces the reader to grapple with the
kind of business dilemmas that others have faced and thus better understand the thought process
underlying the decision they made. By redefining the way in which knowledge is dispensed and
received, case studies enable individuals to visualize and relate to the case and its solution,
instead of merely absorbing facts and theories. This facilitates their conceptualizing how the case
applies to their operation and whether the solution in the case is applicable to their own
situation. 32
A step further in the same direction would be to document case studies that illustrate how the
suite of BestPractices tools like the PHAST, AirMaster+, and MotorMaster+ has positively
affected a metal casting operation. These cases should detail the experience of using a qualified
specialist to assess plant operations using BestPractices tools and their ease of use. Publicizing
such cases in trade journals will show industry members that these tools work and that their
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