Post by Metalshub

The next era of foundry success is being written at the intersection of deep human expertise and AI. In the latest #MetalshubTalks, host Samir Jaber sat down with The Cast Metals Federation, CMF Chief Executive Lee Marshall to discuss how #UK foundries are actively embracing #AI and digital tools to drive a new wave of industrial competitiveness in a volatile economic climate. Here are the quick highlights: 💡 Shifting to "Advanced Manufacturing": To protect margins, modern foundries are evolving from basic casting to high-end, advanced manufacturing hubs offering value-added services like specialised coatings and rapid 3D prototyping under one roof. 🤖 AI in its "Apprentice" Stage: AI may not know enough to pour a perfect casting on its own yet. However, by pairing real-time variables with Edge AI models, foundries can predict and prevent defects before they physically materialise. ⚙️ The Digital Procurement Frontier: Digitalising raw material purchasing is a needed evolution as it helps automate manual admin, gives buyers real-time market intelligence, and balances lean inventory targets with supply chain security. 📊 Unified Data = Effortless Audits: Compliance is entirely a data game. Moving procurement to a secure digital platform creates a single, traceable dataset easily split to satisfy CBAM reporting, energy-intensity audits, and customer quality checks. As Marshall notes: "In a landscape where we cannot easily change energy or labour costs, productivity is the one variable we can completely control." 👉 How can your foundry justify digital investments under tight margins? Read our full recap here: https://lnkd.in/dJ3uniCA