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[March 2003]
Homer Laughlin Turns to Delcam
Delcam (Birmingham, England) reports that Homer Laughlin China Co has started using its advanced CAD technology in its operations.Founded in 1871 in East Liverpool, Ohio, USA, Homer Laughlin - which later moved across the Ohio River to Newell, West Virginia - was one of the first whitewares plants in the USA. Today, the company is one of North America's largest potteries and a leading provider of commercial food service ware.
Models are a key part of the creative design and approval process. Traditionally, Homer Laughlin has hand-carved the plaster models of its ware. The problem is that changing a plaster model can take time. "If the customer wants a change, you may have to cut a little bit of plaster away," said master artisan Joe Geisse. "If you have the plaster on the model, that's fine. If you don't have the plaster, you have to start all over again."
After looking into CAD programmes available, Homer Laughlin chose Delcam's PowerSHAPE. Research by modeller John Stoakes convinced the company that PowerSHAPE was more user-friendly than other programmes and "more geared towards what we need to do".
Both Mr Stoakes and Mr Geisse said that PowerSHAPE benefits the company in many ways. First, it accelerates new product design and approval. "If a customer is unsure about his needs," said John Stoakes, "we can look at basic shapes and make changes on the computer screen, as opposed to carving a model then having the customer say, no, that's not what I want."
The CAD programme can eliminate the need to carve plaster models. "We complete a model in the computer, then we build a press mould around it and send that file out to have the mould milled from it. When we have the mould, we pour in liquid plaster to produce the model," explained Joe Geisse. Updates to the model require only alterations to the electronic file without the need to carve a new model altogether.
PowerSHAPE will also permit Homer Laughlin to significantly reduce the time it takes to get a piece of ware into production. Mr Geisse said that it would help the company save weeks of work, for example, by removing some of the multiple steps currently involved in creating moulds for cup handles. Instead of taking 45 days, the process will be completed in 20 days or less.
ENDS