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IP Interview
Published February 7, 2025

Precision Castparts vs Howmet: Airfoil Casting Competition & Pricing

Executive Bio

Former Senior Director at Precision Castparts

Interview Transcript

Disclaimer: This interview is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. In Practise is an independent publisher and all opinions expressed by guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of In Practise.

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Why is that?

These are essentially the most critical components from a specification and demand perspective on the engine. They are rotating components with high performance and metallurgical expectations. You need to get them right the first time from a manufacturing capability standpoint. There are probably very few manufacturers globally with that level of capability.

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That doesn't include the labor to run it. That's just the capital expenditure to get it up and running.

Correct. It's a very knowledge-based process, almost like tribal knowledge to a certain extent. Even if you're determined to start a greenfield or a startup in this field, you'll be forced to poach people from your competitors. There's no way around it. When you look at it from a technology or IP perspective, you rarely see patents. It's very much process IP-driven, internal, and companies will defend themselves aggressively from a legal standpoint if they feel someone is taking that knowledge outside.

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Like what, exactly?

For instance, the profile or ramp-up in temperatures used to heat treat a product or pour a part properly is very specific. You need to ramp up at a certain speed and temperature profile.

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