Every shot counts 🎞️

“The tolerances are extremely tight since there is no engine noise to cover some of the driveline noises that happen in a traditional car,” says Guthrie. In a silent EV – another key selling point of battery-powered cars – even almost unnoticeable sounds greatly affect the driving experience.

“Our job is the constant search for perfection in every shot, just like an elite tennis player for example. The margin of error is getting thinner and thinner. We need to deliver day in, day out. That’s why we travel regularly to Bühler’s Die Casting Application Center in Uzwil, Switzerland to learn about the latest technology and to train our operators in handling the machines,” says Kent Guthrie. He and two of his colleagues just spent a few days in January 2023 in Uzwil to learn about Bühler’s ServoDrive solution. “The biggest costs in any foundry are your material costs and your energy costs. We’re investing in our new machines to have the ServoDrive pump groups so we can save up to 45% on energy consumption,” explains Guthrie. A massive reduction in times of rising energy costs that continue to drive inflation rates up across the globe.

Training together is a two-way street. “It’s a huge advantage for us to learn about challenges that we don’t necessarily know about yet in terms of the complexity or the difficulty of these parts no one has ever made before. Feedback from customers like Trace who run our equipment 24/7 is essential. That’s the perfect way for us to get reliable data and inputs from live operations under toughest conditions,” explains Steve Jacobson. 

Setting foot in Trace’s production plant in Bowling Green, it's evident what Jacobson means. Industrial furnaces melt recycled aluminum blocks at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Workers feed it into 41 die-casting machines with locking forces from 10,400 to 22,000 kilonewtons. Steam clouds from the spray cooling rise to the ceiling, dimming the lights for brief moments and creating an almost surreal atmosphere. The workflows are 100% in tune, running all day in three shifts like an orchestra led by an invisible conductor. The term “make or break” perfectly sums up the pressure the parts – and Trace – are under. 

Where the magic happens: the green mobility transformation starts in the foundry of Trace Die Cast in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Trace’s bold strategy has paid off. The Guthrie brothers walk through the manufacturing facility and check a freshly cast part for their customer Rivian based in Normal, Illinois. It’s one of the fastest-growing car companies, specializing in electric SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and electric pick-up trucks. The world’s largest retailer, Amazon, already counts on over 1,000 Rivian delivery vans and plans to have 100,000 vehicles on the road by 2030 to meet its climate targets. 

Trace’s long-standing customer, Ford, which makes up around 70% of their output, recently announced their target of producing 600,000 electric vehicles in 2023. Ford’s goal is clear: To overtake Tesla and become the number one seller of EVs in the US. This includes their flagship F-150 Lightning pick-up truck, an icon in America’s second-largest US-based carmaker’s portfolio. According to Business Insider, Ford aims to build 150,000 F-150 Lightnings a year at the factory in Dearborn, Michigan. With such staggering numbers, both Ford and Rivian count on Trace to continue delivering their high-end parts around the clock. 

Chris and Kent Guthrie are ready for the challenge. “In 2018, our capacities were focused 100% on internal combustion engine vehicle parts. Today, 60% of our output is parts for traditional cars, and 40% is for electric cars. We expect that ratio to be 50/50 by 2024,” says Chris Guthrie. With the green transition gaining more traction by the day on America’s roads, the question is how Trace will keep up with the ever-increasing demand? 

“We just ordered six new Carat die-casting cells from Bühler. I believe that we’re very well prepared to continue growing together with this megatrend while still being able to serve all our customers during this time of transition. It’s just exciting to be part of this major shift in the car industry and help drive change from Kentucky into the world,” says Kent Guthrie as the brothers head out for a test drive of a Ford F-150 Lightning and a Rivian R1S electric SUV. Made with key parts from Trace Die Cast in Bowling Green, of course.