Patrick J. Morrison
Metallurgist/Foundry Person/Heat Treater
Fun Facts
- If I hadn’t embraced my inner nerd, I would probably be a dairy farmer or a cabinet maker, not a metallurgist. During my farm period, I also considered becoming a veterinarian.
- It was a love of chemistry in high school that led me to engineering. I planned to become a chemist until my chemistry teacher advised – “Don’t be a chemist!”. Thanks Mr. Biggs!
- A tour of The Cleveland Museum of Art with a retired Professor of Metallurgy was probably the reason I switched from Chemical Engineering to Metallurgy & Materials Science. I was very impressed and surprised with the capabilities of the ancient metal smiths – still am.
- One of my fondest memories of Case was watching the professors try to drink the yard – of – ale without getting drenched by that last rush of the ale (or beer)
- I am a big fan of Canids both wild & domestic (dogs) and animals of all sorts. My wife and I operate a boarding kennel where we care for peoples’ pets so that they can travel for vacations, funerals, etc. In addition to dogs and cats, we have cared for cockatiels, mynas, guinea pigs, and lizards!
- You wouldn’t know it to look at me now, but I was a reasonably talented martial artist in early adulthood. I was inspired by the TV show “Kung – Fu” (re-runs) to give it a try.
- In my spare time, I enjoy reading and still do some woodworking. My prize possession is a 1944 Oliver 88D.
A Brief overview
Pat is a degreed Metallurgist and Materials Scientist with over thirty years in the Foundry Industry, but that was not the path he started on. His academic career started in Chemical Engineering. His very first introduction the Metallurgy/Materials Science Dept. at Case was the result of a sign that said “Free Pizza & Beer” with an arrow to point the way. While there, one of the professors in the group suggested that he take a course called “How Do We Make Things”. A few years later, he changed his major.
Since then, he’s enjoyed a varied career that includes powder metallurgy (ODS copper) and process & quality roles in heat treat facilities. His foundry journey started in a sand & centrifugal foundry in Ohio. The last thirty years have been spent in the Investment Casting Industry – where he’s been fortunate enough to work for and with some of the people in the industry.
Accomplishments
- Technical sales – materials and process selection, quote development, customer contact on your behalf.
- Part, gating, and mold design. Reasonably skilled in CAD with practical knowledge of most of the major casting simulation packages currently available. Uses a holistic approach to help you meet productivity and quality goals.
- Considerable experience with wax tooling and injection practice development. Has produced molds from most types of printed patterns and printed shells.
- Has created slurries and worked with suppliers to troubleshoot process upsets and optimize current shell systems. Years of dip programming experience across engineered and non-engineered slurry systems.
- Melting procedure and alloy development, alloy design for castability and improved performance in specific applications and environments, refractory selection and supplier relations.
- As part of a team that started up three highly automated IC foundries, he has designed and/or assisted with the design, specification and installation of equipment or processes for every area of an investment casting foundry. In addition, he’s helped educate new employees (and Engineers) without any prior IC experience to fill roles in these plants. He looks forward to helping you overcome the challenges you face.
Personal Testimonials
What People Say About Patrick J. Morrison
I had the pleasure of working with Patrick on a recent project involving investment casting, and I couldn’t be more impressed with his expertise and professionalism. With over thirty years in the foundry industry, his knowledge and experience truly shine through in every aspect of his work.