Foundry Innovation

A graduate of Tennessee Technological University (TTU) in 1980 with a B.S. in Industrial Technology and a Foundry Educational Foundation Scholarship recipient, Marshall has served primarily in the Automotive Iron Foundry Industry in green sand and machining operations. Duties have ranged from Casting Cost Estimating, Customer Service and Operations Management in Machining to Quality and Technical Management in the foundry continuing on to a 12-year role as a Supplier Development Manager for the Flowserve Corporation driving additive methods as well as Lost Foam. 

In early 2021, Marshall launched Tesserract4D, LLC as a Consultancy and Industry Product Representative for the Foundry Industry addressing the following needs:

• Materials for the Foundry Processes
• Supplier Selection via Process/QMS Audits, Supplier Development and Launch of Product Utilizing the APQP Process
• QMS Auditing and Development
• Problem Solving for Casting and Process Issues
• 3D Printing Solutions for Polymer and Aggregate Applications
• 3D Printing for Hard Tools and Expendable Patterns

Marshall is heavily involved in the  American Foundry Society (AFS) Lost Foam Division as Division Chair and leading two research projects, one of which is Printed Metal and Polymer Molds and the other Lost Foam Stainless Steel. Successful casting of 3D Printed Lost Foam Patterns has also been proved. 

He participates on the AFS Additive Division as past chair of the Printed Tooling Committee and Chairman for the AFS Tennessee Chapter. As a member of the Manufacturing Technology Board for the TTU MET Department, Marshall was recently awarded the 2021  “Technologist of Distinction” for his work with the FEF program at TTU. Besides developing suppliers for products, he has initiated the use of Additive Manufacturing for permanent tools, driving a printed tooling research project at TTU and implementing consumable patterns for the Evaporative Pattern Casting Processes in conjunction with binder jetted molds and cores in sand and ceramic aggregates. 

Marshall continues to promote the use of additive manufacturing in the foundry industry by providing guidance, print coaching and actual production of tooling and expendable patterns for the foundry industry. Awards from the AFS Lost Foam Division for Technical Achievement, Individual Service and Group Service have been presented. In addition, the Additive Division of the AFS has awarded him their Technical Achievement Award. With over 43 years of direct involvement in the foundry industry, Tesserract4D can lead or support efforts in the design, development, sourcing and maintenance of product for foundries and their customers.