Material Matters: Saving Money with Smarter Material Selection and System Design

Host Eric Lanke welcomes Mitch Van Remortel, strategic channel manager at Charter Casting, to discuss material science innovations relevant to fluid power and why material selection affects total cost of ownership.   Van Remortel outlines his background and explains Charter Casting's focus on large, complex iron castings, emphasizing consistency, quality, and an engineering-led approach. He describes key material-selection factors—mechanical performance, manufacturability, and life-cycle performance—and notes that early material choices are hard to change later. He highlights cost drivers beyond raw material price, citing a frack pump conversion from low-carbon steel that saved about $200,000 annually and reduced weight by roughly 60,000 pounds.   The episode covers gray vs. ductile iron characteristics, system-level impacts like vibration damping in hydraulic cylinders, channel/distribution collaboration, and future trends including data-driven tools and AI in material evaluation. Subscribe to the Fluid Power Forum today to never miss an episode. The podcast is available on all of your favorite podcast platforms, including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.   Connect with our host, Eric Lanke, at [email protected].   Connect with our guest, Mitch Van Remortel, at [email protected].   Learn more about the company at www.chartercasting.com   Find and share more interesting fluid power technologies and unique applications using #onlyfluidpowercan and follow podcast and other fluid power industry-related updates at @TheNFPA.   #FluidPowerForum #Innovation #Engineering #MaterialSciences