Foundry is a manufacturing process with a growing importance. The main objective of this paper is to analyze, in terms of automation and of computerized production management systems (CPMS), the make-to-order foundry in the interior of the state of São Paulo belonging to 5 main foundry industrial districts (Piracicaba, Indaiatuba, Limeira, São Carlos and Itu) with 10 to 250 workers. From the 61 enterprises in the interior of São Paulo State, 35 are situated in these 5 industrial districts (or in their neighborhood); we interviewed personally the industrial executive officer and visited the shop-floor of 30 among this 35 foundries. We have analyzed almost 200 frequency and contingency tables and draw several conclusions, for example: (i) among the three main problems and necessities related with production, two of them are directly related with automation and CPMS; (ii) automation and CPMS generate coincident interests on the make-to-order foundries.
foundry; make-to-order; automation; computerized production management; systems
