Modern Casting articles from August 2008

Modern Casting archives from August 2008

Where It's At.(moderncasting.com)
August 1, 2008... Wherever you find the cast metal Where It's At sign (right) in this issue, access additional content exclusively on the web at www.moderncasting.com or the otherwise indicated website: * Table of Contents: Web-Only article on aluminum...

Modern casting blog.(moderncasting.com)
August 1, 2008... MODERN CASTING staff members blog about a hotel with hundreds of metal castings, giving away manufacturing secrets, whether our economy is in a recession and retaining employees.

Question of the month.(moderncasting.com)
August 1, 2008... The May website question asked: Judging by your current casting sales, do you believe the U.S. economy is going through a recession? Yes 66.3% No 33.7% This month's question is available at www.moderncasting.com.

Two ways to be right.(EDITORIAL)
August 1, 2008... The pages of MODERN CASTING are filled each month with ways metalcasters can improve their efficiency and bottom line. As is regularly cited on this editorial page, automation often is key to enhancing productivity, increasing consistency and...

Monomoy buys ferrous caster, expands automotive group.(North America)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Private equity fund Monomoy Capital Partners LP, New York, has acquired the assets and operations of Kurdziel Industries Inc., Muskegon, Mich., and announced an expansion at its flagship automotive casting facility....

Australian company to acquire AmeriCast for $288 million.(North America)
August 1, 2008... AmeriCast Technologies Inc., Atchison, Kansas, has been sold by its private equity owner to Bradken Ltd., Newcastle, Australia, a manufacturer of cast steel and other products, for approximately $288 million. "The acquisition of AmeriCast...

MetalTek buys British firm.(North America)
August 1, 2008... MetalTek International, Waukesha, Wis., acquired Meighs Castings Ltd. from Langley Alloys, Stoke-on-Trent, England. Meighs Castings produces components for the defense industry, as well as European-based customers for highly corrosive...

Pritzker group acquires Signicast.(North America)
August 1, 2008... Signicast, Hartford, Wis., has been acquired by The Priztker Group, a Chicago- and Los Angeles-based investment firm that partners with management teams in leveraged buyouts and acquisitions of middle-market companies across a broad range of...

Citation Corp. reduces capacity at Lufkin automotive ductile iron plant.(North America)
August 1, 2008... Citation Corp., Novi, Mich., announced it will reduce capacity at its Lufkin, Texas, metalcasting facility, a move that will affect 128 hourly and salaried workers. According to a press release issued by Citation, some of the products...

Chinese engine maker building new casting facility.(Around the World)
August 1, 2008... Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Ltd Co., Yulin, Guangxi, China, has begun the first construction phase of a $14.1 million metalcasting facility. The facility, which will be constructed gradually, has a total planned area of 1,800 acres and...

Metaldyne to eliminate automotive manufacturers, including diecaster.(North America)
August 1, 2008... Metaldyne Corp., Plymouth, Mich., will seek to divest one of its metalcasting operations, putting its diecasting plant in Niles, Mich., up for sale, as well as a machine shop in Middleville, Mich. The company, which was acquired by parent...

Leggett & Platt completes sale of diecasters.(North America)
August 1, 2008... Diversified manufacturer Leggett & Platt, Carthage, Mo., received $300 million in cash, a $25 million subordinated note and preferred stock in the sale of its Aluminum Products segment, a divesture it has been planning since November 2007. ...

Alcoa's AVDC process wins Nissan award.(North America)
August 1, 2008... Alcoa, Pittsburgh, recently received a Global Innovation Award from Nissan Motor Company for its proprietary vacuum die casting process (AVDC) and alloys used on the GT-R, Nissan's new sports sedan. The award was presented at the Nissan...

Foseco Canada to close.(North America)
August 1, 2008... Foseco plc, Staffordshire, U.K., which recently came under new ownership, announced it plans to close its Guelph, Ontario, complex by the end of the year. The site houses administrative offices, operations of the Foseco-Morval lost foam...

Energy saving gating system wins Danish award.(Around the World)
August 1, 2008... Disa and the Technical Univ. of Denmark were awarded the Danish 2008 Elforsk Energy Conservation Award for a new gating system design in May. According to a press release issued by Disa, a supplier of metalcasting equipment and metal...

American Cast Iron Pipe Co.(Newscast)
August 1, 2008... American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham, Ala., commisioned a cupola melting system from Kuttner North America, Port Washington, Wis., enabling it to meet environmental regulations.

Greenwood Casting Services Inc.(Newscast)
August 1, 2008... Greenwood Casting Services Inc., Ninety-Six, S.C., will open a new facility in July that will have 40,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and will specialize in the grinding, finishing, inspection and cleaning of gray iron castings, according to...

M. Argueso & Co. Inc.(Newscast)
August 1, 2008... Investment wax supplier M. Argueso & Co. Inc., Muskegon, Mich., is celebrating 100 years of continuous operation.

Sud-Chemie AG, Munich, a manufacturer of catalysts and adsorbents, has reached agreement with AlzChem Hart GmbH, Trostberg.(Newscast)
August 1, 2008... Sud-Chemie AG, Munich, a manufacturer of catalysts and adsorbents, has reached agreement with AlzChem Hart GmbH, Trostberg, a member of Evonik Industries AG, on the purchase of the metalcasting chemical production facilities at the AlzChem site...

Wagstaff Inc.(Newscast)
August 1, 2008... According to the Spokane Journal of Business, aluminum casting equipment maker Wagstaff Inc., Spokane Valley, Wash., plans to construct a large office-building addition to accommodate strong recent growth

Alabama Iron & Steel Council.(Newscast)
August 1, 2008... Leaders of Alabama steel mills and iron metalcasting facilities have organized the Alabama Iron & Steel Council through the office of State Labor Commissioner Jim Bennet.

Calendar of events.(metal industries)(Conference news)(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... View the Extended Industry Calendar at www.afsinc.org August August 24-27--AFS 20th EHS Conference, Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, St. Louis. September September 14-18--The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society: Superalloys...

Intermet Corp.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Bob Flaherty was named chief lean officer for Intermet Corp., Fort Worth, Texas.

Air Products.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Air Products, Allentown, Pa., made Richard Babcock vice president, information technology, and chief intelligence officer.

Miller and Co., Rosemont, Ill., announced the retirement of Ralph Lyles.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Miller and Co., Rosemont, Ill., announced the retirement of Ralph Lyles from vice president of sales, south division. Ryan LaCoursiere will take over as regional sales manager.

KB Alloys LLC.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Craig Zotkovich was promoted to sales manager, metalcasting and distribution, for KB Alloys LLC, Reading, Pa.

Industrial Metal Supply Co.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Industrial Metal Supply Co., Los Angeles, hired Martin Mechsner to manage the expansion of its metals finishing and fabrication division.

Keener Sand and Clay Co.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Keener Sand and Clay Co., Columbus, Ohio, named Mike Warner director of sales and operations. He replaces sales manager Gary Urcheck, who retired May 1.

Matrix Metals.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Matrix Metals, Richmond, Texas, appointed Allan See its Keokuk plant manager and Nathan Heisler director of sales. The company's CEO Roger Courtney announced his early retirement.

Kuttner North America.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Kuttner North America, Port Washington, Wis., added Anne Minga as an environmental engineer.

Committee of Associations of European Foundries.(Personals)
August 1, 2008... Max Schumacher was elected secretary general of the Committee of Associations of European Foundries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Obituaries.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... James White, Austin, Texas, died Feb. 13. He was 67. White worked several years as a metalcaster before co-founding Protech Coatings, Arlington, Texas, in 1979. He was a lifetime American Foundry Society (AFS) member. Robert Amrhein,...

Keeping tabs on workers: the White House has ordered federal contractors to use E-Verify to check Social Security numbers.(WASHINGTON ALERT)
August 1, 2008... In a new effort to keep illegal immigrants out of the workforce, the Bush Administration has ordered all companies doing business with the federal government to verify their employees' legal working status. The executive order will require...

Steel pipe industry wins against China.(On the Hill)
August 1, 2008... U.S. steel pipe manufacturers won a major victory on June 20 when the International Trade Commission voted 5 to 0 that the U.S. steel pipe industry was being harmed by the import of circular steel pipe from China. The decision marked the first...

ITC revokes anti-dumping order.(On the Hill)
August 1, 2008... The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in May revoked an antidumping duty order on brake rotors from China. The ITC found that doing so would not lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to domestic industry within a...

Metalcaster of the Year: Signicast: with its newest investment casting facility improving on an already innovative continuous flow model, Signicast has been named Modern Casting's Metalcaster of the Year.(Cover story)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Five steps into the wax injection room in Signicast's Hartford, Wis., Module 4, it's easy to assume it's break time for the investment caster's workers. Walkways are clear, and stations are empty but for a single...

Paying green to go green: by following a few practical tips, your facility can begin the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. AFS Technical Dept., Schaumburg, Illinois.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In spite of recent reports, green house gas legislation hasn't burned off; it is merely hanging quietly over our heads. Federal action to regulate greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions was temporarily...

Slow dip in 2008 leads to small bump in 2009: casting shipments continue to decline this year, leading to a slight uptick next year.
August 1, 2008... A preliminary analysis of the use of metal castings in the U.S. indicates that the slowdown forecast for 2008 continues, and a loss of 3.8% in casting shipments is to follow the drop in tonnage in 2007. The slowdown experienced in the first...

Increasing nodule count through additives.
August 1, 2008... Increasing nodule count is critical to improving the performance of ductile iron, particularly when it is prone to under-cooling. By increasing the number of graphite nodules during solidification, the rate of release of latent heat due to...

Help wanted: finding and keeping good employees isn't impossible. Three companies share how they successfully approach recruitment and retention.
August 1, 2008... Between 2025 and 2030, 12 million people a year will be exiting the global workforce, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Among the top 10 jobs across the globe that are the hardest to fill are sales...

Your best advertisement: the three Ps.(MARKETING MATTERS)
August 1, 2008... Traditional advertising can be prohibitively expensive for many small businesses. But the three Ps of advertising--presentation, process and people--can be achieved at little cost while offering exponential payback. During a recent...

AFS to hold energy savings workshop, seeks to develop energy working group.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
August 1, 2008... The increasing cost of energy has had a major effect on the metalcasting industry, consuming a greater portion of each facility's operating budget. In addition to affecting profitability, energy use has been shown to be a contributor to climate...

Nominate your facility for Plant Engineering Award.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
August 1, 2008... The AFS Plant Engineering Committee (1D) is accepting nominations for its 2009 Plant Engineering Award. The purpose of the award is to recognize a company, division or corporation for its achievements in the planning, installation, operation...

Participate in gating practices, needs survey.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
August 1, 2008... The AFS Aluminum Div. Gating and Risering Committee (2H) is gathering information about gating practices and needs. This information will be used to initiate research and other projects related to the gating and risering of aluminum sand...

CMI course schedule.(AFS/CMI NEWS)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... CMI Course Schedule Aug. 18-Sept. 28 Six Sigma Green Belt Internet Certification (08-09) Aug. 19-21 Metallurgy of Copper Base Hamilton, Ontario Casting Alloys (06-09)...

Chapter meetings.(AFS/CMI NEWS)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... CENTRAL NEW YORK Aug. 23--Annual Golf Outing, The Links at Sunset Ridge, Marcellus, N.Y. CHICAGO Aug. 22--Annual Golf Outing, Bloomingdale Golf Club, Bloomingdale, Ill. KEYSTONE Oct. 2-4--AFS East Coast Regional Conference, Heritage...

Reinventing the wheel through thixomolding.(New Product)
August 1, 2008... In the summer of 2007, DatuMag, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was approached by an aftermarket supplier of high performance motorcycle parts for help in developing a magnesium wheel. Lightweight wheels deliver better acceleration, shorter...

Chipping hammer makes light of cleaning castings.(New Product)
August 1, 2008... One of the most physically challenging jobs in a metalcasting facility is working in the cleaning room, removing sand and slag from large castings. A chipping hammer often is used to grind away the sand to leave a clean part. But, the hammers...

Holding furnace.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
August 1, 2008... The electric immersion heated aluminunl holding furnace is Lindberg/MPH's new energy efficient nonferrous furnace. It reduces the temperature of the steel shell to 30F (16C) over ambient with 1,200F (649C) metal. The design combines components...

Decoring.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
August 1, 2008... Rimrock teamed with Austrian firm Fill to provide the Fill Twistmaster 400 decoring machine. With acceleration of more than 560 ft/sq, second and an 880-1b. (399-kg) payload, the machine crushes the sand core inside the cast part and transports...

Chipping hammer.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
August 1, 2008... The Honsa HTPB25 chipping hammer provides power in a small package. It uses standard 0.68-in. round or 0.58-in. hexagonal shank chisels. The vibration isolation system reduces the effects of excessive vibration on the operators. ...

Sculpting Olympic spirit.(SHAKEOUT: In case you didn't know ...)
August 1, 2008... The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will be host to dozens of sculptures created to embody the Olympic spirit as part of a landscape sculpture design contest. More than 2,000 sculptures from 84 countries were entered in the contest, 400 of...