Modern Casting articles from December 2003

Modern Casting archives from December 2003

Question of the month.(moderncasting.com; metal casting timeframes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The website question of the month asked, "What is the typical lead time for new jobs (once the finalized casting design is received) your foundry is currently quoting to customers." Answers: * 49%--Three to six weeks. * 24%--Less...

Your information partner ... again.(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... I am extremely proud of the magazine you currently hold in your hands. While every MODERN CASTING issue our staff puts together more than fulfills its mission of being the technology and management bible for the metalcasting industry, this...

U.S. EPA proposes rule to exclude recycled waste from RCRA.(Washington Alert; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... On October 28, the U.S. EPA proposed a rule to exclude hazardous waste from regulation under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), providing that the waste is recycled or reclaimed by the same industry that produced it. This...

AFS partakes in EPA roundtable to address barriers to beneficial reuse.(Washington Alert; American Foundrymen's Society; Environmental Protection Agency)
December 1, 2003... On November 5, the EPA's National Center for Environmental Innovation gathered the top non-hazardous waste generating industries to discuss beneficial reuse and, in some states, a lack thereof. AFS and FIRST (Foundry Industry Recycling Starts...

AFS, Small Business owners join OSHA in drafting silica standard.(Washington Alert; American Foundrymen's Society; Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
December 1, 2003... OSHA convened a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel in association with the administration's efforts to develop a new crystalline silica standard. By law, agencies such as OSHA are required to hold SBREFA panels...

Intermet to open second PCPC manufacturing plant.(North America; pressure-counter-pressure casting )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Intermet Corp., Troy, Michigan, announced the opening of a second casting plant dedicated to the firm's pressure-counter-pressure casting (PCPC) process. The plant is located in Jackson, Tennessee, adjacent to one of Intermet's existing...

Superior Industries awarded new GM business for Chevrolet Malibu, begins wheel shipments for 2004 Toyota Solara Coupe.(North America; Superior Industries International Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Superior Industries International, Inc., Van Nuys, California, has begun shipping two newly designed aluminum wheels to General Motors Corp., Detroit, for the redesigned 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. "We are pleased to announce this entirely new...

L.A. Aluminum prepares for $300,000 expansion.(North America)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... L.A. Aluminum Casting Co., Hayden, Idaho, is preparing for a $300,000 expansion to increase the facility's capabilities. The renovation is expected to be completed in December. The expansion will include the addition of a horizontal milling...

Wescast opens sales and design office in Japan.(North America; Wescast Industries)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Wescast Industries, Brantford, Ontario, Canada, recently opened a sales and design office in Tokyo, Japan, to support automotive customers based in the Asia Pacific region, including Japan, China and Korea. The opening of this new office...

Intat Precision, Inc., Rushville, Indiana, has selected Kodiak Group, Grayling, Michigan, to design its latest foundry expansion, which includes the installation of a horizontally parted green sand molding line and autopouring and shotblast systems.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Intat Precision, Inc., Rushville, Indiana, has selected Kodiak Group, Grayling, Michigan, to design its latest foundry expansion, which includes the installation of a horizontally parted green sand molding line and autopouring and shotblast...

Amcast Industrial Corp.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Amcast Industrial Corp., Dayton, Ohio, announced that its wholly-owned Casting Technology Co. signed a credit agreement for refinancing.

Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc., Northville, Michigan, has restarted operations at its Huntington, Indiana foundry. After checking the safety and quality of all systems, the firm commenced regular shifts in November.

Hickman, Williams & Co. Oak Brook, Illinois, has acquired the carbon business.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Hickman, Williams & Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, has acquired the carbon business, including the Cicero, Illinois, processing plant, of McClain Corp., Woodstock, Illinois.

General Kinematics Corp.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... General Kinematics Corp. has completed construction of its new world headquarters in Crystal Lake, Illinois, which will centralize it's manufacturing and design divisions under one roof.

In October Didion International, Inc., St. Peters, Missouri, booked nine machine orders.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... In October Didion International, Inc., St. Peters, Missouri, booked nine machine orders and Conveyor Dynamics Corp., St. Peters, booked 14 conveyors.

CMI Novacast, Inc., Elk Grove Village, Illinois, has sold a complete mold filling system.(Newscast; Lingotes Especiales, Spain)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... CMI Novacast, Inc., Elk Grove Village, Illinois, has sold a complete mold filling system for a vertically parted mold line to the Spanish firm Lingotes Especiales.

The Casting Industry Suppliers Assn. (CISA), Goodyear, Arizona, announced that the following companies have joined.(Newscast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Casting Industry Suppliers Assn. (CISA), Goodyear, Arizona, announced that the following companies have joined: Scott Sales, Huntington Park, California; Kloster Corp., Minneapolis; and ALB Klein Technology Group, Worthington, Ohio.

106 students look into metalcasting opportunities during 2003 FEF Conference in Chicago.(Metalcasting Associations; Foundry Educational Foundation )
December 1, 2003... The annual Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) College Industry Conference, held November 13-15 in Chicago, gave 106 students from FEF's 32 colleges the opportunity to see what could lie ahead of them if they choose a career in the...

Correction.(Metalcasting Associations)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2003... In the October 2003 issue, MODEN CASTING incorrectly Identified the headquarters of the Casting Industry Supplier Assn. (CISA). It is located in Goodyear, Arizona.

Ductile Iron casters gather in South Carolina.(Metalcasting Associations)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Ductile Iron Society's 2003 Keith D. Millis World Symposium on Ductile Iron in Hilton Head, South Carolina, October 20-23 featured 20 technical presentations on a wide range of subjects relating to ductile iron casting production. ...

SFSA enters second century at Annual Meeting, Technical and Operating Conference.(Metalcasting Associations; Steel Founders' Society of America )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Steel Founders' Society of America (SFSA) entered into a new era by celebrating its 101st year of existence at the 57th Annual Technical and Operating Conference and Annual Meeting on November 6-8 in Chicago. Current SFSA President...

Industry not speaking with one voice.(Letterbox; foundry industry)
December 1, 2003... Someone once said, "We have met the enemy and he is us." Could this quotation be more representative of what is happening to the U.S. Foundry Industry? While many in our industry are not at liberty to speak freely, it is crystal clear that many...

American Cast Iron Pipe Co.(Personals)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham, Ala., appointed Ronald Kern superintendent of the melting department.

Ashland Specialty Chemical Co.(Personals)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Ashland Specialty Chemical Co., Dublin, Ohio, named Jorg Kroker global technical director. The firm also announced the promotion of Roman Pallone to regional sales manager for the Eastern and Southern regions of the U.S.

Winsert, Inc.(Personals)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Winsert, Inc., Marinette, Wisc., appointed Trisha D. La Via executive vice president. La Via served as the sales and marketing manager for the past seven years.

The Univ. of Alabama.(Personals)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala., awarded Richard C. Bradt, professor of materials engineering, the Alton N. Scott Proffesorship.

Obituaries.(Personals; metal casting industry)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 1, 2003... George B. Davies, Lethbridge Iron Works Co., Ltd., Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, died in October. He served as general manager and owner at Lethbridge during his more than 50 years with the company. Thomas E. Acklin, Acklin Metallurigical...

Calendar of events.(Industry News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... February February 12-13--AFS Wisconsin Regional Conference, Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee. March March 8-11--Society of Automotive Engineers 2004 World Congress, Cobo Center, Detroit. March 11-13--AFS Northwest Regional...

Know your customer ... revealing OEM sourcing strategies.(original equipment manufacturers; foundry industry)
December 1, 2003... Inside This Story: * OEMs explain their reasoning for taking castings and other manufacturing materials overseas, such as reduced cost and the ability to infiltrate foreign markets. As the ride at Disney World is so fond of saying....

Know your competition ... 37th Census of World Casting Production--2002: as casting production across the globe grew last year, individual nations reported a mixed bag of expansions vs. contraction tales.
December 1, 2003... According to the 26 nations responding to MODERN CASTING's 37th Annual Census of World Casting Production (see table next page), 2002 offered a positive year for the global casting industry. The results from 2002 showed that total global...

Know your facts ... the 'true costs' of foreign sourcing: what every metalcaster must tell their customers.
December 1, 2003... Inside This Story: * While 'Purchasing 101' preaches total acquisition costs, many of your customers fail to look beyond unit price when evaluating a foreign quote. * The 'hidden' costs related to foreign sourcing often are not known...

Military makeover the investment casting way.(howitzer design)
December 1, 2003... Inside This Story: * This article describes the success of a joint U.S. Army/Marine Corp program initiative that integrates castings into the design of a lightweight howitzer system. * Explained within is how the introduction of...

Improving sand control with wet tensile testing.(foundries)
December 1, 2003... Inside This Story: * The wet tensile test, which determines the tensile strength of green sand's condensation zone, is profiled. * By using wet tensile testing, foundries facing sand-related defects can monitor the strength of the...

Handle PPE decision with care.(personal protective equipment (foundries))
December 1, 2003... Inside This Story: * This article addresses the delicate approach to selecting proper personal protective equipment, including the required steps to choose the appropriate fabric for your foundry. * Flame resistant fabrics are...

Selling and industry maturity.(CEO Journal; metal castings industry)
December 1, 2003... Our sympathies should go out to foundry sales staffs. In this industry dominated by operational concerns and manufacturing executives, the sales staff is routinely caught between a rock and a hard place. For example, sales staffs are...

Plains States.(AFP Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... PLAINS STATES -- In October, Nate McClain (l), CFM Foundry, and Johnny Thornburgh (r), Tonkawa Foundry, Inc., present Chris Ramsay, Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, with a speaker's award after his talk on the "Metallurgy of the Titanic."

Tristate.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... TRISTATE -- In September (from l), Vicki Eubanks, Phil Zimmerman, Andy Wall and Trey Hayes, all of Acme Foundry, Inc., relax following the chapter's golf outing.

Chicago.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- In October, David Kanicki (r), Inductotherm Corp., receives a Turkish flag from Umur Denizci, Denizclier Dokumcluk Danayi ve Ticaret, following his presentation on the status of the foundry industry in Turkey.

Western Michigan.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... WESTERN MICHIGAN -- In October, John Monette (l), Paragon Pattern and Manufacturing, presents Arthur Edge (retired), American Cast Iron Pipe Co., with a speaker's award following his presentation on business integrity.

Texas.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... TEXAS -- In October, Timothy R.H. Schulz (r), Fort Worth Aluminum Foundry, Inc., presents Iron Man Awards to guest speakers (from l) Melinda Houlihan, Mike La Mont, Ann Marie Callery, Scott Wiedeman and Tamara-Shae Oatman after their...

Northwest Pennsylvania.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA -- In October, Dan Higham (l), U.S. Bronze Foundry and Machine, Inc., presents speaker Matt Wright, Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, with a mug altar the chapter meeting.

Central Michigan.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... CENTRAL MICHIGAN -- In October, Mark Noggle (l), Specialty Castings, Inc., thanks Arch Miller, Alcoa Automotive Castings, following his speech on "The Engine Block Used in the Wright Brothers' 1903 Airplane."

Southwest Ohio.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... SOUTHWEST OHIO -- In October, Chris Small (r), American Testing Services, presents speaker Bruce A. Stetler with a plaque of appreciation altar his presentation on "Alternatives to X-Ray--New Technologies."

St. Louis.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... ST. LOUIS -- In October, Chris McCafferty (r), Corbitt Manufacturing Co., congratulates T.J. Knox, Occupational Consulting& Rehabilitation, after his presentation, "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome--Fact or Fiction."

Pittsburgh.(AFS Chapter News)
December 1, 2003... PITTSBURGH -- Peter Bernarding (r), Whibco, Inc., presents a speaker's award to Tiro Brown, Benton Foundry, Inc., after Brown gave an update on the AFS Trade Commission.

Chapter meetings.(AFS Chapter News; American Foundrymen's Society)(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... BIRMINGHAM January 12--Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. February 13--Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. March 12--Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Student Night & Golf. April 12--Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. May 10--Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham. Ala. BRITISH...

Robot Gripper Technology provides flexibility in the blasting process.(New Product; Wheelabrator)
December 1, 2003... When it comes to upgrading foundry equipment, the finishing department is often last in line. However, the importance of having a solid last line of defense between a foundry and its customer can't be overlooked. With the introduction of...

Eliminate casting expansion defects with new anti-veining additive.(New Product; John Winter & Co.)
December 1, 2003... Everyone would agree that prevention is the best cure for a problem. In the case of coldbox core-related casting defects, prevention can lead to significant cost savings. One common defect encountered by medium and high-production sand...

X-ray inspection.(Metalcasting Supplies)
December 1, 2003... AGFA recently unveiled a radioscopic inspection system, the X-Cube compact. The X-Cube is a versatile, 160 KV inspection system for spot tests and inspection of a small series of a variety of test samples. The design allows flexibility in...

Rotary Degassing System.(Metalcasting Supplies)
December 1, 2003... Thermtronix Corp. offers the Autoclean II Aluminum Rotary Degassing System for removal of hydrogen gas from aluminum alloys. The system features single unit construction and an air-driven motor to eliminate electrical lines and wall mounted...

Drill.(Metalcasting Supplies)
December 1, 2003... TechniDrill Systems Inc., has recently introduced a deep hole drilling system for smaller holes. The dual spindle machine has a drilling range of 0.032-0.373 in. in diameter and a depth of up to 12 in. Counter-rotation of tailstock can be set...

Arthur Henderson: Nobel Prize winner and foundryman.(Shakeout: in case you didn't know ...)
December 1, 2003... Arthur Henderson greatly influenced the British Government between World War I and World War II, working diligently in his positions in Parliament to achieve disarmament. While his efforts ultimately failed, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize...