Modern Casting articles from February 2002

Modern Casting archives from February 2002

Ford to close new Cleveland Aluminum Casting Plant. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI, has announced that the Cleveland Aluminum Casting Plant in Brook Park, OH, will cease operation in 2003-04 as part of the "Ford Revitalization Plan." The 210,000-sq-ft aluminum casting facility produced 7500...

Intermet begins PCPC production of new steering knuckle. (Industry News).(pressure-counter-pressure casting process)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Intermet Corp., Troy, MI, began supplying an innovative aluminum steering knuckle for a new high-volume light vehicle in production volumes in October. The knuckles are produced using the aluminum pressure-counter-pressure casting (PCPC)...

AFS coordinates 'day of metalcasting' at SAE 2002 world congress. (Industry News).
February 1, 2002... AFS has organized a 'day of metalcasting' at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit. The session, scheduled for March 6, will include presentations on best-in-class components, optimizing casting design and...

International Agile selling cast medallions to help 9/11 victims. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... International Agile Manufacturing, LLC, Statesboro, GA, (the former Anvil International foundry), is casting commemorative medallions from the steel scrap it purchased from Ground Zero at New York's World Trade Center. A portion of the proceeds...

Sand binders. (Product Innovations).(from Ashland Specialty Chemical Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Thermoshield (for iron and steel) and SBX (for aluminum) sand binders from Ashland Specialty Chemical Co., Dublin, OH, employ the free radical cure process to improve mixed sand benchlife and speed core production.

Dry ice blaster. (Product Innovations).(for Premier Aluminum Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Dry Ice Blaster--Installing four Dry Ice Blasting Machines from CryoBlast (O'Donohue Industries), Milwaukee, has saved Premier Aluminum, Allenton and Racine, WI, time and money by reducing maintenance of its permanent molds by 80%.

The seven habits of highly effective foundries.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... I attended a personal and professional growth seminar last month, and learned some wisdom that could be applied to our industry. I am worried, however, that from my headline and the "personal and professional growth" comment, you may not be...

Bush administration revokes controversial government procurement rule. (Washington Alert).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Bush Administration recently repealed a sweeping contractor responsibility rule issued in the final days of the Clinton administration. If the rule had gone forward, it would have effectively prevented companies from receiving government...

Senate approves measure reducing small business paperwork. (Washington Alert).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Senate recently passed a bill The Small Business Paperwork Relief Act (S. 1271), to require federal agencies to assign a "single point of contact" within the agency for small business owners that have questions and problems regarding...

Superfund reform bill for Small Business Liability Relief signed into law in January. (Washington Alert).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... On December 20, both the House and Senate approved a superfund reform bill that will provide liability relief to small businesses and innocent landowners. On January 11, President Bush signed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfield...

EPA and labor regulations top 'hit list' for Bush administration review. (Washington Alert).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In a report to Congress issued December 21, 2001, the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) published a list of burdensome federal regulations it believes should be reviewed by the Bush administration. The list was generated based on the...

Intermet begins PCPC production of new steering knuckle, announces $400 million in new business. (North America).(pressure-counter-pressure casting)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Intermet Corp., Troy, Michigan, announced it began producing an innovative aluminum steering knuckle for a new high-volume light vehicle. Using the aluminum pressure-counter-pressure casting (PCPC) process that it developed, the firm began...

General casting to buy hodge foundry from Metso minerals. (Acquisitions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The General Casting Co., Grafton, Ohio, signed a letter of intent in late December to purchase Hodge Foundry, Greenville, Pennsylvania, from Metso Minerals, Helsinki, Finland. A definitive agreement was expected to be completed by the end of...

Atchison casting sells Jahn Foundry to advanced iron. (Acquisitions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In late December, Atchison Casting Corp. (ACC), Atchison, Kansas, announced the sale of its Springfield, Massachusetts-based Jahn Foundry Corp. subsidiary to New England Iron, LLC, a newly formed LLC principally owned by Advanced Iron, LLC....

Ford to close new Cleveland Aluminum Casting Plant. (North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... On January 11, Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Michigan, announced that the Cleveland Aluminum Casting Plant in Brook Park, Ohio would be one of four plants to cease operation as part of the "Ford Revitalization Plan." The 210,000-sq-ft aluminum...

AFS coordinates 'day of metalcasting' for transportation industry at SAE 2002 world congress. (Metalcasting Association).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, the largest original equipment service, parts and components exhibition in the world, will offer a full day of Congress sessions on metalcasting on March 6 at the Cobo Center, Detroit....

Simpson Technologies Corp. (Newscast).(hires McClelland Development Company L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Simpson Technologies Corp., Aurora, Illinois, has appointed McClelland Development Co., LLC, Birmingham, Michigan, to represent the firm in lower Michigan. Also, Simpson extended the coverage of Klein-Farris Corp., Needham Heights,...

StrikoDynarad Corp. (Newscast).(Castech foundry equipped with melt treatment system from StrikoWestofen)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Castech's new aluminum foundry in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico, has been equipped with a melting and melt treatment system from German-based StrikoWestofen, represented in North America by StrikoDynarad Corp., Holland, Michigan.

Cannon-Muskegon Corp. (Newscast).(awards contract to Fox Grinders)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Cannon-Muskegon Corp., Muskegon, Michigan, awarded a contract to Fox Grinders, a division of Vulcan Engineering Co., Helena, Alabama, for a mold ingot system, which incorporates a mold press, end grinder, cutoff saw, O.D. grinders, inspection...

Magma Foundry Technologies. (Newscast).(Magmasoft acquisitions)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Magma Foundry Technologies, Arlington Heights, Illinois, announced the following acquisitions of Magmasoft: Caterpillar, Peoria, Illinois; Inland Die Casting (RCM Industries), Wheeling, Illinois; and Hitchcock Industries, Minneapolis,...

Wabash Alloys. (Newscast).(to shut down Syracuse, New York operation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Wabash Alloys, Wabash, Indiana, plans to cease operations at its aluminum processing facility in Syracuse, New York by February 28.

IMCO Recycling. (Newscast).(forms joint venture with Reciclaje y Maquila)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... IMCO Recycling, Irving, Texas, has entered an agreement with Reciclaje y Maquila. The joint venture, known as IMCO Reciclaje de Nuevo Leon, will recycle aluminum drosses and other scrap for the Nemak foundry group, Monterrey, Mexico. Located...

Pillar Industries. (Newscast).(signs sales agreement with ProInduction L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Pillar Industries, Brookfield, Wisconsin, has signed a sales agreement with ProInduction LLC, Portage, Wisconsin, a new company founded by D. Emil Weatherbee.

Certifications.(for foundry organizations)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The following foundry organizations have announced recent certifications: * Crane Foundry & Machine Services, Washington, Iowa (ISO 9001: 1994); * Precision Matalsmiths, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio (ISO 9001: 2000); * Tri-State Aluminum...

SeaCast's Olympic torch component carries casting industry en route to 2002 olympic games. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The U.S. foundry industry played a vital role in the ceremonial cross-country torchbearing relay that concluded with the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, this month. The torch, which passed through the hands of...

FEF unveils new CD-ROM to promote casting industry careers. (Industry News).(Foundry Educational Foundation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) has released an all-new CD-ROM that describes the career opportunities available in the metalcasting industry. The multimedia "Casting for a Career" presentation offers personal accounts from past FEF...

Founder ticker. (Industry News).(Amcast Industrial Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Amcast Industrial Corp., Dayton, Ohio, reported that its first quarter 2002 sales of $131.2 million was down 5% from the same period last year. The net loss for the quarter was $5.5 million compared to $100,000 last year.

Clarification/Correction.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2002... A clarification is required for the four case study tables that appeared in the December 2001 article "Establishing Dimensional Guidelines for Lost Foam's 'White Side'." The standard deviation values and the Cp and CpK values in those tables...

TCF Railco to acquire assets of ABC-NACO out of chapter 11. (Acquisitions).(TCF Railco Acquisition Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ABC-NACO, Inc., Lombard, Illinois, has agreed to sell its operating assets to TCF Railco Acquisition Corp. (TCF), for $7.5 million. The sale includes all of the U.S. operating assets of the firm's Rail Products, Track Products and Rail Services...

Calendar of events.
February 1, 2002... March March 3-7--North American Die Casting Assn., CEO Conference, The Ritz-Canton Rancho Mirage, Rancho Mirage, California. March 13-14--AFS/CMI Advanced Foundry Operations Conference, AFS Headquarters, Des Plaines, Illinois. ...

Personals.(appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Chrysler Group (DaimlerChrysler Corp.), Auburn Hills, Michigan, named Thomas W. LaSorda executive vice president of worldwide manufacturing operations and Bruce D. Coventry vice president of worldwide engine/foundry/axle operations. ...

Obituaries.(Fred Treul)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
February 1, 2002... Fred Treul, 76, founder and retired president of Starline Manufacturing Co., Inc., Milwaukee, died in November. He also was on the board of directors of Chicago Faucet Co. (Chicago Casting Co.), Des Plaines, Illinois.

Water or air? Examining permanent mold cooling methods.
February 1, 2002... With permanent mold casting, tooling cost is a significant percentage of the initial investment in a start-up job. As a result, mold life plays an important role in the foundry's determination of casting cost for the customer. In an era...

Establishing process, design parameters for permanent mold cast lead-free copper alloys.
February 1, 2002... Permanent mold cast lead-free copper-base alloys provide foundries with a wealth of new casting markets to pursue. In comparison to their sand cast counterparts, permanent mold cast copper base alloys offer improved design and process...

Optimum sand testing requires reliable rammers.(sand rammers)
February 1, 2002... The sand rammer is the most fundamental piece of equipment in the foundry sand testing laboratory. It is used to run the compactability test on sand specimens as well as to form standard specimens for a variety of other sand tests including...

Agricultural equipment. (Casting Market Focus).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Editor's Note: This is the first installment of the new "Casting Market Focus" standing feature, which was launched to shed light on dynamics within specific casting markets while sampling recent casting successes. All shipment trends data is...

Research aims for improved castings to attract customers.
February 1, 2002... The foundry industry must make special efforts to woo dubious customers into seeing the added value of castings as a manufacturing option. The industry has made great strides internally through research, recognizing the need for...

Silicon: One key to thin-wall steel castings; Based on a paper presented at the 55th annual SFSA technical & operating conference, silicon is examined as an additive to increase the fluidity of molten steel.(Steel Founders' Society of America)
February 1, 2002... Elimination is the name of the game on television's popular reality and game shows. While elimination on these shows is synonymous with losing, the word also can convey constructive and progressive developments. Elimination (in its positive...

Igniting a turnaround. (CEO Journal).(mission statements to help troubled foundries)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... A troubling fact of economic life is that the question on the lips of many foundry CEOs these days is "How do I save my business?" How should CEOs respond when their companies are in trouble? Assuming that bankruptcy is not imminent, the answer...

Wisconsin Public Service Corp. (AFS Chapter News).(Larry Borgard receives plaque)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... NORTHEAST WISCONSIN--In December, Larry Borgard (I), Wisconsin Public Service Corp., receives a plaquefrom Harry Furman, Badger Mining Corp., for his presentation on a power generation project.

Heraeus Electro-Nite Co. (AFS Chapter News).
February 1, 2002... NORTHERN CALIFORNIA-In November, Roger Knolls (ctr), Heraeus Electro-Nite Co., receives a speaker's award for his presentation, "Late Technology in Metal Temperature Control" from (from I) Ted Ray, American Brass & Iron Foundry, Craig Wilson,...

Carpenter Brothers, Inc. (AFS Chapter News).(meeting)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... WISCONSIN -- In November, John Serra (I), Carpenter Brothers, Inc., thanks Tracy Mattson, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, for her presentation, and Alan Jensen, Miller Compressing Co., for his assistance in organizing the joint meeting...

Electric Steel Castings Co. (AFS Chapter News).
February 1, 2002... CENTRAL INDIANA--In November, pictured (from I) are Don Parker, Electric Steel Castings Co., Dan Torzewski, International Truck & Engine Corp., Stephanie Salmon, AFS, and Bill Rollman, Hill & Griffith Co., after Salmon delivered a speech on...

OCL Industrial Materials, Ltd. (AFS Chapter News).
February 1, 2002... BRITISH COLUMBIA--In November, Eric Morgan (I), Foseco, receives a speaker's gift for his talk on facing increasing global competition from Barry Spence, OCL Industrial Materials, Ltd.

Don Huizenga, Kurdziel Industries, Inc. (AFS Chapter News).(ACIPCO award)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... BIRMINGHAM-In November, Jim Frost (I), ACIPCO, presents Don Huizenga, Kurdziel Industries, Inc., with a speaker's award for his speech on the state of the industry and AFS.--by Clay Rowan

U.S. Rep. (AFS Chapter News).(Phil English receives award from Erie Lumber Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... N0RTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA-In: November, Phil English (I), U.S. Rep. (R-Penn.), accepts a speaker's cup for his update on American trade laws from Brian Calvelage, Erie Lumber Co.-by Dan Higham

Miller & Co. (AFS Chapter News).
February 1, 2002... CANTON--In December, Gary Bresson (I), Miller & Co., thanks David Yonto, Quality Castings Co., for his presentation on innovative cost management.--by Ron King

American Aluminum Casting Co. (AFS Chapter News).(Paul Cervellero wins award for speech)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... METROPOLITAN -- In November, Cliff Hartl (I), American Aluminum Casting Co., presents Paul Cervellero, Inductotherm Corp., with. a speaker's award for his talk on the importance of corporate AFS memberships.-by Mike Johnson

Case Western Reserve Univ. (AFS Chapter News).(Jack McNaughton Scholarship awarded)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... NORTHEASTERN OHIO--In December, Denise McNaughton meets Tom Engle, Case Western Reserve Univ. Engle received the Jack McNaughton Scholarship, which was created out of funds donated to the Foundry Educational Foundation in memory of McNaughton,...

James Jones Co. (AFS Chapter News).
February 1, 2002... SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA--In November, Chuck Palmer (I), James Jones Co., and Ken Goecke, (r), Scott Sales Co., thank Ron Aufderheide, Ashland Specialty Chemical Co., for his presentation on solving casting defects.--by Jeff Mock

Acrylic epoxy binder speeds core production, improves mixed sand benchlife. (New Product).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... As sand foundries look to increase productivity and decrease cost, one of the areas that has the biggest impact is the selection and leveraging of the casting process. Some problems that plague sand users include downtime associated with mixer...

Dry ice blasting reduces permanent mold die maintenance by 80%. (Case History).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Premier Aluminum, Allenton and Racine, Wisconsin, an 80-employee aluminum permanent mold foundry, traditionally has used abrasive materials to clean its molds. Molds become covered with coating, dirt and other buildup that interferes with the...

Spectrometer CD. (Metalcasting Supplies).(Worldwide Analytical Systems Inc.'s New Generation of Foundry Spectrometers CD-Rom)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Worldwide Analytical Systems, Inc., is offering its CD, A New Generation of Foundry Spectrometers," a 5-min multimedia program. The CD describes recent advancements in foundry spectrometers. The auto-loading CD will play on PC-compatible...

Mixing machine. (Metalcasting Supplies).(Eirich Machines Inc.'s Intensive Mixer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Eirich Machines, Inc., has introduced the Intensive Mixer, which can mix and disperse slurry, in addition to moistening, drying, heating, cooling and coating. The mixer features a rotating mixing tool, an inclined, rotating mixing pan and an...

Automated load handling system. (Metalcasting Supplies).(Webb-Triax Co.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... The Automated Storage and Retrieval System from Webb-Triax Co. manages incoming materials and controls the distribution of finished products through conveyors and pallets to improve productivity through inventory management. The system also...

Fiber abrasive disc. (Metalcasting Supplies).(VSM Abrasives Corp. launches product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... VSM Abrasives Corp. has introduced the ceramic abrasive fiber disc. The disc cuts more aggressively than a conventional abrasive and is engineered for a high rate of metal removal. Separate discs are available for grinding hardened steels...

Refractory Installation System. (Metalcasting Supplies).(Allied Mineral Products Company Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... The system is quieter (65 dB compared to more than 90 dB) and produces less dust than a pneumatic vibrator. It has fewer moving parts, making it less prone to repairs and more likely to last longer. The electric-powered system also eliminates...

Remote visual inspection upgrade. (Metalcasting Suplies).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Everest VIT has announced an upgrade for its VideoProbe and Industrial XL Pro portable, multi-purpose remote visual inspection equipment. The upgraded software creates a remote visual inspection system that allows the user to choose one of five...

Coated abrasive disc. (Metalcasting Supplies).(Norton Abrasives)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Norton Abrasives has introduced the GreenLyte fiber disc to grind and remove metal with fast cut rates, In testing, the disc lasted 30-70% longer than other ceramic fiber discs. The disc is made with seeded gel ceramic grain and...