Modern Casting articles from February 2007

Modern Casting archives from February 2007

Esco sells two sub-groups in less than a week.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... Five days after selling its integrated manufacturing group, Esco Corp., Portland, Ore., sold its engineered metals group to Samuel, Son and Co. Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The group is a stainless steel distributor that does value-added...

Neenah foundry expects to finish $54 million line by spring '08.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... Neenah Foundry Co., Neenah, Wis., is in the process of installing a $54 million molding line, which company executives now say will be completed in the spring of 2008. The expansion, begun in the fall of 2006, will add 75,000 sq. ft. of...

Question of the month.(moderncasting.com)
February 1, 2007... The December web site question asked, "What resources do you use to train your employees?" Internal Staff 37.8% Suppliers 24.5% Associations and Training Facilities 22.6% Local Colleges/ Universities 15.1%...

Deburring tool helps casting firm finish in a flash.(Product Innovations)
February 1, 2007... Deburring Tool Helps Casting Firm Finish in a Flash--Harmony Castings/TPi Arcade Inc., Arcade, N.Y., has traditionally used hand-held tools to remove minor flashes on its vacuum castings, but that led to worker fatigue and inconsitent quality....

Fixing mistakes in secondary operations with laser scanning.(Product Innovations)
February 1, 2007... Fixing Mistakes in Secondary Operations with Laser Scanning--Finishing and treating miscalculations can result in an undeliverable part. This was the case for an aluminum aerospace casting that was left too long in a heat treating operation....

Keep it simple.(EDITORIAL)
February 1, 2007... Visiting several metalcasting facilities each month provides me the unique perspective of seeing both the best and the worst our industry has to offer. While I wish I saw only the best melting and molding techniques, the highest regard for...

Neenah Foundry expects to finish $54 million line by spring 2008.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Neenah Foundry Co., Neenah, Wis., is in the process of installing a $54 million molding line, which company executives now say will be completed in the spring of 2008. "It's in response to the needs of the market," said Bill Barrett,...

Esco sells two sub-groups in less than a week.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Five days after selling its integrated manufacturing group, Esco Corp., Portland, Ore., sold its engineered metals group to Samuel, Son and Co. Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The metals group is a stainless steel distributor that does...

Increased aluminum in automobiles saving weight and fuel consumption.(North America)
February 1, 2007... The amount of aluminum used in new European cars has risen from 110 lbs. (50 kg) in 1990 to 291 lbs. (132 kg) in 2005, and the achieved weight savings will lead to an annual fuel savings of 1 billion liters, according to a recently released...

Precision Castparts Corp. expands investment casting capabilities with purchase of GSC Foundries.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Precision Castparts Corp., Portland, Ore., has agreed to acquire GSC Foundries Inc., Ogden, Utah, and related real property. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. GSC, a privately held company with operations in Ogden and Saltillo,...

Citation Corp. sells forging division, now operates only casting and machining facilities.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Citation Corp., Birmingham, Ala., now maintains only casting and machining operations, having announced the sale of its Navasota, Texas, custom forging division. The sale transfers ownership to Balmoral Advisors, a Los Angeles-based...

Private investment company acquires great lakes castings.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Republic Financial Corporation, Aurora, Colo., announced the acquisition of Great Lakes Castings LLC, Ludington, Mich., a gray iron metalcaster. Republic acquired Great Lakes' operating business through a subsidiary and promises stability...

Metaldyne Corporation, Plymouth, Mich., a supplier of powertrain and chassis systems and components, said its previously announced acquisition by Asahi Tec Corp.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Metaldyne Corporation, Plymouth, Mich., a supplier of powertrain and chassis systems and components, said its previously announced acquisition by Asahi Tec Corp., Shizuoka, Japan, has been completed. The transaction was delayed in recent months...

Blackmer Pump Division, Grand Rapids, Mich., upgraded its shakeout system with the installation of an MD-50 Mark 5 Rotary Media Dram from Didion International Inc.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Blackmer Pump Division, Grand Rapids, Mich., upgraded its shakeout system with the installation of an MD-50 Mark 5 Rotary Media Dram from Didion International Inc., St. Peters, Mo.

Grede Foundries, Vassar, Mich., installed a Rotary Sand Casting Separator from Didion International Inc.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Grede Foundries, Vassar, Mich., installed a Rotary Sand Casting Separator from Didion International Inc., St. Peters, Mo., for its shell sand foundry.

Staver Foundry Inc.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Staver Foundry Inc., Virginia, Minn., which had been making ductile iron castings for more than 80 years, has discontinued operations and is being liquidated by auction.

Grede Foundries Inc.'s Liberty Foundry, Wauwatosa, Wis., awarded a contract to Furness-Newburge Inc.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Grede Foundries Inc.'s Liberty Foundry, Wauwatosa, Wis., awarded a contract to Furness-Newburge Inc., Versailles, Ky. to install a bond recycling system during the first quarter of 2007.

Hayes Lemmerz International Inc., Northville, Mich., announced that its aluminum wheel manufacturing operation in Alrode, South Africa, received one of 20 2006 Supplier of the Year Awards.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Hayes Lemmerz International Inc., Northville, Mich., announced that its aluminum wheel manufacturing operation in Alrode, South Africa, received one of 20 2006 Supplier of the Year Awards from Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.

Cymat Technologies Ltd, Toronto, Canada, announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Georg Fischer Automotive.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Cymat Technologies Ltd, Toronto, Canada, announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Georg Fischer Automotive, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, an automotive supplier with annual revenues in excess of $1.5 billion, to develop and...

Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP, Houston, a supplier of industrial gases and melting technologies, has implemented its surface protection Air Liquide (SPAL) clean metal inert gag technology at two investment casting companies.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP, Houston, a supplier of industrial gases and melting technologies, has implemented its surface protection Air Liquide (SPAL) clean metal inert gag technology at two investment casting companies--MCM Precision...

Maus S.p.A., Campodarsego, Italy, a provider of metalcasting machinery, announced the opening of a North American branch.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Maus S.p.A., Campodarsego, Italy, a provider of metalcasting machinery, announced the opening of a North American branch, Malls USA, Calhoun, Georgia, sharing offices with Carraro North America.

OmniSource Corp., Fort Wayne, Ind., recently acquired Mervis Industries' facilities in Kokomo and Tipton, Ind., as well as their minority interest in two joint ventures.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... OmniSource Corp., Fort Wayne, Ind., recently acquired Mervis Industries' facilities in Kokomo and Tipton, Ind., as well as their minority interest in two joint ventures--Capitol City Metals, Indianapolis, and Recovery Technologies, Fort Wayne.

AP Suzhou.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... AP Suzhou, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, a heat treating facility, was commisioned by the Applied Process family of companies, headquartered in Livonia, Mich.

Paulo Products Co.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... Paulo Products Co. announced the addition of two surface treatments at its St. Louis facility--gas nitriding and corrosion resistant ferritic nitrocarburization.

PSC Metals Inc., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, announced the acquisition of the ferrous and nonferrous assets at the Akron and Barberton, Ohio.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... PSC Metals Inc., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, announced the acquisition of the ferrous and nonferrous assets at the Akron and Barberton, Ohio, facilities of Ravenna Salvage Inc., which had conducted business as Akron Recycling.

Quality certifications.(Newscast)
February 1, 2007... The following metalcasting organizations have passed recent surveillance audits: Alfe Heat Treating, Saginaw, Mich., (ISO/TS16949); Intermet Archer Creek, Lynchburg, Va., (ISO/TS16949); Intermet Columbus, Columbus, Ga.,...

Zuch wins Modern Casting Scholarship.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Jeff Zuch won the 2005 MODERN CASTING Scholarship, awarded to him by publisher Rolf Petersen at December's FEF Conference. Also pictured is Von Richards, Key Professor at the Univ. of Missouri-Rolla. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Dotson streamlines finishing room.(North America)
February 1, 2007... The Dotson Company Inc., Mankato, Minn., upgraded and automated its casting finishing department over its Christmas shutdown with the installation of seven vibratory machines from Conveyor Dynamics Corp., St. Peters, Mo. The first was a...

Intermet announces safety milestone.(North America)
February 1, 2007... Intermet Corp.'s New- River Foundry, Radford, Va., and its 340 employees recently passed two million hours worked without a single lost time injury, translating into more than 800 days of continuous safe operation. Steve Lake, president of...

Great Lakes Castings.(Personals)
February 1, 2007... Great Lakes Castings, Ludington, Mich., made Craig Mosier sales engineer for gray iron castings.

Wescast Industries Inc.(Personals)
February 1, 2007... Alan Blignaut has been appointed vice president of human resources by Wescast Industries Inc., Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

Leggett and Platt Inc.(Personals)
February 1, 2007... Steffan B. Sarkin was promoted to vice president of business development in the aluminum products division of Leggett and Platt Inc., Carthage, Mo.

Metal Technologies Inc.(Personals)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Metal Technologies Inc., Auburn, Ind., announced a reorganization of its senior management--Matthew Fetter has been named executive vice president in charge of sales, marketing and product engineering and Ronn Page has been made senior vice...

Ashland Composite Polymers.(Personals)
February 1, 2007... Stephanie Carter has been assigned industry manager for the North America infrastructure market within Ashland Composite Polymers, Dublin, Ohio.

Foseco Metallurgical Inc.(Personals)
February 1, 2007... Bob Sisetski was promoted to marketing manager of feeding systems and steel filtration by Foseco Metallurgical Inc., Cleveland.

Obituaries.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Obituary)
February 1, 2007... John Wenner, Lodi, Ohio, died Aug. 1, 2006. He was 74. A member of the American Foundry Society since 1969, Wenner purchased the Lodi Foundry Co., Lodi, Ohio, in April 1986 and remained the acting owner of the facility until the time of his...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
February 1, 2007... February February 28-March 2--AFS Southeast Regional Conference, Crown Reef Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C. March March 1-3--AFS Northwest Regional Conference, Coast Plaza Hotel and Suites, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ...

Spill prevention rule for small oil storage containers amended.(WASHINGTON ALERT)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued amendments to the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rules for facilities with small storage capacity. Signed by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson on Dec. 12, 2006,...

EPA proposes changes to once-in, always-in policy for MACT standards.(WASHINGTON ALERT)
February 1, 2007... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed changing when and how major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) can change their status to a minor, or area, source. The proposed amendment to the General Provisions of the...

U.S. EPA staff tour plants to learn about metalcasting sand.(WASHINGTON ALERT)
February 1, 2007... Staff members from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a first-hand look at the metalcasting process when they toured AB&I Foundry, Oakland, Calif., and Pacific Steel Casting Co., Berkely, Calif., on Dec. 1, 2006. These...

The choice is cores: when it's time to pick a coremaking method, the weight, dimensions and production rate of the casting will help steer you in the right direction.
February 1, 2007... Metalcasters often preach to their customers that they must look at the total cost of a part, from casting through machining and assembly, in order to see the full economic benefit of a casting. The same sermon could be delivered to...

Saving on sand disposal: some metalcasters have been achieving disposal savings for their used metalcasting sand for more than a decade, but the game has grown and evolved.
February 1, 2007... Metalcasting sand isn't going to be used to build castles, yet. However, if you're looking to find some savings around your castle, providing your used sand to another industry for recycling might be the answer. "It's a cost avoidance...

10 ways to zap your energy bill: implement these ten low- to zero-cost ideas, and the rising price of energy won't leave you in the dark.
February 1, 2007... You don't want to spend a bunch of money to save money and you don't have to. With zero-capital cultural change tips, you can pull the plug on your high energy bill and change the way things run around your facility. To learn to be more...

Advancing aviation's material: aluminum metalcasters serving the aerospace industry have been hindered by a limited list of approved casting alloys. A new research project aims to bulk up that list.
February 1, 2007... AFS Technical Department, Schaumburg, Illinois More than three million components (excluding rivets and fasteners) are typically assembled into a single airplane. Each casting consolidation of these components offers the potential for...

Developing coatings for Mg: a permanent mold coating traditionally used with aluminum has been optimized for use with magnesium.
February 1, 2007... After remaining in the shadows for a long time, magnesium castings now occupy a small part of the automobile manufacturing market. Most of these castings are diecast and normally used for non-critical applications (e.g. valve colors and...

Casting answers & advice.
February 1, 2007... AFS Technical Department, Schaumburg, Illinois Q We hand ladle out of the dip-out well of our wet bath reverberatory aluminum melting furnace (7,500-lb. capacity) into tilt-pour permanent molds. We add grain refiner in the charge door with...

Magnesium casting set for change.(CASTING FACTS)
February 1, 2007... AFS Technical Department, Schaumburg, Illinois Cast magnesium components provide design engineers unique advantages over other available lightweight materials, and U.S. magnesium casting shipments indicate that the material is widely...

Considering machining.(CEO JOURNAL)
February 1, 2007... A client of mine, who thinks he's really clever, recently gave me some seemingly counterintuitive advice. "Do the math," he said, "and you'll see that machining is a lousy business." Is he right? Is machining a lousy business? Here's his...

The Cast Metals Institute celebrates 50 years of educating the metalcasting industry.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
February 1, 2007... Since the formation of the American Foundry Society (AFS) in 1896, education has been a priority. What began as an apprenticeship program in 1924 developed into the Training & Research Institute (T&RI) in 1956 (later becoming the Cast Metals...

Consortium works to develop no-lead copper alloys in wake of new law.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
February 1, 2007... Public health issues are always popular topics in political arenas, and few materials have been as greatly restricted as lead. From paint to electronics, and now to castings, requirements and limitations continue to be enacted, reducing the...

AFS chapter sparks interest in metalcasting in local students.(AFS CHAPTER NEWS)
February 1, 2007... On Jan. 8, members of the American Foundry Society (AFS) Northeastern Ohio chapter Kim Bevington, Elyria Foundry Co., Elyria, Ohio, and Tim Kreuzer (retired) visited the Lorain County Joint Vocational School (JVS), Oberlin, Ohio, to discuss the...

Chapter meetings.(AFS CHAPTER NEWS)(Calendar)
February 1, 2007... BIRMINGHAM March 2--TBD, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Southeast Regional. March 12--Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala.; General Meeting. April 13--TBD, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Student Night & Golf. May 7--Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ma.; Awards Night. ...

Chapter newscast.(AFS CHAPTER NEWS)
February 1, 2007... BIRMINGHAM--In January, Blake Mitchell and Stephen Williams, both students at the Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala., were awarded $1,000 scholarships. Also in January, the chapter recognized Dr. Charles Bates, recently retired from the...

Deburring tool helps casting firm finish in a flash.(PRODUCT INNOVATIONS)
February 1, 2007... Harmony Castings/TPi Arcade Inc., Arcade, N.Y., specializes in aluminum v-process manufacturing using a wide variety of computer-controlled equipment to produce castings with finer finishes and tighter, more consistent tolerances. However, the...

Fixing mistakes in secondary operations with laser scanning.(PRODUCT INNOVATIONS)
February 1, 2007... The metalcasting process isn't the only place where miscalculation can result in an undeliverable part. Subsequent finishing and treating operations sometimes can do damage, as well. This damage late in the line can be expensive for the...

Shot blasting equipment.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
February 1, 2007... The newly designed Wheelabrator Smartline Y Track Spinner Hanger Machine cleans and prepares odd-shaped castings that do not lend themselves to table or tumble blasting machines. The self-contained machine uses an in/out hook spinner drive,...

Polymer quench recycling.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
February 1, 2007... The SmartSkim line of skimming and separation equipment from Universal Separators recycles polymer quench fluids used in induction heat treating. The system continuously removes floating oil and solids that can degrade the quality of the quench...

Angstrom's spectrometers.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
February 1, 2007... Angstrom introduces its latest line of charge-coupled, device-based spectrometers from Arun Technology, the PolySpek series. These systems can be configured for a variety of applications, and an optical system provides complete analytical...

Schiller's Ode to metalcasting.(SHAKEOUT: In case you didn't know ...)(Poem)
February 1, 2007... The German poet who penned "Ode to Joy," famously put to music by Ludwig van Beethoven, also wrote an ode of sorts to metalcasting in 1798. "Song of the Bell" is a 29-stanza poem using the bell-making process to describe author Friedrich von...