Modern Casting articles from January 2009

Modern Casting archives from January 2009

Where It's At.(moderncasting.com)
January 1, 2009... Wherever you find the cast metal Where It's At sign 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 finishing aluminum...

Question of the month.(moderncasting.com)
January 1, 2009... The November web poll asked: How many business improvement books do you read per year? More Than Two 55.4% One or Two 25.7% None 18.9% This month's question is available at www.moderncasting.com.

Worth repeating.(HOTLINE)
January 1, 2009... "Sure, we've been looking for increased productivity, but we've also been trying to attract and keep good help."--Dick Meade, EBAA Iron Co.

A shift in thinking.(EDITORIAL)
January 1, 2009... I just returned from touring two metalcasting facilities--one aluminum, magnesium and zinc diecaster and one copper-base sand shop. Despite the troubles of the economy as a whole, these facilities are exceeding expectations. Their revenues and...

Neenah to close subsidiary Dalton Corp.'s Kendallville gray iron casting facility.(North America)
January 1, 2009... Neenah Enterprises Inc., Neenah, Wis., announced that its Dalton Corp. subsidiary will close its metalcasting facility in Kendallville, Ind., in early March. Dalton, which maintains metalcasting facilities in Warsaw, Ind., and Stryker,...

Citation Corp. expands relationship with Akebono.(North America)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Citation Corp., Novi, Mich., has been awarded $200 million in new contracts to supply Akebono Brake Corp., Elizabethtown, Ky., with automotive ductile iron castings over a five-year period. The jobs include...

Thresher Industries adds new diecasting machines.(North America)
January 1, 2009... Thresher Industries Inc., Hanford, Calif., has agreed to purchase two 350-ton high pressure diecasting machines and one 650-ton machine, an investment the company believes will increase annual revenues by $15 million. The company purchased...

West Irving Die Casting to close.(North America)
January 1, 2009... West Irving Die Casting Inc., Sandwich, Ill., recently told its employees it will close its doors before the end of 2008, according to local news reports. Employees at West Irving did not answer several telephone calls or respond...

Aaron Poe receives annual Modern Casting scholarship.(North America)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aaron Poe of Pittsburg State Univ., Pittsburg, Kan., was awarded the annual MODERN CASTING scholarship during the annual FEF conference, held Nov. 20-21 at the Drake Hotel, Chicago. Poe is a senior at Pittsburg...

Mexico-based Aerocast wins new purchase orders.(Around the World)
January 1, 2009... Nonferrous sand caster Aerocast Inc., Nogales, Mexico, announced it has received purchase orders from Hamilton Sundstrand, Windsor Locks, Conn., to supply tooling equipment totaling about $290,000. Aerocast, which earlier this month began...

New iron pipe certification requirements added to ASTM standards.(North America)
January 1, 2009... The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) last month passed revisions to the standards for the manufacture of cast iron soil pipe and fittings that will require third party certifiers to meet certain criteria when performing...

Alcoa casting process a finalist for PACE Award.(North America)
January 1, 2009... Alcoa Transportation Products, Cleveland, is a finalist in the 2009 Automotive News PACE Award com petition, based on the strength of its Alcoa Vacuum Die Casting (AVDC) process. The PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to...

Quality certifications.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The following metalcaster has passed a recent certification or surveillance audit: Buck Co. Inc., Quarryville, Pa., (ISO 9001:2000).

Annual CISA meeting: metalcasting suppliers can work with you.(North America)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Casting Industry Supplier's Association (CISA) 2008 Annual Meeting and Business Outlook focused on how metalcasters and their suppliers can work together to prevail in the current economic downturn. Held at...

Precision Castparts Corp., Portland, Ore., has agreed to acquire Hackney Ladish Inc., Dallas.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... Precision Castparts Corp., Portland, Ore., has agreed to acquire Hackney Ladish Inc., Dallas, a producer of forged pipe fittings for critical energy infrastructure and related applications.

U.S. Aluminum Castings.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... U.S. Aluminum Castings, Entiat, Wash., recently renewed its association with Peavy Performance Systems. Peavy has provided U.S. Aluminum Castings with its safety incentive program since 2006.

Anderson Global, Muskegon, Mich., a metalcasting tooling producer, and Quimmco Centro Tecnologico, Saltillo, Mexico, a subsidiary of Grupo Quimmco, are joining forces.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... Anderson Global, Muskegon, Mich., a metalcasting tooling producer, and Quimmco Centro Tecnologico, Saltillo, Mexico, a subsidiary of Grupo Quimmco, are joining forces to serve casting producers globally.

Aleris International Inc.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... Aleris International Inc., Beachwood, Ohio, announced it will be permanently closing its Tipton, Ind., specification alloys facility. As previously announced, production at the facility was idled on March 30.

Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., Covington, Ky., has acquired the SmartTrac impedance monitoring technology from Signature Control Systems.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., Covington, Ky., has acquired the SmartTrac impedance monitoring technology from Signature Control Systems, Denver, and became the exclusive provider of the technology to the...

Wesmat Supplies.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... Wesmat Supplies, Surrey, B.C., Canada, celebrated its 30th year of service to the metalcasting industry, as well as its one-year anniversary at its Leduc, Alberta, warehouse facility. From this 14,000-sq.-ft. warehouse, the company represents...

Rio Tinto plc.(Newscast)
January 1, 2009... In an effort to reduce its net debt, metals company Rio Tinto plc, London, said it will reduce its employment numbers by 5,500 and discontinue relationships with 8,500 contract workers.

Riverside Brass.(Personals)
January 1, 2009... Lynn Yantzi has resigned from his position as co-president of Riverside Brass, New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. He has retained a financial interest in the company and remains as a consultant.

Kowalski Heat Treating.(Personals)
January 1, 2009... Kowalski Heat Treating, Cleveland, Ohio, has promoted David Lorenz to vice president of operations-corporate metallurgist. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Foseco India Ltd.(Personals)
January 1, 2009... Foseco India Ltd., Pune, India, has named Chandra Rajan head of David Lorenz foundry national sales. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Wesmat Supplies.(Personals)
January 1, 2009... Wesmat Supplies, Leduc, Alberta, Canada, promoted Craig Diachuk to general manager.

Henry Rowan, founder of Inductotherm Group, Rancocas, N.J., was honored by the Union League of Philadelphia.(Personals)
January 1, 2009... Henry Rowan, founder of Inductotherm Group, Rancocas, N.J., was honored by the Union League of Philadelphia with its Founders Award for Business Leadership.

Faro Technologies Inc.(Personals)
January 1, 2009... Faro Technologies Inc., Lake Mary, Fla., named Gary Telling one of its business development directors.

Obituaries.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Obituary)
January 1, 2009... Sam Carter, 89, Birmingham, Ala., died May 5, 2007. Carter began his 42-year career at American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham, Ala., in 1941 when he joined the company as a research metallurgist. In 1973, he was named vice president and works...

Calendar of events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
January 1, 2009... January January 21-23--AFS International Iron Melting Conference, Holiday Inn Select, Orlando, Fla. February February 11-12--AFS Environmental 101 Conference, Sheraton Music City, Nashville. February 11-13--AFS Wisconsin...

Broad agenda for new Congress: the expected top priorities of the 111th Congress should affect the U.S. metalcasting industry.(WASHINGTON ALERT)
January 1, 2009... Many issues important to the metalcasting industry will be at the forefront of consideration of the newly sworn-in 111th Congress, such as proposals to reform health care coverage, initiatives to require paid leave, efforts to overhaul the...

Loans available in car manufacturing incentive program.(On the Hill)
January 1, 2009... The U.S. Department of Energy is in the process of accepting loan applications for its Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing incentive program, which will provide up to $25 billion in direct loans to eligible applicants for the costs of...

Commission urges China trade reform.(On the Hill)
January 1, 2009... The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission recently released its 2008 Annual Report to Congress, which contains 45 suggestions, including 10 high priority recommendations regarding trade with China. The report targets the...

EBAA banks on future success: after building a new metalcasting facility with cash on hand, EBAA Iron Co. is now weathering the economic downturn and biding its time until conditions improve.(Cover story)(Company overview)
January 1, 2009... Earl Bradley didn't like to borrow money. He took out one loan in 1964 to build his waterworks-related metal-casting business and never looked back. "A banker is like an uninvited board member who demands his dividend whether you make...

Slow growth forecast: a 2.1% increase in metal casting shipments is forecast in 2009, while a long-term gain of 1% per year is projected to 2018.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The current economic recession is expected to last through the middle of 2009. The rebound following the recession could increase casting demand over the next two years. Ongoing interviews reinforce earlier forecasts...

Ductile iron machinability takes on new dimension: metalcasters have worked to control bulk properties and microstructures to improve the machinability of ductile iron, but they are missing an important piece of the puzzle.
January 1, 2009... The trend throughout the automotive industry and other high volume users of machined ductile iron castings is to automate machining lines and push the ductile iron caster to further control overall machinability. The demand is not only to...

The anatomy of an industrial website: key marketing executives show how you can transform your internet presence from an unproductive expense into a successful investment.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Metalcasters will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on manufacturing equipment but hesitate when it comes to investing in technology equally important to expanding business--a website. "If you're a manufacturer...

The bell tolls for metalcasters: metalcasting always has been linked with the centuries-old art of bell making.
January 1, 2009... Tim Verdin is a sixth generation bell man. His family's business, the Verdin Company, Cincinnati, has been making bells since 1842. It's the oldest family owned manufacturing company in Cincinnati and the 52nd oldest in the country. But...

Will this book help your productivity?(NOVEL SOLUTIONS)(Editorial)
January 1, 2009... What do you get when you task a bestselling author of fiction and successful entrepreneur with completing a book about improving productivity? Not as much as you think. Jim Stovall has been heralded for his success as a business owner and...

New study discusses trade barriers, raw materials advantages.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
January 1, 2009... In November, the American Scrap Coalition (ASC) released a study concluding that governments around the world are enacting a variety of trade restrictive measures to gain an unfair advantage in the face for raw materials. AFS is a founding...

Industry white paper details EHS improvements.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The white paper U.S. Metalcasting Industry Provides Environmental and safety Improvements has been released and can be downloaded from the AFS website at www.afsinc.org. The white paper is intended to promote the industry's success through the...

North American casters to be on display at Newcast 2009, awards applications now available.(AFS/CMI NEWS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The 2009 Newcast trade show will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, on June 23-25. The trade show has been held concurrently with GIFA in the past but now will be offered every two years. The show allows metalcasters to demonstrate their...

CMI course schedule.(AFS/CMI NEWS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... CMI Course Schedule Jan. 5-Feb. 1 Analysis of Casting Defects Internet (35-09) Jan. 20-21 Basic Blueprint Schaumhurg, Ill. Interpretation (36-09)...

Metalcasting documentary reaches more than 4 million viewers.(AFS/CMI NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The documentary Spotlight On: Metalcasting reached more than four million viewers, according to its producer Trivue Entertainment, Watchung, N.J. Sponsored by AFS, the documentary was intended to educate the general public on the metalcasting...

Anti-veining solution developed for steel casting.(New Product)
January 1, 2009... IGC Technologies LLC, Milwaukee, had been producing anti-veining solutions for gray and ductile iron for years, but recently, steel casters indicated a similar need for something that could eliminate thermal expansion defects in high...

Video microscope/borescope.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gradient Lens Corp. has a new Luxxor Video Microscope that allows users to attach either a microscope lens or a borescope to its mount for internal and external inspection. Users also can capture video or still...

Ductile iron micro analysis.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
January 1, 2009... MeltLab Systems has released a new module in its thermal analysis system that measures and tracks nodularity, nodule count, chemical ferrite, carbides and shrinkage in ductile iron. The system includes G1 and G2 eutectic rimes and their ratio...

Machining lubrication.(METALCASTING SUPPLIES)
January 1, 2009... SpiderCool teamed up with Accu-Lube to create a device that allows CNC machining center applications to aim a coolant nozzle at the cutting edge of multiple tools of varying lengths without operator intervention. The nozzle system atomizes the...

From the archives: casting displayed for the masses.(SHAKEOUT: In case you didn't know ...)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A working metalcasting exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry graces the cover of the November 1941 issue of American Foundryman, precursor to MODERN CASTING. The article accompanying the cover photo...