Issues and Ideas

Recent

Investment Casting Institute
ICI Casting Contest 2024 medley
GF Casting Solutions
A GF Casting Solutions high-pressure diecasting operation.

Highlights

Emilyprofamily | Dreamstime
Regardless of the potential impact of sustainability performance, over 92% of global GDP is covered by some form of net-zero target – but manufacturing’s high operating leverage and trade-sensitive nature make it difficult to decarbonize as quickly as other sectors.
Issues and Ideas

Decarbonization Is Here to Stay

Nov. 19, 2024
Four questions manufacturers should ask themselves about their own energy transition as they develop effective manufacturing decarbonization strategies.
Resand Ltd.
The modular Resand electric sand reclaimer can be installed in four to five months, to clean 1,000 kg of sand per hour.
Molds/Cores

Low-Emission Sand Reclamation Drawing Interest

Oct. 3, 2024
A sand-as-a-service arrangement and new financing are building the case for Resand’s electric treatment process for regenerating molding sand.
ASK Chemicals
001024askfigure5
Melt/Pour

3DP Filters Improve Process, Quality Control

Oct. 1, 2024
There are limits to the filtering potential of sintered ceramic foam, but additive manufacturing produces filters with custom geometries that prevent metal impurities, reliably...
Intl. Federation of Robotics
The U.S. automotive sector accounted for one-third of new robot installations in 2023, although the actual number of new units installed fell -15% from the previous year.
Issues and Ideas

New Robot Installations Dropped in Latest Summary

Oct. 1, 2024
A new annual report reveals that U.S. manufacturers’ industrial robot installations fell -5% in 2023, though the total number of robots in use reached a new peak.
Norican
Monitizer | Discover’s alarm functions enhance production control and support inexperienced users. If an issue needs attention, the system contacts different groups of people in different waves, sequentially, depending on how the problem develops, and whether the first alerted group reacts. “If a machine runs outside its ‘green’ operating zone, the supervisor gets alerted,” according to Grede St. Cloud foundry general manager Bart Hoemann.
Simulation/IT

Digitalization Cuts Scrap, Saves Costs

Sept. 19, 2024
Grede’s effort to scale productivity and performance across the organization has amounted to a large-scale adoption of IIoT capabilities – and the rewards are becoming clear.
Jill Lehmann | Dreamstime
Sands through and hourglass.
Jonathan Weiss
Warped view of a $100 bill, representing high interest rates.
Magellan Aerospace
Casting pattern preparation at Magellan Aerospace, Renfrew, Ontario.
Issues and Ideas

Magellan Renewed to Supply Pratt & Whitney

Aug. 15, 2024
The aerospace component manufacturer will continue providing complex castings for several aircraft engine programs under long-term arrangements.
Cristi Croitoru
Issues and Ideas

Equity Group Buys Foundry and Forging Business

Aug. 6, 2024
McConway & Torley and Standard Forged Products supply a range steel castings and forgings as component parts for railcar production and maintenance.
Thicha Satapitanon
Issues and Ideas

The Myth of ROI

Aug. 5, 2024
Finance types struggle to understand the soft science of brand equity. Marketers know return on investment is a long-term play.
Smith Foundry
Issues and Ideas

Smith Foundry Chooses to Shut Down

July 30, 2024
Citing a state agency’s “unreasonable demands with respect to its air permit,” the Minnesota ferrous foundry will cease operations by August 15.