2019 Metalcasting Outlook

Metalcasting is not an ordinary industrial market: it is sensitive to all types of economic variables (raw materials, energy, labor) as well as financial conditions (interest rates, tariffs.) Shifts in industrial demand or consumer demand can punish metalcasters that are unprepared to respond to changes. The business forces producers to manage high operating costs, and it demands adherence to the behavior of long and complex supply chains.

Most economic indices suggest U.S. industrial economics are sound as 2018 closes, with good prospects for sustained growth in output and demand. But, not every industrial or consumer sector has the same outlook. The problems they face are profound: “The casting industry is being pushed and tested more than ever,” one correspondent told us. "Struggling to meet regulations, keep having retention issues and falling behind on our committed ship date to our customers,” another wrote.

Evaluating metalcasting industry conditions and forecasting economic developments for foundries and diecasters demands a more concentrated look at their activities, who they do business with and what opportunities and challenges they face. That is the objective, and the purpose, of Foundry Management & Technology’s 2019 Metalcasting Business Outlook.
The full 2019 FM&T Metalcasting Outlook report is available for download here.