Articles: Industry News

General Motors recognized Ryobi Die Casting (USA), Inc. as a 2022 Supplier of the Year, which recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding the automaker’s requirements and enabling it to providing customers with innovative technologies and high quality products. GM celebrated this fourth-time winner and all its honorees at its 31st annual Supplier of the Year event in San Antonio, Texas.

Pending certain approvals, A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. will begin construction this year on a state-of-the-art brass foundry on a 100-acre parcel in the Southwest Wisconsin town of Dickeyville, which will be the largest project in the company’s 167-year history.

“In a time when most companies go where the best incentive packages take them, we made the commitment early on to build our next foundry where our current foundry co-workers live, and that is right here in the tri-state area,” said Rob McDonald, CEO of A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. 

As premium car buyer priorities move from speed, style, and luxury to greater interest in the origin, sustainability, and emissions profile of car materials, a new mantra has emerged: “Green is the new black.” This fundamental shift in the automotive market has led to the creation of a new, innovative partnership between Rio Tinto and the BMW Group, which share a common goal of developing more responsible, sustainable, traceable, and secure supply chains.   

Magellan Aerospace Corporation has signed a long-term agreement (LTA) extension with Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies business, to manufacture complex magnesium and aluminum castings for various military and commercial aerospace platforms. The castings will be produced by Magellan’s facilities in Renfrew, Ontario, and Glendale, Arizona.

In addition to F-15, F-16, and F-18 castings for Collins legacy programs, the agreement also encompasses the supply of castings to support F-35 Lightning II, KC-46, A320neo, 787 and 777X programs.

Amsterdam-based Stellantis plans to invest a total of $155 million in three Kokomo, Indiana, plants to produce new electric drive modules (EDM) that will help power future electric vehicles assembled in North America and support the goal of 50% battery electric sales in the U.S. by 2030.

General Die Casters Inc. (Twinsburg, Ohio) is joining forces with Dart Casting Inc. (Alsip, Illinois) under common ownership. Both organizations will continue under their current names and operate 41 casting machines—ranging between 400 and 1,200 tons—and 28 CNC machining centers, creating one of the leading middle-market diecasting companies in the Midwest. The merger creates the ability to leverage each company’s capabilities and customer base to continue a trajectory of growth.

AFS Corporate Member Boose Aluminum Foundry (Reamstown, Pennsylvania) has received a land development plan waiver to rebuild its facilities after a devastating fire on April 19, 2022. Local township supervisors have approved the company’s proposed new 1,490-sq.-ft. structure to replace 11,740 sq. ft. of a destroyed building.

The remaining 10,250 sq. ft will be converted to gravel and an existing 250-sq.-ft. concrete pad will be removed and reverted to grass. The finished project reduces the amount of impervious surfaces—which impact stormwater runoff—by 
6,177 sq. ft.

AFS Corporate Member Fisher Barton (Waukesha, Wisconsin) held a groundbreaking ceremony March 21 for its new industrial building and site development for its Accurate Specialties’ Turning Center of Excellence.

General Motors Co. and Lithium Americas Corp. plan to jointly develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, the largest known source of lithium in the U.S. and the third largest in the world. Under their agreement, GM will make a $650 million equity investment in Lithium Americas—the largest-ever investment by an automaker to produce battery raw materials. 

Calderys, a provider of refractory products and services for the casting industry, has become an independent company following its acquisition by U.S.-based Platinum Equity. Paris-based Calderys will encompass the full scope of the High Temperature Solutions business area formerly under Imerys. 
Calderys comprises a global network of experts and 36 industrial sites in 16 countries.