Articles: Industry News

AFS Corporate Member OTTO JUNKER GmbH, a pioneer in building equipment for foundries, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary.  

AFS Corporate Member The Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center has set a new benchmark in its foundry operations: On June 6, the team successfully poured the largest part produced in at least two decades, if not ever—underscoring the facility’s advanced capabilities.

“This is a proud moment for all of us at RIA-JMTC,” said Jamie Morris, division chief of hot metals. “Producing such a massive part required precise coordination, advanced technology, and a relentless commitment to quality. This achievement is a testament to our team’s skill and dedication.”

Victaulic’s Lawrenceville foundry, an AFS Corporate Member, is constructing a 150,000-sq.-ft. addition to accommodate new molding lines, melt furnaces, core machines, and automated finishing and paint equipment to help produce larger scale products. The expansion will also include a 60,000-sq.-ft. machine shop with state-of-the-art CNC equipment.

Victaulic’s $100 million expansion project will create at least 214 new, full-time jobs and retain an additional 1,611 jobs across the state.

AFS Corporate Member Hoosier Pattern hosted its Second Annual Hoosier Iron Pour on June 7 in Decatur, Indiana. The Friday night community event––attended by about 250––was held in conjunction with the Decatur Sculpture Tour that took place the next day.
“Our grounds at Hoosier Pattern became the epicenter of a massive artistic party for community members, including students, and artists,” said Keith Gerber, the company’s president. “For over four hours, we poured an astounding 2,000 pounds of iron!

Nano Dimension Ltd. and Desktop Metal Inc., owned by AFS Corporate Member ExOne, have jointly announced Nano Dimension will acquire all outstanding shares of Desktop Metal in an all-cash transaction––Desktop Metal estimates that transaction expenses will be approximately $11 million.

The Carondelet Division of AFS Corporate Member MetalTek International has achieved certification to produce HY-80 steel. 

HY-80 steel is renowned for exceptional strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance. These properties make HY-80 ideally suited for the naval defense market, including submarines and surface ships.

AFS Corporate Member Doncaster Precision Castings took delivery of its second L&L Furnace, model FB435. It will enhance in-house annealing, tempering, and heat treatment capabilities for the foundry, which serves aerospace, industrial gas turbine, and automotive markets. 

 The company says the addition will raise production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The FB 435 has a 2,000-lb. weight load capacity, suitable for handling heavy-duty industrial processes in the aerospace and automotive sectors. 

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) named AFS Corporate Member Humtown as the winner of the 2024 Manufacturing Leadership Award in the category for Transformational Business Cultures for its proprietary “Industrial Athlete Operating System.”
The June 5 award ceremony in Marco Island, Florida, celebrated Humtown alongside other industry leaders such as Intel, IBM, Cisco Systems, Whirlpool, and General Motors across 11 categories.

EPC Firm GK SYSTEMS, a brand of AFS Corporate Member General Kinematics, unveiled its new website, gksystems.com. 

GK Systems specializes in developing turnkey systems for foundries, recycling facilities, and aggregate processing plants. The GK Systems brand was officially launched in 2020 as General Kinematics systems division was growing rapidly.

AFS Corporate Member Grede, a partner in the mobility industry, donated $10,000 and over 350 volunteer hours last fall to Go Baby Go, an international collective of people on a mission to provide mobility to children in need.

Believing that mobility is a human right and that with kids, play is paramount, Grede held an all-day event at its Southfield, Michigan, headquarters where employees partnered with Go Baby Go to build and modify 10 power ride-on cars for toddlers with mobility impairments in the metro Detroit area.