Industry News

AFS Corporate member AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company’s “Right Way” Next Generation Melt Project is one of 33 projects selected for award negotiation by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). In total, the selected projects are eligible to receive up to $6 billion to accelerate decarbonization projects and provide American manufacturers with a competitive advantage in the emerging clean energy economy.

AFS Corporate Member The Lawton Standard Co. recently combined with Renaissance Manufacturing Group (RMG) and its 160 team members as part of Lawton Standard’s expansion strategy.  

RMG has three locations: a ductile iron foundry in Anniston, Alabama; a machine shop in Grafton, Wisconsin; and a sales office in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. 

AFS Corporate Member Expert Cores of Wisconsin in Milwaukee has completed a multiyear upgrade to its operating system. This includes sand recipe management, sand mixer upgrades to both of their mixers and a new monitoring system for their sand silo. 

At the end of 2023, the company completed replacement of its barcode system used for recipe identification on the mixer with an advanced data management system. Engineering services, PLC, software development, and hardware solutions were provided by MT Systems, Inc.

GE Aerospace announced plans to invest $650 million in its manufacturing facilities and supply chain this year to increase production and strengthen quality to better support its commercial and defense customers.

The Firth Youth Center in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, held a community ribbon-cutting ceremony at the end of February, officially opening the doors to its renovated “McWane Ductile Wrestling Room,” according to an article at www.tapinto.com.

“We saw an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of these young athletes,” said Kelly Bray, inside sales manager for McWane Ductile and newly appointed board member of the Youth Center. “It’s about more than just a wrestling room; it’s about investing in the potential of every student.”

The American Foundry Society has received a $4 million federal appropriation to conduct essential aluminum-casting performance research. The funding is part of the package approved by Congress in March and signed into law by the president.

The Aluminum Casting Performance Initiative will launch with three key research projects: (1) New aluminum alloy developments/approvals for Department of Defense applications, (2) Development of enhanced artificial intelligence tools, and (3) Development of simulation capability tool for quality enhancement.

Ferroglobe PLC, a global producer of silicon metal and ferroalloys, and Coreshell, a U.S.-based battery technology company, have signed a memorandum of understanding for the purpose of producing the first battery-ready metallurgical silicon for the development of low-cost, high-range EV batteries in compliance with the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. 

Capstreet, a Houston-based lower middle market private equity firm, has acquired Analytic Stress Relieving Inc. (ASR), a provider of on-site heat-treating services. 

Skuld LLC has purchased the site belonging to the former Champion Foundry in Piqua, Ohio. Champion Foundry a gray and iron foundry closed in March 2017.

Bodycote, a UK-based heat treatment and thermal processes company, has acquired Lake City Heat Treating in Warsaw, Indiana, a medical market provider of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and vacuum heat treatment services, primarily supplying the orthopedic implant market as well as civil aerospace.

Lake City Heat Treating is forecast to have achieved 2023 full year revenues of about $14 million. The business revenue grew 30% in 2023 and looking ahead is expected to continue to deliver good progress.