Industry News

In the spring of 2021, Frazier & Frazier Industries purchased an FBOV 24x30 flaskless molding machine. The foundry, which was established in 1972, is an ISO 9001:2015 registered gray and ductile iron facility located in Central Texas. While understanding that quality, on-time delivery and cost competitiveness drive the industrial marketplace, Frazier & Frazier also works to augment that with a high level of customer service and responsiveness to short fused demand.

UK-based Texmo Precision Castings has announced it will acquire a majority share of German company Feinguss Blank.

Following the acquisition, the company will trade as Texmo Blank: the only investment castings specialist capable of manufacturing in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Texmo Blank combines the history and manufacturing excellence of Feinguss Blank, with Texmo Precision Castings’ like-minded focus on quality precision casting, as well as its customer base and infrastructure. 

The C.A. Lawton Co., a leader in the iron foundry industry, has announced its 10-year anniversary with the Green Tier program in Wisconsin. The program empowers organizations on the path to sustainability by helping them use a systematic approach to minimize environmental risk.

Lawton became the first Green Tier participant to receive coverage under the exclusive Green Tier Registration Permit, providing the company with added agility to modify operations in response to changes in customer demand.

Kentucky Industrial Holdings, Inc. has purchased the Rane Precision Die Casting facility in Russellville, Kentucky, saving 200 jobs. The new owners are rebranding the company as Russellville Engineered Castings Inc.

The former Rockwell plant specializes in aluminum castings for automotive and other industries. Founded in 1956 as a captive die caster for Rockwell Corp., the company was formerly known as Precision Die Casting and was sold in 1989. That began a string of ownership and name changes with Rane Group of India purchasing the company in 2016.   
 

Cinnaire, a nonprofit community development financial organization, has secured an $11 million New Markets Tax Credit Investment for AFS Corporate Member Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry (WAF), based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. With it, the foundry will be able to expand with more manufacturing and office square footage. With the expansion comes 80 new jobs. 

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) kicked off its celebration of Manufacturing Day with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Missouri Protoplex on October 5. When it opens in fall 2025, the Protoplex will anchor S&T’s planned manufacturing and innovation campus. 

AFS Corporate Member Bingham & Taylor celebrated a two-year expansion and upgrades at its Culpeper, Virginia, foundry with a ribbon-cutting event on October 6. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin along with local and regional elected officials were in attendance to show their support for the company’s newly unveiled electric melt system. 

 BCI Solutions, an AFS Corporate Member in Bremen, Indiana, has made a major investment in its production capabilities with the procurement of a new DISA Molding Machine and a Mold Handling System from Summit Foundry Systems. The company said this strategic move reinforces its commitment to delivering high-quality products and enhancing its manufacturing efficiency.

AFS Corporate Member Pier Foundry & Pattern Shop (St. Paul, Minnesota) added a new Hunter HLM Series automated molding machine and a new 14-cu-ft tumble blast BCT (Blast Cleaning Technologies) system in October. Together, the new installations represent a $2 million investment for the gray- and ductile-iron, green sand foundry located on the banks of the Mississippi River. 

Department of Defense and Talon Nickel are partnering to accelerate and expand the company’s efforts to discover and secure additional domestic supply of nickel for the growing U.S. battery manufacturing base and defense-related supply chains. 

As part of the agreement, the Department of Defense will contribute $20.6 million, and Talon will contribute $21,7 million in matching funding on a cost-share basis for 39 months.