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.

AFS was selected for this research because of the Society’s proven ability in executing complex casting research projects and the presence of many aluminum foundries of all sizes in the Society’s membership and programs. The Society pursued the funding after Defense Department representatives approached and encouraged AFS to execute this much-needed aluminum-casting research. AFS will partner with foundries, expert consultants, FEF universities, and other organizations in executing the programs. The Society is also pursuing FY 2025 congressional funding to continue and expand the Cast Aluminum Performance Initiative. 

The Department’s assessment of defense-critical supply chains was published in a February 2022 report that prioritized five areas of critical vulnerabilities posing the most pressing threat to national security. Castings and forgings were identified among the five key areas. The report noted, “The United States needs a robust and secure casting and forging industry and supply chain to provide reliable, timely delivery of the parts used in DoD’s operational systems and to sustain new systems.”