. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inDustry neWs
Citation Wins Brake Contract, Confirms Grede Merger
Thresher Doubles Order for Planter Wheels
Thresher Industries Inc., Hanford,
Calif., announced Plant Sciences Nurs- eries, Watsonville, Calif., has doubled its order for diecast planter wheels, previously announced on Nov. 20. According to a Thresher press re-
lease, a manufacturer of diecast alumi- num and metal matrix composite parts, all of the new orders are for immedi- ate delivery. Plant Sciences began its relationship with the diecaster in June 2009, when it was among the first cus- tomers to utilize Thresher’s closed-loop 100% recycled manufacturing process. “We are excited to expand our
Citation Corp., which is merging with Grede Foundries Inc., recently won a contract for brake calipers with Continental Teves, which performs braking simulations in its brake development center, as shown here.
Citation Corp., Novi, Mich., which
recently confirmed it will merge with Grede Foundries Inc., Milwaukee, in the first quarter of 2010, also an- nounced it has won a $50 million con- tract with Continental Teves, Auburn Hills, Mich., and acquired the assets of another failing metalcasting company. According to Citation President and
Chief Executive Officer Doug Grimm, who has been tapped to lead the
merged companies, the new business will operate under the Grede name. “We are taking the best of the best
in people, assets and technology [from both companies],” he said. The announcement of the business consolidation came a day after the sale of Grede to Wayzata Investment Partners LLC, Wayzata, Minn., was ap- proved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. (continued on page 10)
reported that nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses among the met- alcasting industry for 2008 occurred at a rate of 10.6 cases, a decline from 11.8 in 2007. For all manufacturing,
Table 1. Recordable Injury and Illness Cases Per 100 Full-Time Workers
Facility Type All Manufacturing
Metalcasting Facilities Iron Metalcasters Steel Metalcasters
Steel Investment Casters Aluminum Metalcasters Copper Metalcasters
8
2007 5.6
11.8 13.6 13.8 8.6 9
10.9 Metal Casting Design & PurChasing
2008 5
10.6 12
13.7 8.9
10.2 9.3
the total recordable injury and illness incidence rate dropped to 5 cases from 5.6 in 2008. Although the industry’s safety re-
cord has improved in recent years, iron, steel, aluminum, and copper
Facility Type All Manufacturing
Metalcasting Facilities Iron Metalcasters Steel Metalcasters
Steel Investment Casters Aluminum Metalcasters Copper Metalcasters
relationship with Plant Sciences with the increased value of this order,” said Tom Flessner, Thresher president. “While our core customer base lies in the automotive and defense sectors, we are showing strong acceptance for our services in the non-defense sectors, including the agricultural and lighting industries. As we approach 2010, we anticipate continued growth in orders from various industries seeking the benefits of green manufacturing.” Plant Sciences is a private agricul-
tural research company that operates from multiple departments in four main locations: a primary research center in Watsonville, nursery plant propagation facilities in Macdoel and Manteca, Calif., and a satellite research and development office in San Marcos, Calif.
METAL
2008 Metalcasting Workplace Safety Rates Decline, Still Above National Average The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
metalcasting facilities continue to lag behind other industry sectors and remain one of the top-20 high haz- ard industries. See the chart below to check your industry sector injury and illness rates.
METAL
Table 2. Cases with Days Away, Restricted or Transferred Employees Per 100 Full-Time Workers
2007 3
6.2 6.7 7.9 5
5.5 6.0
2008 2.7 5.8 5.9 8.3 4.9 6.5 5.5
January/February 2010
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