W
orldwide casting ship- ments in 2009 fell to 80,343,048 tons, down 14% from 2008, ac- cording to this year’s
MODERN CASTING Census of World Casting Production. Of the 34 countries participating in
the production survey this year, only fi ve reported growth—China, India, Korea, Portugal and South Africa. The average percentage decrease in ship- ments for the remaining countries with declining production was 30%. As a result, production per plant
decreased, as well. Germany still has the most production per plant, but it fell from 9,639 tons per metalcasting company in 2008 to 6,481 tons in 2009. China’s production improved from 1,117 tons to 1,357 tons per plant as shipment volume increased and the number of casting facilities decreased. Seven of the top-10 casting-produc-
ing nations shifted up or down in the rankings in 2009, refl ecting the fl uc- tuating markets during the recession. Brazil, which had been one of two top-10 countries to show growth in 2008, experienced a 31.5% decrease in shipments from 2008 to 2009, the big- gest drop of any top-10 nation during that time period. India was the fastest growing top-10 nation, increasing its casting tonnage by 9%. The top 10 nations produced a total of 70,476,338 tons, 88% of the global total. The year 2009 marked the fourth
year in a row the U.S. has reported a reduction of casting volume. It was the fi rst year it has been surpassed in production (by 35,000 tons) by India, which became the second-largest cast- ing producer by volume. The data reported in the 44th
Census
of World Casting Production is supplied by each nation’s metalcasting association or similar representative. Countries that did not participate this year were Den- mark, The Netherlands and Thailand. These countries remain listed according to the last year they participated. New to the list are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia and Serbia.
MC World Casting Production by Metal
Want to compare 2009’s production to previous years? Visit
www.moderncasting.com for past census results.
24
While gray iron continues to make up the largest piece of the global production pie, its slice is growing smaller. Since 1999, gray iron production has increased 9.3%. Compare that with a 39.6% increase in ductile iron production, 50% growth in steel production, and a 41.1% increase in nonferrous production.
MODERN CASTING / December 2010 Production Per Plant
The average production per metalcasting plant for the top-10 nations decreased across the board, likely due to plants operating at lower capacity during the 2009 recession. China and Korea, which showed increases in casting shipments from 2008 to 2009, improved their productivity.
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