EDITORIAL
Move to Green Profitability I
t is OK if you once scoffed at the green move- ment. From advertising to school programs to
political campaigns, the whole world appeared to have jumped on the green bandwagon—at least until late 2008 when the bottom dropped out of the economy. Ten, the focus of our businesses and the economy as a whole was survival at all costs. As the economic recovery continues to progress, the
opportunity to return to green manufacturing philoso- phies is upon us. But as our tongue in cheek reference to green on the cover of this issue suggests, MODERN CASTING believes a shift to green goes hand-in-hand with enhancing your firm’s profitability. Tis issue is dedicated to exploring various aspects of becoming a “green” metalcaster—from energy consumption to materials and processes to your customers. “Reducing Costs Trough Conservation” on p. 19 begins the examination by outlining the need for a strong energy management program at your metalcast- ing facility. Tis message is reinforced by the feature “Becoming a Practical Green Casting Industry” on p. 38, which looks at initiatives outlined by Gary Gigante, presi- dent of TyssenKrupp Waupaca, Waupaca, Wis., to improve the efficiency and sustain- ability of metalcasting operations. While the projects outlined in these articles may not directly relate to higher- quality castings, they do tie directly to improving a facility’s bottom line. Metalcasters must de- vote resources to these opportunities. “Metalcasters can
tion, the article examines the use of microwaves to melt metal. One of these options is currently used in the industry, while the others are still at the research level, but each is fuel for future developments that could pave the way to reducing one of our industry’s largest raw material expenses. Shifting the focus away from pro-
Tis issue is dedicated to
exploring various aspects of becoming a “green”
metalcaster—from energy consumption to production materials and processes to your customers.
work within their own model to achieve results,” Gigante writes. “Much of the technology to become greener exists now, and metalcasters have the resources to become increasingly sustainable in the future.” Pushing the technology envelope further, the feature
“In Search of the Ultimate Green” on p. 24 looks into metalcasting’s future in alternative technology to im- prove the energy efficiency of our operations. Te article examines the potential to use solar, wind and methane gas as energy sources to power our facilities. In addi-
duction technology, the feature “Capitalizing on Environmental End-Use” on p. 28 examines new green markets for our castings, including solar and geothermal energy systems, electric cars and hybrid transportation. While these markets are still in the in- fant stages of development, castings are proving to be as vital a component as the gray iron engine block in the internal combustion engine and the ductile iron hub in a wind turbine. Tis isn’t news to most of you because castings are critical to most facets of our life, but we must continue to don our marketing hats to ensure cast- ings have their place over fabs, forgings and plastics as part of the new technologies that emerge in green markets. At its core, met-
alcasting is a green industry, as our cast products are generated from recycled material. But in today’s world,
this isn’t enough. By embracing green, we can move our industry’s image and bottom line forward.
Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in MODERN CASTING, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
April 2011 MODERN CASTING | 7
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