. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inDustry neWs
Navistar Adds Foam in Waukesha, Recalls Workers to Indianapolis Navistar International Corp.,
Warrenville, Ill., announced it will recall 150 workers to its Indianapolis metalcasting facility by June 2011 and hire 100 additional workers by 2014. The company also plans to begin using the ductile iron lost foam casting pro- cess in its Waukesha, Wis., metalcasting facility this year. According to a company press
release, the recall was planned in re- sponse to the growth of Pure Power Technologies LLC, Columbia, S.C., the truck maker’s newly created engine components business. One of the few remaining U.S. block
and head casting facilities, the India- napolis plant has capacity available to serve outside diesel engine manufac-
turers, in addition to responding to the needs of its parent company. “The Indianapolis [facility] is a vital
part of our efforts to maintain manufac- turing capabilities and technical skills in the U.S.,” said Eric Tech, president of the Navistar Engine Group. “As a result of our investment to make the Indianapolis [facility] state-of-the-art, we will make the company more com- petitive to meet the global demands of the diesel engine industry.” Navistar said the recall is part of its
strategy to improve the capabilities of Pure Power, which vertically integrates research and development, engineer- ing, manufacturing and metalcasting capabilities to produce diesel power systems, advanced emissions control
systems and industrial castings. The division operates several research and development centers and the metalcasting facility in Waukesha, in addition to Indianapolis. Navistar expects the addition of
lost foam capabilities at the Waukesha plant to give it the ability to produce near-net-shape castings without cores and save its customers machining costs, time and money. “Adding this capability to the Pure
Power portfolio will further enable growth and success,” said Rick Bacon, the company’s director of metalcasting operations. “We are excited to bring this opportunity to simultaneously re- duce costs while increasing value for the customer.”
METAL J.L. French Wins New Ford Programs, Will Invest $18 Million J.L. French Automotive Castings
Inc., Sheboygan, Wis., announced it has been awarded several new con- tracts by the Ford Motor Co., Detroit, and will invest $18 million into its Sheboygan operations to accommo- date the work. “These programs will support over
100 J.L. French jobs when they get to full volume,” said Tim Kellner, vice president of human resources. The aluminum diecaster said in
a press release it most recently was awarded the new Ford six-speed front wheel drive transmission case and related converter housing. The products will be mated to Ford’s new inline four-cylinder engines and will be used in vehicles like the Escape, Fusion, Edge and Explorer. J.L. French expects to begin pro-
duction on the parts in its Sheboygan operations in June 2011 and is pro- jected to ramp up to 700,000 units per year by 2013. The transmission represents approximately 30% of all transmissions to be produced by Ford. Last year, J.L. French was awarded
three rear wheel drive transmis- sion cases that are being cast at the company’s Gateway Avenue plant. The transmission cases will be used in the Mustang and F-150 models, among others. Production on the
8 Metal Casting Design & PurChasing
J.L. French will produce the transmission case and related converter housing for the new Ford Escape, among other models.
parts started in September 2010 and will escalate to full volume by the third quarter of 2011. “These programs are strategically important to J.L. French as we re- position the company into becom- ing a world-class medium to large aluminum die cast and machining
supplier,” said Tom Musgrave, J.L. French’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. In addition to its two manufactur-
ing facilities in Sheboygan, J.L. French operates facilities in Glasgow, Ky., and Ansola, Spain, as well as a joint venture in China.
METAL May/June 2011
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