BLOG ROLL
WHAT IS MADE IN AMERICA? An article on Yahoo News recently examined this question, discussing 10 American industries just scraping by. One industry mentioned was sparkler production, citing only one manufacturer left in America. If sparklers, an American icon, can’t make it in the U.S., how can any U.S. manufacturing industry expect to survive?
Nevertheless, census data shows the U.S. is the world’s second largest producer of castings. But with China having taken over as the largest producer in the past decade, will the metalcasting industry burn out like the sparkler industry? Probably not. The U.S. still operates more than 2,000 facilities producing on average 12 million tons of castings per year.
While the industry did take a hit in 2008 because of the recession, what industry didn’t have to make adjustments? If metalcasting facilities are still thriving, despite China moving into the industry leader position and the recession, then it looks like the U.S. casting industry is here to stay.
POLL QUESTION The July/August website question asked: What is your favorite casting process?
60.4% 18.9%
SAND INVESTMENT
15.1% 3.8% 1.8%
LOST FOAM OTHER
This month’s question is available at
MetalCastingDesign.com.
PERMANENT MOLD/DIE @
ONLINE RESOURCE
Wherever you fi nd the “at” sign (above), reference the given website for more information.
Purchasing Report: Will Casting Materials Affect Your Bottom Line? (p. 20): Read an additional article on estimating casting cost.
12 Ways to Reduce a Die Casting’s Cost (p. 28): Take an interactive design tour of a diecast magnesium instrument panel.
9 Tips for Designing With Gray Iron (p. 34): Learn how to convert an existing component design to a gray iron casting.
LINKEDIN CHAT
Getting Connected On the Metal Casting Design & Purchasing network on LinkedIn, member Michael Meyer, regional sales engineer at Aero Metals Inc., posed the question, “How are customers fi nding new casting suppliers?” Here are some of the discussion points:
“As a purchaser I rely on my engineers and most experienced tradespeople to steer me in the appropriate direction. They will allow for what my company needs and then advise me of our next market requirement. It’s a team effort, and I enjoy it. Nobody can do this as an individual. It takes a team to discern what your accomplishments are going to be.”—D. Shawn Lindstrom, Senior Purchaser at McCoy Drilling & Completions
“In today’s world of social media, many marketers are beginning to leverage the use of social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, among others, to help promote and infl uence buyers about the products and services they offer.”—Timothy Large, Quality Systems Manager and Technology Commercialization Manager, FOPAT Production Inc.
“I fi nd myself doing lots of sleuthing on the internet, querying people I know in the industry and other aerospace customers.”—Tim Scoville, Associate Technical Fellow, Boeing
Visit
MetalCastingDesign.com for a link to the Metalcasting Design & Purchasing network.
MAGAZINE APP
Read Metal Casting Design & Purchasing, as well as three other metalcasting industry publications, on your smart phone or tablet computer with the new Metalcasting Newsstand app, available at the Apple App Store.
Sept/Oct 2011 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 3
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