INDUSTRY NEWS
Wind Casting Research Team Wins $300,000 Grant A research group at the Univ.
“T e wind industry is highly pres-
of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, has been awarded a $300,000 grant to improve ductile iron castings for use in wind turbines. T e grant was given to a team
led by Christoph Beckerman, Univ. of Iowa Foundation Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and director of the So- lidifi cation Laboratory at the univer- sity. Allocated by the Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Develop- ment, the grant will be matched by Clipper Windpower, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the North American Duc- tile Iron Co. (Nadicom), Fulton, Md.
sured to meet demand, with a current bottleneck concentrated on the ability to produce castings that meet required quality levels,” Beckerman said. “T is research will result in more reliable and higher quality castings that are less prone to failure in the fi eld.” Clipper is an established player in wind energy technology, wind turbine manufacturing and wind project development. Nadicom announced plans earlier this year to locate its fi rst North American ductile iron casting facility in Iowa City. T e $85 mil- lion metalcasting plant will have the capacity to cast and machine large
castings with an initial focus on the wind turbine market. According to Beckerman, the goal
of the research is to develop method- ology for advanced casting of wind turbine components that result in reduced weight, greater reliability and longer life, thus providing lower electricity costs. He said the project leverages a decade of U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored research in the Solidifi cation Laboratory on inte- grated casting design and indicated additional interest in the project from other manufacturers that use castings, including Deere & Co., Caterpillar and Oshkosh Corp.
Harley-Davidson Closing Australia-Based Casting Plant
wheels used on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. T e company said in a press release it expects to begin sourc- ing those components through other existing suppliers. According to the release, the deci-
sion to close the plant is part of an overall strategy Harley-Davidson embarked on in 2009 to re- structure and consolidate operations. T e company said it is now focusing its production opera- tions on metal fabrica- tion for motorcycle fuel tanks, fenders and
The Australia plant produces most of the cast wheels used on Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
frames, paint, fi nal assembly and power-
train production. “T e company’s decision on
wheel production follows a review Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-
Davidson Inc., Milwaukee, an- nounced it will cease operations at New Cast-alloy, Adelaide, Australia, by mid-2013. New Castalloy, which was acquired in 2006 and has a workforce of 212, currently produces cast motorcycle wheels and wheel hubs. T e facil- ity produces the majority of the cast
8 | MODERN CASTING January 2012
of the long-term fi t and competitive- ness of the New Castalloy business with our strategy and was not made lightly,” said Matt Levatich, Harley- Davidson’s president and chief operat- ing offi cer. Harley-Davidson expects the tran-
sition of sourcing from New Castalloy to other suppliers to generate about $9 million in annual ongoing sav- ings beginning in 2014. T e company expects to incur about $30 million in
restructuring charges related to the transition, including approximately $10 million in 2011 and $20 million in 2012.
Aerocast to
Increase Production Nonferrous sand caster Aerocast
Inc., Mesa, Ariz., announced it has secured a loan close to $2 million to increase its production capabilities. Aerocast said it has received $1,450,000 of the original loan and is in negotiations with the same lender for additional advances. In exchange for the loan, Aerocast
said it granted the lender a security interest on all of its accounts, ac- counts receivable, inventory, equip- ment and proceeds. Aerocast produces aluminum and magnesium castings primarily for the aerospace industry. Its customers include Honeywell Aerospace, Hamil- ton Sundstrand, Sikorsky Aicraft and Shimadzu Precision Instruments. T e company indicated it is expanding due to high demand for its products and limited competition.
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