ALUMINUM REMAINS TOP MATERIAL Material
Leader: Aluminum Last Place: Titanium Aluminum is the dominant material, with 788 facilities (46.6% of respon- dents) pouring some type of aluminum alloy. T e percentage of aluminum cast- ing facilities is nearly the same as last year (747 of 1,601 respondents). While most facilities report pouring more than one material, no other metal comes close to aluminum’s share. However, when it comes to volume, aluminum comes in third after ductile and gray iron (see chart on p. 28). Iron is the second most used materi-
al, with 29.9% of metalcasting facilities pouring the metal. Sixty-three facilities (3.7%) reported pouring aluminum, iron and steel, and 119 facilities (7%) pour both aluminum and iron. Tita- nium remains in last place, with only 21 facilities casting it.
Process
Leader: Green Sand/Horizontally Parted Last Place: V-Process
Horizontally parted green sand mold- ing is the perennial favorite process, with 652 of the 1,691 facilities (or 38.6%) using it, a slight increase in facilities and decrease in percentage compared to 2012. Its vertically parted counterpart, which often is used for higher volumes, is found in only 12.5% of facilities. T e nobake process comes in at a close second with 600 facilities, or 35.5%. Many facilities report using multiple
processes. One hundred twenty facilities use both the green sand and permanent mold processes (8%), and 434 facilities use the green sand and nobake processes (25.7%). Seven facilities reported using the V-process, a casting method with a vacuum holding unbonded sand in a mold during pouring.
Plants Per State
Leader: Ohio Last Place: Alaska (Note: some states have no participating facilities.) Ohio leads the industry in number
of metalcasting facilities reported, with 159 (or 9.4% of the total facilities in the U.S.). California added nine new plants in the past year for a total of 133, which edged Pennsylvania by one
Total Number of U.S. Plants
While many facilities reported using multiple processes, investment casting experienced the largest growth with 16 more facilities than its 2012 total.
Jan/Feb 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 19
Aluminum and copper-base alloys added 41 and 35 facilities, respectively, in 2013. Total Number of U.S. Plants
GREEN SAND, NOBAKE TOP PROCESSES
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