editorial E
Alive, Kicking & Thriving
D ‘‘ ispel the myths. Ignore
the rumors. T e metalcasting industry in the U.S. and across the globe is alive, kicking and, in some cases, thriving. At
least this is what our census data is telling me. T is issue contains our annual purchaser’s report
on the state of the U.S. and global metalcasting industry. T e report includes three articles full of facts and fi gures for you to secure further insight as you work with your existing casting suppliers and search for new ones. U.S. Metalcasting Census: T e National Perspective
(p. 18)—T is annual census provides a breakdown of the capabilities of the U.S. metalcasting industry from a process, material and value-added services perspective. Many believe the U.S. metalcasting
If overall demand for castings continues to grow as expected in the future, casting supply will become tight in certain niches.”
industry is nonexistent or on its way out. But as this census shows, it is a strong, diverse industry. U.S. Casting Supply: Emerging From Recession (p.
22)—Our annual forecast article examines casting sales in 2014 and provides predictions for the short term and long term by end-use market. While forecasting is a tough game, especially for a niche market such as metalcasting, the overall consensus is for continued steady growth across most markets and metals. 47th
grow, and this makes sense. As all corners of the globe continue to advance, they will require metal castings to support that advancement. So, what can you do with this information? First, make sure you are selecting casting suppliers based on accurate information. Just because your fi rm only has sourced die castings from two metalcasters in Brazil doesn’t mean they are the only two metalcasters able to cast your component. Second, review your forecast and
future demand for metal castings and determine how this fi ts into your suppliers’ future production. If overall demand for castings continues to grow as expected in the future, casting supply will become tight in certain niches. T e result will be long lead
times and many buyers scrambling for suppliers. Understanding your supply base can be diffi cult
when looking across the breadth of industries for which most buyers are responsible. Hopefully this issue’s wealth of data makes your job a little easier.
Census of World Casting Production: Dividing
Up the Global Market (p.26)—T e state of the global metalcasting industry is more of a mixed bag than the U.S. Some countries are up, others are down. Many of the countries that were growing by leaps and bounds have seen a pullback. T e overall trend is that global metal casting production continues to
Alfred Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in Metal Casting Design & Purchasing, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
Jan/Feb 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 5
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