editorial E
Share Your Interest in Manufacturing
my life is the role of sports. In my teens and early 20s, I was an avid watcher of college and professional sports, spending entire days consumed by the action on the screen or on the fi eld in front of me. Today, while I still watch my teams and follow the news, I prefer to be an active participant by coaching my daughters and practicing with them (usually missing the games that were once can’t miss). T e reason this discussion is pertinent to
W ‘‘
manufacturing are the two pictures you see at the bottom of this Editorial. T e photo on the left is a metal casting that connects the chain for a swing to the horizontal support bar on a swing
Post your photos of castings you encounter in use in everyday life (outside of a metalcastingoperation) to the AFS Facebook page.”
set. T e photo on the right is an arm that supports the kettle where popcorn cooks in a carnival-style popcorn maker. T ese are photos I took of metal castings just because it was cool to see castings-in- action that I have never seen before. During a presentation I
give on the current state of the metalcasting industry, I often say that when you stand in the middle of an average American city, you are never more than 10 feet from a metal casting. T e reason I state this is to emphasize the importance of manufacturing and metalcasting in our everyday lives, even if we don’t
Casting connecting the chain for a swing to the support bar.
e really do change
as we age. Our opinions evolve. Our tastes develop. Our interests change. One example from
see it. While I have made that statement hundreds of times, it is hard to hide my excitement when it comes true before my eyes. Eighteen years ago, I didn’t care about
manufacturing. Today, I take pictures of manufactured components because I am excited to see them. To this end, we have set up a Facebook contest for
casting buyers and designers as well as metalcasters. Post your photos of castings you encounter in use in everyday life (outside of your work) to the American Foundry Society (AFS) Facebook page. All photos entered by January 31 will be judged to determine the most unique casting-in-action and the best casting spotter. We all know
manufacturing is part of our professional lives. But for many of you, your interests have evolved to a point that manufacturing is a passion in your personal lives as well. Now is the time to let the industry see it.
Casting supporting the kettle to cook popcorn.
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.
Nov/Dec 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 5
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