January 2011 Volume XXIV, Number 1


International Magazine of the Investment Casting Institute


Editor Leland D. Martin


Executive Director Michael C. Perry


BOARD OF DIRECTORS


President John Marcin Pratt & Whitney


Vice President Michael Hendricks Ransom & Randolph


Past President Doug Kovatch Kovatch Castings, Inc.


Keith Chamberlain Uni-Cast/Cera-Met


Brad DeSplinter TPM, Inc.


Jerry Donohue Mountain Equipment & Supply Co.


Cliff Fischer Wisconsin Precision Casting


Hank Harvey Tech Cast, LLC


Doug Neece Cleveland Tool & Machine, Inc.


Leo Rando Stryker Corp.


Marc Riquelme Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc.


Nipendra Singh S&A Consulting Group LLP


ACADEMIC ADVISER Russ Rosmait Pittsburg State University


Investment Casting Institute


136 Summit Ave., Montvale, NJ 07645-1720 Phone 201-573-9770


Editorial Office 3423 Cooper Branch E., Denton, TX 76209 Phone 940-566-2287


Fax 940-566-2297


E-mail: incast@investmentcasting.org www.investmentcasting.org


Fax 201-573-9771 CONTENTS


Inside ICI 4 Spring Management Meeting Provides Balance Between National Issues & Specific Solutions Institute Closes 2010 with Record Membership


4 6


Institute's 58th Conference & Equipment Expo Slated in Covington, KY


Forecast 8 World View 10 North America 11 Europe 12 China


13 Czech Republic & Slovakia 14


India 15 Australia


Industry Topics 16 WHY INVESTMENT CASTING? Sometimes it's Simple Problem Solving


20 WHY INVESTMENT CASTING? Design & Alloy Choices Provide Solutions


22


LEGAL EASE: Conducting Legal, Meaningful Employee Evaluations


Departments 24 Companies 27 News 27


Classifieds/Ad Index


SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $60 per year for U.S. and Canada, $90 per year for international. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INCAST Corporation, 136 Summit Ave., Montvale, NJ


07645-1720.


INCAST, published monthly by INCAST Corporation, a subsidiary of the Investment Casting Institute, is the news magazine of the investment casting industry worldwide. It is written for the investment casting industry, its casters, suppliers, designers, specifiers, buy- ers and managers intimately involved with the investment casting process, as well as to members of the Investment Casting Institute. ISSN # 1045-5779.


Contributions of articles to INCAST are welcome, but the right is reserved to select material to be published. Publication of any article or statement is not to be deemed an endorsement of the views expressed therein, nor shall publication of any advertisement be considered an endorsement of the product or service involved.


Copyright Reserved: Neither the Institute nor its officers accept any legal responsibility for information, advice given or opinions expressed.


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