Inside ICI


The Investment Casting Institute Additive Manufacturing Subcommittee


Don Deptowicz,


Aspen Hybrid Technology Solutions Ed Graham, ProtoCAM


Additive Manufacturing Subcommittee Update:


T at


he metal casting industry is one of the oldest, most challenging, and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. It has experienced swift and significant headwinds due to the pandemic.


Massive changes in raw


material prices, utilization spikes, OEM backlogs, lack of maintenance availability and human resources are the themes that challenge us today. Further, worldwide developments are continuously changing our operational dynamics.


While our society is excellent responding


to a crisis, we need


to be preemptive in our approaches and prevent those problems from ever happening. This failure of most organizations to achieve outstanding, innovative results


is not surprising.


Innovation is a complex topic that is influenced by a plethora of interacting factors. Because of this complexity, it is challenging for organizations to get all of the aspects right, at the same time, to provide the results that everyone wants. The economic superiority of the US continues to depend on technology to detect and deter potential aggressions. Such technological capability demands ongoing investment and implementation of innovative manufacturing and product design technologies to preserve our industrial base and grow our technical and economic superiority against strongly increasing foreign competition. The metals casting industry


8 ❘ November 2022 ®


Enhancing the Future of Investment Casting Today An Investment Casting Institute Enabling Technology Symposium


John Stuecker, Robocasting Enterprises


Richard Motto, CadBlu Gerard Thiel, Univ. of Northern Iowa


Next Forum Scheduled for March, 2023 by Don Deptowicz, Aspen Hybrid Technology Solutions & Paul Finelt, Concurrent Resources


has been one area that has been lagging in advancements due primarily to proprietary interests. Everyone is looking for that silver bullet that will end all of the challenges. Well, there is no silver bullet! The Investment Casting Institute


Technical Committee established an Additive Manufacturing Sub-Committee to be a vehicle to help accelerate the understanding and impact of additive manufacturing


(AM) capabilities


and their application to our casting businesses and supply chains. To successfully do this, the ICI continues to collaborate with other industry


trade associations,


Tom Mueller, Mueller Additive Manufacturing Solutions


Ryan Breneman, Raytheon Technologies – Pratt & Whitney


Paul Finelt, Concurrent Resources Mike Hasher, Beehive Industries John Marcin,


Raytheon Technologies


Tyler Planz, Kovatch Castings Inc. Tom Prucha, MetalMorphasis LLC Nip Singh, S&A Consulting Group


Allison Wilberschied, Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation


Al Torok, Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers, Inc.


as was


done with the Symposium on Additive Manufacturing for Investment Castings (AM4IC) that was held in 2021 at the University of Northern Iowa. This creative partnership is evolving into a disciplined data-driven process that will be a living and ongoing activity. The ICI continues to create partnerships along the supply chain that are focused on exposing investment casters


to the latest technological


advances and applications in AM. In early November, the AM sub- committee emailed a survey to ICI members that will guide our AM-focused efforts during the coming year. We will do


this through ongoing education


opportunities and application support, eventually resulting in a relevant body of knowledge that can be used


Andrew Wessman, Univ. of Arizona Ben Wynne, Intrepid Automation Eric Romano, Covestro


by members to innovate and evolve through


continuous improvement


methodologies. We are finalizing the next AM4IC-II


Forum in the Midwest in March 2023. The Forum will include sessions covering materials, processes, and applications. Attendees will have ample opportunities to network and exchange information. As with our first symposium, this event will be open to the general public. More information will be made available at www.investmentcasting.org.


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