Articles: Industry News

AFS Corporate Member ME Elecmetal opened the doors to the public at its Duluth, Minnesota, foundry for a Manufacturing Day Open House on Oct. 4. Attendees included employees, retirees, volunteers, local officials, and community members. 

The event provided a look at modern metal casting and celebrated the vital role manufacturing plays in the regional and national economy. A special exhibit showcased ME Elecmetal’s ongoing $15 million induction furnace project designed to reduce emissions, lower energy consumption, and enhance working conditions. 

AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry, one of the world’s largest producers of gray, ductile, and austempered ductile iron castings, recently began the final stage of a multi-year, $100 million-plus capital investment program to modernize operations, enhance worker safety and use advanced foundry technology to meet customer needs.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Bethpage Water District in New York and the 150th anniversary of the Clow Eddy Hydrant, team members at Tyler Union and Clow Valve, both McWane Inc. companies and AFS Corporate Members, created six commemorative red, white and blue fire hydrants for the 2025 Ryder Cup, held at the Bethpage Black Golf Club. 

Tyler Union, located in Anniston, Alabama, created the castings while machining, coating, assembly and custom painting was completed at Clow Valve’s facility in Oskaloosa, Iowa. 

Bevill State Community College (BSCC) received a generous $25,000 donation from AFS Corporate Member McWane Inc. in support of the Welding Technology program on the Sumiton, Alabama, campus. The contribution will directly benefit students by enhancing program resources, expanding opportunities, and preparing the next generation of skilled professionals for high-demand careers in welding. 

Vesuvius plc (parent company of AFS Corporate Member Foseco) recently entered into an agreement to acquire UK-based Molten Metal Systems from AFS Corporate Member Morgan Advanced Materials for an enterprise value of U.S. $108.7 million. The transaction structure involves $23.5 million in cash for the non-Indian business, while the 75% stake in Indian-listed Morganite Crucible (India) Limited will be acquired through the issuance of 1,150,800 new shares by Vesuvius’s Indian subsidiary, Foseco India.   

AFS Corporate Member Sinto America welcomed U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett of Michigan, (D-7th) to their manufacturing facility in Grand Ledge, Michigan, on August 25. The meeting highlighted the vital role foundries play in the U.S. economy, while providing an opportunity to discuss industry successes, challenges, and the foundry equipment needed to produce high-quality castings. 

AFS Corporate Member 3D Systems has been awarded a $7.65 million U.S. Air Force contract for a Large-format Metal 3D Printer Advanced Technology Demonstrator (GEN-IIDMP-1000). 

The award is the next phase of a program 3D Systems has worked on since 2023 that supports the development of large-scale, high-speed, flight relevant additive manufacturing print capabilities. This work will continue to be performed in its San Diego, California, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, locations, with an expected completion date of September 27, 2027.

On July 22, Bradford Muller, vice president of corporate communications at AFS Corporate Member Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, appeared before a House Judiciary Subcommittee on “Foreign Abuse of U.S. Courts.” The bipartisan hearing was chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa of California (R-48th). Muller provided testimony on trade fraud being committed by producers of cast iron soil pipe and fittings in China. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry produces cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings for plumbing applications.

AFS Corporate Member Allied Mineral Products LLC (Allied) has purchased AFS Corporate Member Industrial Ceramic Products, Inc. (ICP). The acquisition will allow Allied to increase applications diversity, capacity, and expansion into precision, high-fired refractory shapes markets. 

AFS Corporate Member Clow Valve, a McWane Inc. company, held a ceremony August 22 to unveil its $80 million foundry expansion.
Oskaloosa Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt and representatives of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and Iowa Economic Development Authority were present to cut the ribbon on the 36,000-sq.-ft. addition. The project initially broke ground in 2023 with support from the state’s High Quality Jobs Program. The program assists qualifying businesses to offset some of the costs incurred to locate, expand or modernize an Iowa facility.