The Additive Manufacturing Division held a quarterly business meeting on February 20 in Saint Francisville, Louisiana, hosted by AFS Corporate Member Howell Foundry, LLC, which provided a facility tour. Division Secretary-Elect Dr. Jason Walker, OSU CDME, presented Zed Howell with two commemorative castings recognizing the company’s support and hospitality. The aluminum and aluminum bronze alloy castings are products of 3D printed sand molds supplied by Corporate Member Matthews International and were cast at The Ohio State University.
Articles: Industry News
03.11.25: AM Division Meets at Howell Foundry
03.11.25: Humtown Continues Peer-Learning Program
AFS Corporate Member Humtown is continuing its educational youth outreach program in 2025. “Through the Lens of My Friends” is a student peer-to-peer project in which Humtown trains students at nearby middle and high schools, who then give in-depth facility tours to their classmates.
Humtown parlays the tours into a video series showing the knowledge transfer to kids by kids, exposing
students to the world of 3D printing as well as the numerous career opportunities in modern manufacturing.
AFS Corporate Member Torrance Castings hosted the AFS Engineering Division on February 18 to tour a new molding line and mold/casting cooling for which the company received the Engineering and Smart Manufacturing Division’s Plant Engineering Award. The award recognizes companies for plant engineering achievements and innovative solutions for modern issues faced in the foundry industry. Torrance Castings used automated casting cooling racks to eliminate the process bottleneck associated with variable cooling times.
03.11.25: Waupaca Foundry names new CEO
AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry has named Michael Hawthorne as its new chief executive officer. He succeeds Mike Nikolai, who served the company for three decades.
“We’re excited to welcome Mike Hawthorne to the Waupaca Foundry family,” said Chairman Daniel Collin. “He brings over 30 years of industry experience and understands the roles that engineering, design, system integration, and operational excellence play in achieving breakthrough results.”
02.06.25: Lawton Standard featured in TV series
National TV show World’s Greatest! visited AFS Corporate Member Lawton Standard Company’s De Pere, Wisconsin location to film a segment on the foundry’s innovation and leadership in the metalcasting industry. The episode documents the foundry’s evolution of iron and steel casting from its origin in 1879 to today.
AFS Corporate Members have received a complimentary 2025 Metalcasting Forecast and Trends Report. This economic report, compiled from numerous government and industry sources, is packed with information to help you navigate the dynamic metalcasting landscape. It includes strategic insights with current data that will help drive business intelligence and financial optimization throughout the year.
The recent edition provides predictions on sales growth, including a projection of 4.2% increase in casting sales in 2025, reaching $50.1 billion.
Bradken’s Specialty Products North America (SPNAM) business has been sold to Los Angeles-based investment firm TerraMar Capital. SPNAM manufactures highly-engineered, large, complex, mission critical castings for customers in defense, specialized industrial, rail and transit markets.
02.06.25: Register Now to Attend CastExpo
CastExpo, North American’s largest metalcasting exposition, tradeshow, and Congress, is just around the corner on April 12-15 in Atlanta, Georgia.
02.06.25: MAGMA to expand into Mexico
AFS Corporate Member MAGMA Foundry Technologies Inc. has announced its expansion to the Monterrey, Mexico region, establishing a branch office to provide services to the Mexican metalcasting industry.
Its newest location, located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico, is expected to open this quarter. Based on their growing business demands, MAGMA aims to accelerate growth in the Mexican market and strengthen communication by engaging in client initiatives, educating current customers, and building strategic partnerships.
Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell visited AFS Corporate Member EJ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, on December 13. In addition to touring the operations, Pinnell discussed infrastructure, workforce, and area housing issues.