Articles: Industry News

After acquiring the 3D-sand printing-business of AFS Corporate Member ExOne in September and gaining control of voxeljet AG in July through a court-ordered restructuring plan, investment firm Anzu Partners announced it would combine the two industrial additive manufacturers into ExOne Global Holdings.  

ExOne Global Holdings will maintain operating subsidiaries in Germany, the U.S., Japan, China, and India that comprise the combined organization. Together, ExOne and voxeljet have deployed more than 500 industrial 3D printers.

On Oct. 3, AFS Corporate Member McWane Ductile’s foundry in Provo, Utah, was honored with the 2025 Award of Merit and Honor from the Utah Safety Council. The award is given to companies that maintain an injury incident rate below the national average for their industry and demonstrate continuous improvement in safety performance. 

Four former employees of Gunite Corp. have purchased the idle factory and foundry and are relaunching operations as Rockford Brake Manufacturing. 

The facility has been closed since February when Gunite’s parent company, Accuride, announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

Founded in 1854 as the Eagle Foundry, the company’s 619,000-sq.-ft. facility sits on 41 acres and includes a grey iron foundry and machine shop that specializes in manufacturing brake drums for the commercial vehicle industry. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.