Articles: Industry News

AFS Corporate Member Fisher Barton (Waukesha, Wisconsin) held a groundbreaking ceremony March 21 for its new industrial building and site development for its Accurate Specialties’ Turning Center of Excellence.

General Motors Co. and Lithium Americas Corp. plan to jointly develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, the largest known source of lithium in the U.S. and the third largest in the world. Under their agreement, GM will make a $650 million equity investment in Lithium Americas—the largest-ever investment by an automaker to produce battery raw materials. 

Calderys, a provider of refractory products and services for the casting industry, has become an independent company following its acquisition by U.S.-based Platinum Equity. Paris-based Calderys will encompass the full scope of the High Temperature Solutions business area formerly under Imerys. 
Calderys comprises a global network of experts and 36 industrial sites in 16 countries.

A Missouri University of Science and Technology research team was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to research technologies to improve the operating efficiency of electric arc furnaces (EAFs) used for steelmaking.

Pace Industries LLC is investing $2.8 million to expand manufacturing operations at its facility in Jackson, Tennessee. The aluminum, zinc, and magnesium diecasting manufacturer will add 49 new jobs while meeting increased customer demand from a wide range of industries.

AFS Corporate Member Great Lakes Castings (GLC), based in Ludington, Michigan, received $79,785 from the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund. GLC employs 225 people at its gray iron foundry.

Going PRO awarded 54 Northwest Michigan employers a total of $1,700,109 for employee training. 

THERMOTEC, Inc., a REFCOTEC & Koremart joint-venture, has acquired PC Campana’s sand mini-riser division in Lorain, Ohio.  

PC Campana has served the metals manufacturing industry with consumable products since 1969. Its mini-riser division was launched in 1984, producing exothermic sand mini risers that could withstand the forces of high-pressure sand molding. 

Mobility Engineering reported microelectronics and engine castings are among the individual aircraft components that continue to challenge Raytheon Technologies’ aerospace and defense manufacturing supply chain. Company CEO Greg Hayes and COO Christopher Calio talked about the challenges during an earnings call in January, and both have referenced the situation since the first quarter of 2022. 

The Nadcap program—which oversees critical process accreditations of suppliers in the aerospace industry—has published two new audit criteria, covering investment casting and sand casting.

With leadership from the Nadcap Metallic Materials Manufacturing (MMM) Task Group, the audit criteria were developed with experts from original equipment manufacturers and casting suppliers involved in the Nadcap program. Audits using the new criteria can now be scheduled.

AFS Corporate Member Oil City Iron Works, Inc. was awarded Small Employer of the Year by Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT). The company is in its 137th year of business.