Industry News

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 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.

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. 

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.

The sand 3D printing division of AFS Corporate Member ExOne GmbH has been acquired by Anzu Partners, a technology investor.  
Under the new ownership structure, the company will be dedicated exclusively to sand 3D printing excellence, with a global footprint. Anzu Partners has expressed a strong commitment to ensuring continuity across operational areas. 

The company says that with the acquisition, ExOne’s customers and suppliers can expect consistent service and continuous collaboration, with existing relations, agreements, and service standards upheld. 

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.

Astaras, Inc., a supplier of advanced tungsten heavy alloy materials, hosted the grand opening of its brand-new manufacturing facility in Clearwater, Florida, on August 6. The event marked the launch of the DENSALLOY U.S.-made Tungsten Heavy Alloys brand. The grand opening event was attended by several Florida state officials and industry leaders.  

The Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry (WAF) recently launched an artist-in-residence program, inspired by the Kohler Co. residency, with the goal of documenting the foundry’s craft and promoting metalcasting as an art form. 

The first resident, Milwaukee-based metal artist Chris Redmond, is working with WAF to learn the casting process, document the craft, and build the program for the future. 

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 WGS Global Services has entered into an agreement with Vibrotech Engineering S.L., an international company based in Spain that designs and manufactures vibrating machinery. WGS Global Services is now the sales partner of Vibrotech Engineering in North America.

WGS, located in Flint, Michigan, with operations in Tell City, Indiana, Athens, Tennessee, and Grand Blanc, Michigan, provides casting finishing, inspection, and labor support to the metal casting industry, both in WGS facilities and its customer locations.