Industry News

AFS Corporate Member Le Sueur Inc. (LSI), a supplier of complex aluminum castings, machined castings, and plastic injection molded components, has completed the acquisition of Craft Pattern and Mold (Craft).

AFS Corporate Member Metal Technologies Inc. (MTI) of Auburn, Indiana, has acquired Key 3 Casting LLC, which owns and operates two aluminum die and squeeze casting facilities as well as a ductile iron foundry. 

The facilities involved in the sale include Jackson Die Casting LLC in Jackson, Tennessee; Minneapolis Die Casting LLC in Minneapolis; and Northern Foundry in Hibbing, Minnesota. The combined operations have approximately $74 million in annual sales and 300 employees.

Andrew G. Sparber is a psychologist and part-time historian who has written nine books about the historical development of western Maryland. His latest book, titled “Full Steam Ahead: Allegany County, Maryland’s Industrial Revolution,” published in late 2023, will be of interest not only to local residents, but also to those with an interest in the history of America’s metal foundries.

Do you know a young metalcaster in the making? The Casting Dreams Competition created by SFSA is for them.

Young people ages 14–18 are invited to submit their "dream castings" for this exciting contest. Castings will be showcased at AFS’s Metalcasting Congress 2024 in Milwaukee, with national recognition and a $300 award going to the grand prize winner.

The World Foundry Organization (WFO) has announced that the World Foundry Congress will be held in Deyang City, China, October 25-30. The WFO is an international association of metalcasting societies. AFS is the sole WFO representative for the U.S.

This is the third time China will host the event––it previously hosted the event in 1995 and 2010. This year’s theme is “Developing Foundry.”

AFS Corporate Member Boose Quality Castings has purchased a DISA MATCH 20/24, which was operational in October. The company reported that after two years of operating a DISA MATCH 16/20 machine, it has been able to profitably produce aluminum castings with high dimensional accuracy and excellent surface finish.

November 2023 marked the launch of three innovative projects spearheaded by the American Foundry Society as part of the American Metalcasting Consortium’s Emergent MetalCasting Solutions (EMCS) Program. These initiatives showcase AFS's commitment to advancing the metalcasting industry through collaborative research and development.

AFS Corporate Member Hodge Foundry in Greenville, Pennsylvania, poured its largest ever casting on November 3, a 240,000-lb. ductile iron part that was poured with 260,000 lbs. of molten metal. Shipped on December 17, it is the first of a family of related, oversized castings to be produced for the same customer.

Proterial, parent company of AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Monomoy Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in New York City. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

Waupaca Foundry will continue to operate under its current management team, led by President, CEO, and COO Michael Nikolai.

Foundry Lab announced its collaboration with global power management company Eaton. Harnessing the speed of microwave and additive manufacturing, Foundry Lab was able to cast parts for Eaton in weeks, not months. 

Eaton leveraged the Digital Metal Casting System to cast aluminum parts that include stainless steel pins, a technological advancement that is not possible with traditional 3D printing, placing Foundry Lab’s technology at the forefront of innovation.