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.
A special ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring Lori Mason, president and CEO of AFS Corporate Member Seneca Foundry, was held on Tuesday, August 19 at Seneca Foundry in Webster City, Iowa.
The celebration marked Mason’s first full year of ownership at the helm of Seneca Foundry. With a strong commitment to preserving the company’s identity as a family-owned business, Mason has dedicated herself to sustaining the foundry’s long-standing presence in the Webster City area.
AFS member Kimura Foundry America (Shelbyville, Indiana), a U.S. provider of rapid prototype castings, recently announced the acquisition of VIP Tooling, a precision tooling and CNC machining company also based in Shelbyville. According to the company, the integration brings together advanced casting and machining capabilities—enabling faster lead times, tighter process control, and cost efficiencies for customers in key industries including automotive, energy, and industrial manufacturing.
DISA (Taastrup, Denmark) a technology of AFS Corporate Member The Norican Group, recently announced construction of a new test foundry in Denmark to support producers of aluminum, steel, brass, and bronze castings in adopting the highly-efficient green sand molding process.
The test foundry will run production trials for new and existing castings to prove the green sand process meets both casting specifications and cost expectations.
In an era when U.S. manufacturers face historic workforce shortages and an urgent need to inspire young talent, AFS member Humtown (Columbiana, Ohio) says it has transformed its factory floor into a hands-on learning lab, where students see, touch, and experience the possibilities of modern manufacturing. Over the past three years, more than 1,000 students across Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania have benefited from hands-on manufacturing experiences at the company––both through on-site, student-led tours and in-school career exploration programs.
Doncasters announced the commissioning of a brand-new, fully automated shell line at its Groton, Connecticut facility––a major milestone within its 2025 Performance Improvement Plan and a key advancement in the company’s long-term manufacturing strategy.
The $13 million capital investment expands the Groton site’s operational footprint by 17,000 sq. ft and introduces next-generation automation and environmental control systems.
AFS Corporate Member Epic Machine (Fenton, Michigan), a producer of CNC precision machining and custom tooling, announced its certification as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The milestone positions Epic Machine to pursue new opportunities in both federal and private sectors that prioritize supplier diversity and the inclusion of women-owned enterprises.