Industry News

Department of Defense and Talon Nickel are partnering to accelerate and expand the company’s efforts to discover and secure additional domestic supply of nickel for the growing U.S. battery manufacturing base and defense-related supply chains. 

As part of the agreement, the Department of Defense will contribute $20.6 million, and Talon will contribute $21,7 million in matching funding on a cost-share basis for 39 months.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) program has given a silver award to AFS Corporate member McWane Ductile Ohio. McWane encourages innovation by hosting a contest comprised of teams from its family of companies for the best pollution prevention ideas. The results of this contest have generated significant savings company wide. In addition, they have implemented energy efficiency upgrades at their facility, including purchasing regenerative burners, installing LED lighting, and using variable efficiency drives.

Desktop Metal, Inc. has released a video showcasing how the BMW Group uses ExOne binder jet 3D printers for the serial production of casted powertrain components: www.TeamDM.com/BMW.

ExOne and the BMW Group have been working together for more than 20 years on project development. 

Daedalus Investments LLC, parent company of AFS Corporate Member Tech Cast Limited, has purchased Oklahoma-based ClassIQ Manufacturing, which provides additive manufacturing (AM) services in several markets including the investment casting industry. As a result, a new entity has been formed, Areion3D, headed by Tech Cast CEO Steven Olson, Jason Dickman, CTO, and the founder and CTO of ClassIQ, Joan Speed, production manager.  

AFS Corporate Member Progressive Foundry, Perry, Iowa, is launching another phase of its renovation improvements late this fall, with a $2.5 million investment to update its shakeout system. The company has purchased a new Didion media drum and several new conveyors from General Kinematics for the project, which is aimed at reducing casting breakage and lowering shotblasting cycle times. 

Shinhwa Auto USA Corp. announced last month it will invest $114 million to expand its manufacturing operation in Auburn to support the production of electric vehicle parts.

The growth project will create 50 jobs and add a new 170,000 sq.-ft. production building on Shinhwa’s campus in Auburn Technology Park West. The expansion will be the South Korean company’s third since selecting the Alabama city as the site of its first U.S. plant in 2019.

McWane Ductile - Ohio, a McWane Inc. company, announced a $500,000 donation toward constructing a new multi-use path in Coshocton, Ohio, in partnership with Coshocton County. The “McWane River Walk” project will provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, healthier lifestyles, and safer connectivity between neighborhoods, local businesses, and schools, providing a more vibrant community.

AFS Corporate Member Humtown Products was one of 68 businesses being recognized nationally as a Legacy Business by the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to a story at wfmj.com.

On August 23, the SBA presented a trophy recognizing Humtown Products as a legacy business at its newly expanded manufacturing facility on Cherry Fork Ave. in Leetonia, Ohio.

According to SBA, Humtown, like other Legacy Businesses, has benefitted from SBA resources in its early stages.

Doncasters, a global manufacturer of high-precision components, has signed a multi-year contract with Siemens Energy. With an anticipated value exceeding $1 billion, the agreement covers the supply of complex precision investment castings for Siemens Energy’s gas turbine platforms.

Under the contract, Doncasters will leverage its vertically integrated alloy manufacturing and casting capabilities in the UK and Germany to deliver exceptional products to Siemens Energy.

Tyler Union, part of the McWane Inc. family of companies, broke ground on the expansion of its melting and molding operation. The new $24 million investment will add 54,000 sq.ft. to its existing footprint in Anniston, Alabama.