American Foundry Society

Welcome to e-Connections, the weekly AFS email newsletter. In this November 20, 2007, edition:

Ductile Iron Webinar Coming in December
Engineered Casting Solutions magazine has scheduled a free webinar on the benefits and applications of austempered ductile iron (ADI). Scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 4, at either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. EST, this 45-minute webinar is for designers and buyers of metal castings, as well as metalcasters looking to enter the ADI market. In the webinar, ADI experts will detail how designing with ADI can provide mechanical properties similar to steel with weight and cost reduction opportunities when compared to both aluminum and steel components.

To register for this webinar, visit www.castsolutions.com/adiwebinar. If you have any questions, contact Dave Krugman, American Foundry Society, at dkrugman@afsinc.org.

2007 AMC Technology Review Held in October
The 2007 American Metalcasting Consortium (AMC) Annual Technology Review was held Oct. 24-25 in Rosemont, Ill. The two day event featured presentations on programs that are helping the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in their critical mission to provide worldwide logistical support to the American warfighter.

After introductory remarks by Thornton White, ATI, and Dan Gearing, DLA, the CAST-IT team reviewed technical and procurement support activities provided by the team to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Presenters included Tom Prucha, AFS vice president of technical services, who reviewed the E-357 aluminum statistical properties project, Prof. Von Richards, UMR, who presented the machinability of ferrous castings project and Dr. Marget Joyce, Western Michigan Univ. (WMU) reviewed a refractory coating thickness project.

The next review is scheduled June 25-26, 2008, in Rosemont, Ill. The review will be open to the public, and free of charge. For more information on this year's event, contact Tom Prucha, AFS vice president of technical services, at tprucha@afsinc.org.

Permanent Mold Conference Coming in February
The 6th International Conference on Permanent Mold Casting of Aluminum and Magnesium will be held Feb. 11-12, 2008, at the Embassy Suites Frisco, Dallas, Texas. The three-day meeting will include discussions on:

  • metal treatment;
  • filtration;
  • non-traditional alloys;
  • extending mold life;
  • mold temperature control;
  • new methods for gating and risering;
  • comparison of low-pressure with gravity pouring;
  • computer modeling;
  • effective equipment maintenance;
  • magnesium alloys;
  • new mold coating options.

A plant tour of Denison Industries also is planned. For more information, click here, or contact AFS Customer Service at 800/537-4237.

Wisconsin Regional Features Presentation by Mikkola
The 2008 American Foundry Society (AFS) Wisconsin Regional Conference will be held Feb. 7-8, 2008, at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. The meeting is hosted by the AFS Stateline and Northeast Wisconsin Chapters, and the Univ. of Wisconsin.

Thirty-eight speakers will be included in this year's technical program, covering a variety of topics, such as "Educational Opportunities in the Foundry Industry," Mark Nagel, director, Cast Metals Institute; "Lost Foam Casting of Steel-Fill Mechanisms and Foam Decomposition Effects," Von Richards, Univ. of Missouri-Rolla; and the featured presentation, "The Future Challenges Facing the Metalcasting Industry," Paul Mikkola, AFS national president. A breakfast presentation with AFS Corporate Member Badger Mining also is scheduled.

Special room rates at the Pfister Hotel are available to those who pre-register. Mention the conference when registering to get preferential rates. For more information, contact Donna Nagy at 262/594-2375 or waifs@wi.rr.com.

December MODERN CASTING Features World Census
The December issue of MODERN CASTING will feature the popular annual world census. Now in its 41st year, the census provides casting production numbers by metal of 36 countries, including Japan, India, Germany, Brazil, Italy, France, Korea, China and Mexico. This year's census reveals a global total of more than 90 million tons of castings produced. The gap between China's production and the rest of the world continues to widen, as it now produces nearly a third of total worldwide production.

This month's metalcasting facility profile highlights Watry Industries, Sheboygan, Wis., and Premier Aluminum, Racine, Wis. Both aluminum permanent mold facilities are recent acquisitions of Ligon Industries, a private equity firm with metalcasting roots and a commitment to its manufacturing businesses, which also include V-process shops. Watry and Premier Aluminum are finding success in their separate niches, which Ligon sees as unthreatened by low-cost foreign competition.

USCIS Releases New I-9 Form
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Nov. 8 that a revised I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form is now available for use. The form itself has not changed, but the lists of documents that employers may accept as proof of identity and employment eligibility has been modified.

The most significant change to the I-9 is the removal of five "List A" documents from the form, which establish both identity and employment eligibility. These documents have not been acceptable as proof of identity or employment eligibility for several years. While this is a significant change to the form itself, it should not require employers to change their I-9 policies and procedures.

The following documents have been removed from List A:

  • Certificate of US Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-570);
  • Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570);
  • Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151);
  • Unexpired Reentry Permit (Form I-327);
  • Unexpired Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571).

The USCIS removed these forms from the list because they lack features to deter counterfeiting, tampering and fraud.

In addition, the USCIS added the newest version of the Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766), typically called an EAD card,to List A. Presentation of this document has been an accepted means of proving identity and employment eligibility for several years, but was not listed on the I-9 until now. Additionally, this document improves the I-9 by updating the list to reflect currently acceptable documents.

Immediate use of the new I-9 form is not required until it is published in the Federal Register, however, failure to use the new form after publication in the Federal Register may result in fines and penalties.

To view the new form, click here. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also revised the Handbook for Employers, which contains instructions for completing the I-9 form. The new handbook is available by clicking here.

OSHA Issues Protective Equipment Standard
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its long-awaited standard on employer-paid personal protective equipment (PPE). Under the rule, all PPE, with a few exceptions, will be provided at no cost to the employee. Currently, there are approximately 50 OSHA standards that require PPE. Metalcasting facilities would be responsible for the cost of such specialty safety items, such as chaps, spads, face shields and aluminzied coats.

The limited cases that are exceptions to the rule include:

  • non-specialty safety-toe protective footwear, including steel-toe shoes or steel-toe boots, and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear if the employer permits such items to be worn off the job site;
  • if the employer provides metatarsal guards but allows employees upon request to use shoes or boots with built-in metatarsal protection, the employer is not required to reimburse the employee for the shoes or boots;
  • everyday clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, street shoes, and normal work boots, or "ordinary clothing," skin creams, or other items used solely for protection from the weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, and hats do not have to be provided by the employer;
  • uniforms, caps or other clothing employees wear solely for the purpose of identifying them as part of a particular company;
  • lost or intentionally damaged PPE does not have to be replaced at the employer's cost.

According to OSHA, with the exception of footwear, employers for nearly all industries currently pay for more than 90 percent of their employees' PPE. The new PPE rule is estimated to cost $85.7 million annually.

The rule will go into effect on Feb. 13, 2008 and must be implemented by May 15, 2008. This will allow employers time to change their existing PPE payment policies to accommodate the final rule. To review the final rule in its entirety, click here.

If you have any questions regarding the new PPE rule, contact Stephanie Salmon, AFS Washington office, at ssalmon@afsinc.org, or Fred Kohloff, AFS director of environmental health and safety at fhk@afsinc.org.

CMI Offers Sand & Molding Technology Course
The Cast Metals Institute (CMI) will be offering a Sand and Molding Technology course Feb. 12-May 31. In this 84 hour online course, offered in conjunction with Mohawk College, students will gain a thorough understanding of the types of sand used in metalcasting operations, and procedures for mixing & molding sands. Green sand, shell sand and other chemically bonded methods for producing molds and cores are examined. Students will also be able to select suitable methods for producing and testing cores.

This is a self-paced Internet course that is divided into modules or units. You must successfully complete each module before moving onto the next one. You do not have to be on-line at a certain time of day or a certain day of the week, but you must complete assignments by the deadlines given. For more information on this course click here, or contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237.

Green Sand Control Nonferrous Course Available
The Cast Metals Institute (CMI) will be offering a Practical Green Sand Control Nonferrous course Feb. 12-15, at Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, Mich. This course is intended to complement the Foundry Sand Test Procedures Workshop.

Topics covered include the basic components of a green sand system, mixing and mulling, sand compaction methods and controlling a green sand system. Additionally, sand test results, what tests to run and testing frequency and casting defects will be discussed. This course is discussed from a nonferrous foundry perspective. Valuable hands-on lab sessions that reinforce the topics covered in the lecture portion of the course will be included. For more information on this course, click here, or contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237.