Welcome to e-Connections, the weekly AFS email newsletter. In this February 5, 2008, edition:
CastExpo '08 Attendee Registration Open
Attendee registration for CastExpo '08 is now open via the internet at www.castexpo.com. Sponsored by the American Foundry Society (AFS) and the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA), CastExpo represents the single largest trade show and exposition in North America for metalcasters and industry suppliers with more than 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and more than 350 companies showcasing their products and services to date. Held in conjunction with the 112th Metalcasting Congress, this year's event will be held in Atlanta, May 17-20, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Hall C.
Full CastExpo registration includes entrance to the exhibits, as well as admittance to the more than 200 technical presentations at a cost of $300/AFS and NADCA members and $400/non-members when purchased in advance. An exhibits-only registration option also is available at the advance rate of $50/member and $75/non-member. Register early to take advantage of the unique opportunity to learn more about the latest metalcasting technologies, innovative production practices, ongoing research, successful management tools and more.
Tickets also may be purchased for the various special events, including an AFS/NADCA welcome reception (a premier event for 2008) the AFS Annual Banquet, the AFS President's Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting, and a spouse's "Simply Southern Tour."
Held every three years, CastExpo attracts thousands of decision-making metalcasters from around the world, all of whom are looking for the latest advancements in equipment, technology and services to use in their own facilities. Exhibit space is still available. For more information, contact Expo Productions at 262/367-5500. For registration or ticket purchase inquiries, contact Trish Margel, NADCA, at 847/279-0001.
Designing for the metalcasting process can be a difficult part of any new product development. Whether it's an entirely new product or a redesign of an existing product from another process, or materials, casting design requires a strong knowledge base.
AFS recognizes that metalcasters, OEM design engineers and buyers could use assistance in this arena, and is producing a free webinar focusing on the benefits of the AFS Design Solutions program. Scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 14, at 11 a.m. EST, this 20-minute webinar will give you a broad overview of alloy selection for any new product, concurrent design and engineering processes, evaluation, modeling and prediction, and functional prototyping to production. Case studies also will be presented.
To register for this webinar, visit www.afsinc.org/designsolutionswebinar. For more information, contact Dave Krugman, AFS PR and marketing coordinator, at dkrugman@afsinc.org.
Attend the Environmental 101 Seminar in February
The Environmental 101 seminar will be held February 18-19 at the Crown Plaza Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta, Ga. The focus of this seminar will be for attendees to learn about basic environmental issues and concerns facing the metalcasting industry in the U.S., including permitting and reporting, testing, pollution control and environmental management.
Specific topics discussed include air quality laws and regulations, quantifying foundry air emissions, source testing, air toxics, air permits, emission control systems, iron and steel foundry MACT requirements, waste management laws and regulations, typical foundry waste sources, waste permits recordkeeping and reporting, beneficial reuse options and recycling, water quality laws and regulations, agency inspections including training and licensing, PCB requirements, asbestos requirements, pesticides, how to prepare for an inspection at your facility and more.
Special room rates at the Crown Plaza Atlanta Airport Hotel are available to those who pre-register before Jan. 27. Mention the seminar when registering to receive preferential rates. For more information, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237, or click here to download a brochure.
Researching Salary Trends? New Surveys Available
Four management surveys are available from AFS to help you determine the latest salary trends-Executive Salary Survey, Survey of Wages and Economic Benefits, the National Executive Compensation Survey and the Operational Cost Survey.
The Executive Salary Survey details foundry-specific compensation for 26 executive-level positions, ranging from chairman-of-the-board to salesperson, throughout the U.S. and Canada. Data is broken down by employee number, gross sales and region. This survey is available in both .pdf and print formats.
The Wage and Economic Benefits Survey of metalcasting facilities in the U.S. and Canada reports on wage rates for 28 hourly job classifications. It covers 29 labor market areas in the U.S. and Canada. National reports are given based on the type of metal poured: iron, steel, nonferrous or multi-metal. Breakdowns are given by size (number of employees) and by union or union-free. Results for wages are reported in cents per hour. The report is available in both .pdf and print formats.
The National Executive Compensation Survey benchmarks a company's salaries and benefits. Data for 34 executive-level positions is included, representing participation from more than 1,600 organizations and 19 other employer associations nationwide. It is available in .pdf and print formats.
The Operational Cost Survey was commissioned by AFS and NADCA. The survey is based on the responses from 64 metalcasting firms with sales that amounted to $1.45 billion and covered over 9,200 employees. This survey is available in print format.
For more information on these surveys, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237 or visit the AFS e-Store.
Filling, Feeding & Gating Workshop Coming in March
The Cast Iron Filling, Feeding & Gating workshop will be held March 4-6, at the Hilton Garden Inn-Chicago O'Hare Airport, Des Plaines, Ill. The focus of the hands-on workshop will be choosing one of six computer simulated castings to gate & riser.
In addition, presentations included at this workshop will include current and future system designs, melt quality, treatment an inoculation, green sand mold wall, nobake molding and cores, filters and sleeves, casting process simulation, state of the art world technology, building metalcaster and buyer relationships and more. For more information on this hands-on workshop, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237, or click here to download a brochure.
Participate in the CMI Chapter Course Competition
CMI is currently holding a competition for AFS Chapters that co-sponsor CMI courses. The chapter with the highest attendance from within their chapter area will win $1,000 and three complimentary course registration certificates. Second place will receive $500 and two course certificates and third place receives $250 and one course certificate. To qualify for the competition, the chapter must have at least 10 attendees. The contest will end in June, and entries must be submitted at that time.
For more information, including course schedules and locations, visit the CMI website at www.castmetals.com, or contact Jennifer Head, CMI special projects and course coordinator, at 800/537-4237 or jhead@afsinc.org.
CMI Offers Ductile Iron Metallurgy Internet Course
CMI will be offering an online Ductile Iron Metallurgy course April 7-May 4. In this course students will learn basic ductile iron chemistry and processing, including the concepts of chemistry control, properties of ductile iron, common metallurgical defects, various treatment types and post inoculation.
Information is presented through video lectures, reading assignments and participation in discussion boards. For more information, or to attend this workshop, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237, or click here.
Looking for more information on metallurgy of ductile iron? The Iron Castings Engineering Handbook can help. This conference was designed to promote and discuss the necessity in using the inoculation process to produce quality gray and ductile iron castings. AFS Special Publications has everything you need to supplement your metalcasting training. Visit www.afsinc.org/estore or call 800/537-4237 for more information.
