Welcome to e-Connections, the weekly AFS email newsletter. In this April 14, 2009, edition:
Metalcasting Congress a Hit in Vegas
The metalcasting industry was on display at th 113th Metalcasting Congress, held April 7-10 at the Paris Hotel, Las Vegas. Cosponsored by AFS and the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA), the event included 1,215 attendes, while 174 companies showcased the latest technology, equipment and services available to the metalcasting industry. In addition, technical and management sessions offered advice and research findings in all areas of metalcasting.
A highlight of the Metalcasting Congress was the presentations of six prestigious awards.
- Thomas W. Pangborn Gold Medal—presented to Victor LaFay, research and technical development manager in North America, S &B Industrial Minerals NA Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
- AFS Awards of Scientific Merit—presented to David Caulk, technical fellow, General Motors Research and Development Center, Troy, Mich. and Sam Ramrattan, professor in the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Western Michigan Univ., Kalamazoo, Mich.
- AFS Service Citation—awarded to Harold Hoak (retired)
- Ray H. Witt Award—presented to Gerald Cole, Light Weight Strategies LLC, Franklin, Mich.
- Howard F. Taylor Award—presented to David Caulk and Martin Barone, General Motors Research and Development Center.
In 2010, AFS and NADCA will be hosting CastExpo and the 114th Metalcasting Congress in Orlando. For more information on the 113th Metalcasting Congress, contact Dave Krugman, AFS PR and marketing coordinator, at 800/537-4237 x 286 or dkrugman@afsinc.org.
Lawmakers Release Strict Carbon Plan
U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and U.S. Congressman Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, released a draft on March 31 of their comprehensive energy bill, entitled The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES).
The draft legislation reflects recommendations put forth by the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of businesses and environmental groups that support swift passage of a climate and energy bill. The 648-page draft bill addresses cap-and-trade regulation, renewable electricity standards, energy efficiency mandates and a low-carbon fuel standard.
The draft legislation’s cap-and-trade proposal calls for a 20 percent cut from 2005 levels by 2020. This is more aggressive than the President’s budget, which calls for a 14 percent cut by 2020. This draft bill calls for an 83 percent reduction below 2005 levels by 2050. This also is more aggressive than the failed Lieberman-Warner bill of 2007 which called for a reduction of 66 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. To read a summary of the draft legislation, click here.
For more information, contact Alicia Oman, Metalcasting Industry Government Affairs Office, at 202/884-4864 or ao@wafed.com, or visit www.afsinc.org.
Cores' Role in Casting Design
Looking for information to send to casting buyers and designers about the benefits of metalcasting, look to www.metalacstingdesign.com as your resource. The following was excerpted from a recent article posting. Keep in touch for future updates every month.
"One of metalcasting’s strongest selling points is its ability to encompass several parts, often in the form of a welded assembly, into one component. This is possible because the nature of the metalcasting process lends itself to complex geometries. At the heart of many of these complex geometries is a core or core assembly.
A core is a shaped body, usually made of sand, which forms the interior part of the casting, like the cavity the pit makes in the flesh of a peach. In metalcasting, the mold provides a space for the molten metal to go, while the core keeps the metal from filling the entire space.
Cores allow you to incorporate holes in your design, but these holes don’t have to be limited to the see-through kind you’d find in a length of pipe. Cores can take on a variety of angles and shapes, and more than one can be used per casting. Sometimes, an assembly of cores is constructed to create a web of internal passageways and chambers. For many seemingly impossible parts, imagination and cores can turn a floundering design into a winning engineered component."
AFS Safe Performance Award Announced
AFS has introduced the Safe Year Performance Award, which is designed to commend AFS corporate member facilities with nine or more employees that complete one calendar year without incurring an OSHA recordable accident. Candidates for this new award must apply by Jan. 15, 2010. The award will be presented at the 22nd AFS Environmental, Health & Safety Conference in August 2010.
Applications for this award can be downloaded at the AFS website at www.afsinc.org/ehs/safetyandhealth. For more information, contact Fred Kohloff, AFS director of environmental, health & safety, at fhk@afsinc.org or 800/537-4237 x 230.
Attend the Managing Heat Stress Webinar
With the summer months rapidly approaching, AFS is producing a webinar for its Corporate Members focusing on the many different ways to manage heat stress . This webinar is scheduled for Thursday, April 23 at 11:00 EST.
To register for this webinar, click here or contact Dave Krugman, AFS PR and marketing coordinator, at 800/537-4237 x 286 or dkrugman@afsinc.org.
CMI Offers Practical Green Sand Control-Ferrous Course
CMI will be offering a Practical Green Sand-Ferrous course June 9-12 at Kent State Univ., Kent, Ohio. This program is designed to bring out current sand-control practice for a wide range of casting operations. Your company will benefit immediately from sending students to this course, because the student will:
- learn what makes up a green sand system
- discuss sand requirements for green sand systems
- learn how to improve system sand quality
- determine how to control sand-related defects
- discover what sand tests to run and at what frequency
- find out the proper mixing and mulling techniques.
The approach to this four-day program is informal, to ensure maximum discussion, interchange of techniques and questions on major problems. You and your company will benefit from the interaction with other metalcasters, especially during the open discussion periods, when all your sand-control questions can be answered.
For more information or to attend this course, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237, or click here to register.
