The Cast Iron Production and Processing Committee (5P) has been formed by the AFS technical department to address concerns relating to gating, risering, quality control and melting. Established to fill a leadership need, the committee hopes to help its members expand their experience, network and solve problems within their metalcasting facilities and the metalcasting industry as a whole. 

The new committee’s first meeting will be held September 21 at AFS headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill. The topics for the first meeting include the use of rare earths and their availability, casting yield improvements, operation and production concerns, and the basics of producing cast iron. A chairman also will be elected at the meeting. 

The Cast Iron Division restructured in Spring of 2011 in order to maintain active participation and stable leadership. The Gating and Risering (5G), Quality Control (5J) and Molten Metal Processing (5L) Committees combined to form the Production and Processing Committee (5P).

For more information on the upcoming Cast Iron Production and Processing Committee meeting or to join any AFS committee, contact Scott Lammers, AFS technical director, at 800/537-4237 ext. 228 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Chapters of trade organizations will have to utilize new technologies and function differently in order to thrive in the future, according to Leo Baran, AFS director of membership services and lead presenter at the 2011 American Foundry Society Chapter Officer Conference (COC).

Thirty-one chapters were represented at the conference, held Aug. 18-19, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Des Plaines, Ill. The theme of this year’s event, “Chapters 2.0,” reflected the chapters’ need to look at the way they are and will be functioning in the future.

“How will chapters be communicating in the future?” Baran asked. “Will social networking be an integral component? Should video conferencing augment board and chapter meetings? Using new technologies is an inexpensive way to communicate across chapter lines and will be crucial in bringing in fresh faces to the metalcasting industry.”

Theory was put into action on both days of the conference. A representative from the AFS Northern Indiana Chapter worked live with AFS staff to create a Facebook page, and a short video conference was held between attendees and AFS staff using Apple iPads and Facetime technologies. 

Beyond chapter communication and new technologies, presentations included “For Your Industry – Key Chapter Resources,” by Jennifer Head, CMI director of education, and “FEF By the Numbers,” by Joe Costabile, FEF executive secretary. Representatives for the AFS New England, Wisconsin and Detroit-Windsor Chapters also gave presentations at the event.

Jim Schifo, Keramida Inc., Indianapolis, was presented the 2011 Childress-Loebler Award at the 23rd AFS Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Conference. The event was held Aug. 16-17 in conjunction with the Advanced Foundry Environmental Air Seminar at the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel, Indianapolis. 

In addition to the Childress-Loebler Award presentation, AFS presented a Division 10 Service Award to Kim Voss, ThyssenKrupp Waupaca, Inc., Waupaca, Wis., and two Metalcasting Safe Year Awards to Metal Casting Technology Inc., Milford, N.H., and Pure Power Technologies Metalcasting Group, Waukesha, Wis. Presentations at the event included: 

 

•  “Achieving EHS Excellence–Being in the Top Five Most Dangerous Industries Is Nothing to Brag About,” by Ed Foulke, Fisher & Phillips LLC, Atlanta; 
• “Thermal Sand Reclamation,” by Dan Oman, Haley & Aldrich, Ann Arbor, Mich.; 
• Schifo’s “Boiler MACT;” 
• ”How to Prepare for an Environmental Inspection–A Regulatory Perspective,” by Eric Grinstern, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division, Lansing, Mich. 

 

Washington updates focusing on Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations also were presented.