Support of research is critical for North America to maintain a strong, vibrant, healthy and continually advancing metalcasting industry. Part of AFS' mission is to promote these activities for the betterment of our membership, our industry and our society.

AFS directly funds research projects from allocation of a portion of the annual dues paid by AFS Corporate Membership. The current AFS Funded Research Projects are described below. The other projects are funded through research partnerships, government funding and industry contributions. AFS participates in these projects by securing industry partners and providing technical management and oversight. Current research funding partnerships include: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Industrial Technology funded through the Energy-Saving Melting and Revert Reduction Technology (E-SMAART) and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) funded through the American Metalcasting Consortium (AMC) Castings for Improved Readiness (CIDR) Programs. See the latest information contained on these projects by clicking on the link below titled 2010 AMC Annual Report.

AFS Funded and Monitored Research

For FY2010-2011, seven projects are currently being funded through the allocation of a portion of the AFS Corporate Member Dues and industry in-kind funding:

• Aging and Machinability Interactions in Ductile Iron
• Ductile and CG Iron Casting Skin-Evaluation, Effect on Fatigue Strength and Elimination
• Ductile Iron Structure/Property Optimization & Enhancement Phase I
• Effects of Varying SiC Purity on Cupola Performance
• Optimizing Mechanical Properties of Cast Iron Alloys - A319 & A356 (Phase I/Phas II) - CWRU
• Standard Test for Machinability of Cast Iron
• Ultrasonic Tesing Cast Steel Gage R&R Study

Metalcasting Industry Funded and Monitored Research

AFS has established the Metalcasting Research Foundation as a mechanism to fund metalcasting research, support educational efforts and help ensure our future and legacy. It is time to take our fate out of the hands of politicians and special interest groups. By creating a not-for-profit foundation, we have established the mechanism to advance metalcasting technology, support educational institutions, and provide our members a competitive edge in the marketplace. For more information or to donate, visit the Metalcasting Research Foundation webpage.

Beyond the Metalcasting Research Foundation, AFS is currently a partner on four government/industry funded projects:

AMC (American Metalcasting Coalition)
E-357 Aluminum Statistical Properties  
Machinability of Ferrous Castings
Refractory Coating Thickness
2010 AMC Annual Report

AFS Advanced Lightweight Casting Solutions for Defense Applications (ALCS)
ALCS Call for White Papers
ALCS White Paper Format
ALCS Program Description
ALCS Advisory Board

USCAR-USAMP
High-Integrity Magnesium Automotive Components

Energy Saving Melting and Revert Reduction Technology (E-SMARRT)
Overview
Predicting Pattern Tooling and Casting Dimension for Investment Casting
Manufacturing Advanced Engineered Components Using Lost Foam Casting Technology

AFS, Univ. of Northern Iowa and National Industrial Sand Assoc. Sand Casting Consortium
Overview
AFS Library Search Results - Dimensional Accuracy and Repeatability
Research Completed

AFS Technology Transfer
Metalcasting Congress
International Journal of Metalcasting
Conferences
Cooperative Effort with Other Organizations
No-Lead Copper Alloy Consortium
Website Development
Technical Resource
AFS Library Website
American Metalcasting Coalition Website
2008 WFO Energy Technical Forum

Forms

To download one of the research forms, click on the appropriate link:

AFS Research Proposal Form
AFS R&D Project Committee Tracking & Divison Approval Form
AFS Research Memo Agreement Contract Form
Proposal Concept White Paper Form
AFS Research In-Kind Form

If you are interested in participating in an AFS project or committee activity, contact the AFS Technical Department at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or Tom Prucha, vice president of technical services, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The AFS technical department has compiled many resources over the years to help your metalcasting facility become as efficient as possible. For more information, click on the appropriate link below.

Melting

Molding

Sand Testing

Pouring

Shakeout

Finishing

AFS technical staff can be your personal metalcasting operation consultant, visiting your plant to help correct quality problems, review and analyze metalcasting procedures, and make recommendations for improvements. We can provide a "fresh pair of eyes" to help you minimize casting losses and improve overall operations.

To maintain the integrity and high standards of AFS Transactions, all papers offered to AFS must pass a peer review system of three reviewers to ensure that only original papers of the highest quality are presented at the AFS Metalcasting Congress and published in Transactions.

All papers submitted for presentation at the Metalcasting Congress and/or publication in AFS Transactions must arrive in the AFS Metalcasting offices (Schaumburg, IL) by October 1. All papers submitted for publication or presentation must meet this submission deadline, including all papers relating to AFS or industry sponsored research, special committee reports such as Silver Anniversary and other special lectures. Papers received past the October 1 deadline will not be processed or accepted.

For more information on submitting a paper for inclusion in the Metalcasting Congress and AFS Transactions, visit http://papers.afsinc.org.

Support of research is critical for North America to maintain a strong, vibrant, healthy and continually advancing metalcasting industry. Part of AFS' mission is to promote these activities for the betterment of our membership, our industry and our society.

AFS directly funds research projects from allocation of a portion of the annual dues paid by AFS Corporate Membership. The current AFS Funded Research Projects are described below. The other projects are funded through research partnerships, government funding and industry contributions. AFS participates in these projects by securing industry partners and providing technical management and oversight. Current research funding partnerships include: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Industrial Technology funded through the Energy-Saving Melting and Revert Reduction Technology (E-SMAART) and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) funded through the American Metalcasting Consortium (AMC) Castings for Improved Readiness (CIDR) Programs. See the latest information contained on these projects by clicking on the link below titled 2010 AMC Annual Report.

AFS Funded & Monitored Research

For FY2010-2011, seven projects are currently being funded through the allocation of a portion of the AFS Corporate Member Dues and industry in-kind funding:

• Aging and Machinability Interactions in Ductile Iron
  
• Ductile and CG Iron Casting Skin-Evaluation, Effect on Fatigue Strength and Elimination
  
• Ductile Iron Structure/Property Optimization & Enhancement Phase I
  
• Effects of Varying SiC Purity on Cupola Performance
  
• Optimizing Mechanical Properties of Cast Iron Alloys - A319 & A356 (Phase I/Phas II) - CWRU
  
• Standard Test for Machinability of Cast Iron
  
• Ultrasonic Tesing Cast Steel Gage R&R Study 

The AFS Library allows users to search metalcasting articles online.

The American Foundry Society (AFS) is proud to announce its newest publication, the International Journal of Metalcasting (IJMC). The IJMC is dedicated to leading the transfer of research and technology for the global metalcasting industry.

The quarterly IJMC will work closely with the annual AFS Transactions to keep the latest developments in metalcasting research and technology in front of the scientific leaders in our global industry throughout the year.

If you are interested in purchasing a subscription to the Journal, download the subscription form and fax to 847/824-7848. To visit the IJMC website, click here.

All papers published in the IJMC will be approved only after a rigorous peer review process. The editorial peer review board represents three international metalcasting groups: academia (metalcasting professors); science and research (personnel from national labs, research and scientific institutions); and industry (leading technical personnel from metalcasting facilities).

For more information, contact Tom Prucha, AFS vice president of technical services, at 847/824-0181 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .