Upcoming Webinars

Effect of Melting and Melt Treatment on Aluminum Casting Quality • September 8 • Complimentary for AFS Corporate Members, $25 for AFS Individual Members, $100 for Nonmembers

Those who participate in this webinar will learn the different types of inclusions and defects in aluminum and their sources, such as oxides, entrained refractories, carbides, borides, porosity and iron intermetallics. Degassing processes, including information on gas removal needed for control of porosity and shrinkage, the importance of bubble size on degassing efficiency and the important process parameters in degassing also will be discussed.

To register for this webinar, click here or contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Foundry Sand Beneficial Use Toolkit • TBD • Complimentary for AFS Corporate Members, $25 for AFS Individual Members, $100 for Nonmembers

Many metalcasting facilities have thought about developing a beneficial use program for foundry sand or other foundry byproducts only to be stymied by lack of knowledge and resources about how to get started. Today a significant amount  of information and research has been developed to give you the background and knowledge you need to get your program going. This webinar will describe the tools and resources that you can use to jump start the approval process for reuse of your byproducts and for marketing your materials to potential end users.

For more information on AFS sponsored webinars, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Recorded Webinars

AFS Membership Benefits
Casting Design
Prospecting: Where to Turn for New Leads/Markets in an Economic Downturn
Metalcasting Processes for Casting Buyers
What to Do When OSHA Shows Up
Lead Part 1: What it is, OSHAs Pb Standard 
Lead Part 2: Successful Controls 
OSHA & Ergonomics: An Update
Effective Handling of an OSHA Inspection
 
Internet Course Information

CMI offers several options for on-demand, self-paced internet courses. Short-format courses range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and full-length courses mirror the content taught in our live 2 and 3 day lecture courses. Most are taken through CMI’s e-learning website located at http://castmetalselearning.com/, while a few are hosted by Banu Learning Systems. Individuals view narrated, PowerPoint-based presentations and complete assessments to test comprehension. PDF copies of the presentations are available for download, and certificates of completion become available for printing after passing the assessment.

Online Courses Held on a Rotating Basis
Click here to check availability and to register for CMI Internet Courses.

Analysis of Casting Defects
This online course teaches students to understand and characterize casting defects related to green sand molding, chemically bonded mold/core sands, molten metal, and gating and risering design; understand and identify the probable causes of defective castings; and determine and implement solutions that minimize or eliminate defects.

Casting Cost Estimating
This course will take students through the basics of predicting job costs using example jobs. Estimates based on blueprints are presented and discussed. Methods for determining cost centers are covered, along with ideas for assigning standard costs, and industrial engineering's role in estimating. Students will review sample estimates using a form created during the lectures.

Ductile Iron Metallurgy
Students who complete this course will learn basic ductile iron chemistry and processing, the concepts of chemistry control in ductile iron, the various treatment types and post inoculation in ductile iron production, the various properties of ductile iron and the common types of metallurgical defects associated with ductile iron.

Gating & Riser Design
This course will include information on fluid flow, gating design, heat transfer, solidification and riser design.  Gating and riser sizing will be demonstrated using an Excel spreadsheet, which is included in the course materials.  This course is applicable to both horizontally- and vertically-parted molds and will cover methods for gating and risering cast iron, steel, aluminum, magnesium and copper-base alloys. Special methods for ductile iron are included.

Green Sand Control
This course covers the components of the sand conditioning system that is used to prepare molding sand mixtures.  Students will learn to prepare the process map of sand preparation and identify the input and output variables in the manufacturing of castings, the features of various components of molding sand mixtures used in green sand molding, the precautions to be taken and techniques of testing the various properties of molding sand mixtures. 

On Demand Education (Available 24/7)
To register, click on the appropriate course below.

Basic Metallurgy of Ductile Iron • $100 for AFS Members, $125 for Nonmembers
Great for new employees or anyone wanting a basic introduction to ductile iron metallurgy, this course covers the following topics: the members of the cast iron family; comparisons of the cast iron family; the specifications of the cast iron family; the chemistry of the cast iron family; inoculants used to create ductile iron; production problems; changes in properties when production problems occur; the microstructure of ductile iron; the alloy content of ductile iron; treatment methods; physical limitations; nodulizing problems; process control. (48 minutes)

Hazard Communication Training • $100 for AFS Members, $125 for Nonmembers
Do your employees know what chemicals they are exposed to on a daily basis? Do they know what to do in an emergency situation? Do they know how to read a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to discover potential risks and threats regarding the use of specific substances? All workplaces where employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals must have a written plan that describes how the standard will be implemented in that facility. This program educates employees on what information is contained within the written program and what it means. Also covered is the 16 part MSDS developed by the American Foundry Society for the metalcasting industry, common contaminants and their properties, routes of entry of contaminants, and general safety rules related to hazard communication. (30 minutes)

Defects Related to Gating and Riser Design • $100 for AFS Members, $125 for Nonmembers
Learn about types of green sand casting defects that result from design issues in the gating system. Learn the functions of the gating system, basic design principles, and detailed information about various defects that result from poor gating design, and how to correct them. Defects discussed include those that result from poor metal fluidity and improper layout, such as shrinkage and inclusions. (54 minutes)

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification • $100 for AFS Members, $125 for Nonmembers
A self-paced version of our 6 Week Six Sigma Green Belt course, this course gives you the tools and techniques essential to be an effective member of the Six Sigma Green Belt Team. This course focuses on effective data collection and covers the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) phases of Six Sigma methodology, with special reference to metalcasting processes. Participants in this course will learn how to provide data collection support to Black Belts and also how to fulfill the project leader’s role on small Green Belt metalcasting projects.

Casting Process Optimization • $100 for AFS Members, $125 for Nonmembers
This 20 hour, self-paced course gives you the tools and techniques essential to understand the various sub-processes in your casting facilities. Participants will be given generic process maps and FPR (Factor-Process-Response) diagrams for various sub-processes in the foundries, and then are required to create FPR (Factor-Process-Response) diagrams specific to the sub-processes in their respective foundries. (20 hours)

Introduction to Metalcasting  • $575 for AFS Members, $675 for Nonmembers
This introductory course presents a general overview of the metalcasting process. Individuals view the same presentations as our popular 3 day lecture course. Topics covered include patterns and tooling, molding and coremaking processes, alloys poured, furnaces, gating and risering, cleaning and finishing, casting defects, and inspection techniques. This program also acquaints the student with foundry industry terminology.

For more information or a list of courses currently available, visit http://castmetalselearning.com/