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Metalcasting is a process in which molten metal is poured into a mold (often of complex geometry) to produce a usable good or component. A wide variety of casting processes (utilizing molds made of sand, metal dies and ceramics) and metal choices can be combined to serve unique geometric and economic objectives for the final product. While all metals can be cast, the most predominant are iron, aluminum, steel and copper-base alloys.
History- Casting was among the earliest of American industries.
- The first casting produced on U.S. soil was the Saugus Pot, cast in 1642 at Saugus Iron Works, located near Lynn, Massachusetts.
- Seven signers of the Declaration of Independence (Philip Livingstone, George Taylor, James Smith, George Ross, Stephen Hopkins, Charles Carroll and James Wilson) were metalcasters.
Demographics- The U.S. casting industry currently consists of 2,336 operations (80% of which are small businesses with less than 100 employees). Due to increased foreign competition, regulatory burdens and some attempts over the last decade to position the U.S. more toward a service economy, this number is down from 3300 in 1990 and as high as 6000 in 1955.
- The metalcasting industry represents 220,000 jobs in the U.S.
Markets/Applications- Last year's 14.14 million tons of castings in the U.S. were valued at $33 billion. The U.S. is the world's second-largest producer of castings (China is first), followed by Japan, Russia, Germany and India.
- You may not realize it, but cast products are all around you. If a given product is not cast itself, it is almost assured that castings were used to produce it. More than 90% of all manufactured goods and capital equipment use castings as engineered components or rely on castings for their manufacture.
- While there are literally thousands of markets that use metal castings, the largest (in terms of tonnage) are: automotive and light truck (31% of the total); pipe and fittings (15%); construction, mining and oil field equipment (6%); internal combustion engines; railroad equipment; valves; farm machinery; municipal castings and pumps/compressors. All sectors of the U.S. military also rely on metal castings for tank, truck, jet engine and other vital components.
Outlook- The presence of imported castings continues to hurt the domestic metalcasting industry and its jobs, as offshore foundries have grown to meet 20% of the demand in the U.S.
While 2001-03 were very difficult years for U.S. metalcasters, demand for castings in the U.S. is expected to sharply increase in the years ahead with 25 year production highs expected in 2008.
- Aluminum, ductile iron and magnesium are each expected to set modern-era shipment records in the near-term.
For more information on metalcasting, try the following articles recently published in MODERN CASTING and Engineered Casting Solutions: |
