Granite City, IL

• Tour attendees to be reviewed/vetted by Amsted in advance of tour
• One session, multiple groups sized appropriately
• Check-in & Safety Video @9:00am:
  • Amsted will provide eye, ear & head protection
  • PPE: Safety shoes, foundry appropriate attire (full length pants, etc.)
• Depart for conference venue @11:00am
   

Session Chair:

Rich Lonardo
Defense & Energy Systems
Poland, OH

Kelley Kerns
Additive Manufacturing Division Chair, HA Group
Westmont, IL 

Brandon Ribic
America Makes
Youngstown, OH

America Makes is a Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. Since its inception, America Makes has leveraged a national collaborative ecosystem to advance the readiness level of AM technologies and invigorate the knowledge base, skills, and training available for the domestic AM supply chain. Our strategy is the product of collaboration with our membership, which is comprised of representation from all tiers of the domestic AM supply chain. Castings and forgings are important to the production and readiness of various defense platforms. Supply chain disruption and manufacturing lead times can be influenced by various factors including weather, labor, policy, geopolitical uncertainty, and manufacturing capacity. In 2023, America Makes delivered a Casting and Forging Roadmap which outlined strategic opportunities for integrating AM with casting and forging manufacturing technologies. The presentation will provide a brief overview of the Casting and Forging Roadmap summarizing resulting efforts to date and identify additional gaps and opportunities for future research and development.

Acknowledgment: This material is based on research sponsored by Air Force Research Laboratory under Agreement Number FA8650-20-2-5700. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon.

Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of Air Force Research Laboratory or the U.S. Government.
 

Kyle Peterson
Iron Mountain Foundry
Iron Mountain, MI

Rick August
Liberty Pattern Company
New Liberty, IA 

Binder jet sand printing is increasingly moving beyond rapid prototyping and becoming a practical production tool within modern foundry environments. This presentation will highlight case studies from Liberty Pattern Company demonstrating how Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) and core consolidation strategies can significantly improve the development and manufacturing of complex cast components. 

The session will explore how integrating sand additive manufacturing with traditional patternmaking techniques allows engineers and tooling designers to rethink conventional core design approaches. Topics will include consolidation of multi-piece core assemblies, optimization of internal passages and gating systems, and the role of hybrid tooling strategies that combine printed cores with conventional mold tooling. In many applications, complex core packages that historically required dozens of individually manufactured components can be simplified into a small number of printed cores, reducing assembly operations while improving repeatability and dimensional control.  

The presentation will emphasize practical implementation within existing foundry workflows, outlining where sand printing provides the greatest value and how hybrid manufacturing strategies can be used to balance cost, production efficiency, and tooling complexity. 

Attendees will leave with practical insights into identifying strong candidates for sand additive manufacturing, applying DfAM principles to casting design, and leveraging hybrid tooling solutions to accelerate development while maintaining production-ready manufacturing processes.
 

Doug Imrie
Southern Cast Products
Jonesboro, AR 

Every business needs to follow AI and get ready.

This presentation covers the importance of being ready to adapt AI into a foundry’s operations. AI will have a greater impact on all businesses, including the foundry business, than all other technologies combined. 

AI will impact almost all aspects of the foundry business: Humanoid Robots, Data Analysis, Production Control and Design Optimization are the major aspects. Phone answering, Accounts Payable and customer service are the minor ones. This talk will cover where we are and what to look for to get ready for the Tsunami that is heading for our industry.

Moderator:

Jerry Thiel
Precision Casting Technologies LLC
Dysart, IA

• Metal Casting in the Classroom (15 minutes)
• 
  • Michelle Kerns
    FEF
    Schaumburg, IL
• METAL for America (15 minutes)
• 
  • Jason Walker
    OSU CDME
    Columbus, OH
     

(Drinks, appetizers, & socializing)

Session Chair:

Marshall Miller
Tesserract4D
Rock Spring, GA

Kelley Kerns
Additive Manufacturing Division Chair, HA Group
Westmont, IL 

TBA

Dave Rittmeyer
Matthews Additive Technologies
Ossian, IN

Designing for 3D printed sand requires a shift from conventional manufacturing assumptions toward strategies that leverage the unique characteristics of binder jetting processes. Unlike traditional sand casting mold fabrication, 3D printed sand enables complex internal geometries, integrated cores, and rapid design iteration without the need for tooling. However, designers still need to ensure products can be cleaned, safely handled, and assembled. Proper orientation during printing and thoughtful segmentation of large components can also improve dimensional accuracy and reduce the risk of breakage.

Functional performance and manufacturability must be balanced throughout the design process. Designers should also consider how gating, venting, and core integration can be optimized within the printed mold to improve metal flow and reduce defects. By incorporating process-aware design principles early in development, engineers can fully exploit the advantages of 3D printed sand while mitigating common failure modes. This presentation outlines practical guidelines, common pitfalls, and case-study examples to help designers produce robust, manufacturable sand-printed components for modern foundry applications.

Kirk Rogers, Ph.D. & Andy Davis
The Barnes Global Advisors
Dallas, TX

The Casting Augmentation Tiger Team (CATT) is developing an Industry 3.0/4.0 Implementation Framework to drive practical adoption pathways for small- and medium-sized foundries serving the Department of War. Features of the framework include assessment and the development of pathways that enable small and medium businesses to cost-effectively implement technology to reduce cycle time and costs while improving quality. This project update will report on progress of the development of the structured assessment, foundry-specific initiatives to improve working conditions and product quality, and educational offerings through the American Foundry Society (AFS). In addition to the challenges facing the entire industry, DoW-centric foundries face unique challenges due to High Mix, Low Volume (HMLV) demand, leading to underinvestment in process improvements that result in lower quality, increased costs, and production bottlenecks. BlueForge Alliance data shows that current scrap rates for US Navy-specific non-ferrous alloy castings are about 32%, with rework rates around 48%, meaning only 20% are “first time right”. This project supports the Department of War (DoW) Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which prioritizes speed, flexibility, and rigorous execution, and is funded but the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Office through the Deloitte SWIB contract.
 

Chuck Gerth
Amsted Rail
Granite City, IL 

Rick August
Liberty Pattern Company
New Liberty, IA 

This panel brings together two complementary perspectives on the introduction and use of specialty additives in 3D sand printing for metal casting, with each speaker independently addressing operational practices and real-world experience with specific materials for their specific applications: black iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) and potassium tetrafluoroborate (KBF₄).

Chuck Gerth will present on the integration of BIO at Amsted Rail and Rick August will discuss the integration of KBF4 at Liberty Pattern Company, each expanding on their unique experiences. Both will speak about the challenges they had to overcome with the introduction of these sand additives into their sand printing operation, while addressing the process impacts and operational challenges associated with printing with specialty sand additives.

Marshall Miller
Tesserract4D
Rock Spring, GA 

Michael Farran
Wichita State University
Wichita, KS

Session Chair:

Dave Rittmeyer
Matthews Additive Technologies
Pittsburgh, PA

Whitney Haring-Smith
Anzu Partners
Washington, D.C.

This presentation will examine the changing OEM landscape in additive manufacturing through the lens of an investor deeply engaged in shaping the sector’s future. As a roughly $1 billion AUM industrial technology investor, Anzu Partners brings a perspective informed not only by capital allocation, but by active participation across the additive manufacturing value chain. The discussion will highlight why Anzu led the merger of ExOne and voxeljet, what that combination signals about the direction of 3D sand printing, and how scale, consolidation, and application focus are reshaping the competitive landscape. It will also draw on Anzu’s broader exposure to additive manufacturing, including its position as the largest shareholder in companies such as 6K Additive, to frame where investors see durable value being created across materials, equipment, and production ecosystems. For foundries, the session will focus on what matters most: where 3D sand printing is delivering real operational advantage today, where adoption is accelerating, and what will separate the platforms that win from those that stall. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of the market as seen through the eyes of a long-term industrial technology investor and operator, and with a sharper understanding of where additive manufacturing may create lasting impact in castings production.
 

Aaron Howard
Voxeljet America, Inc.
Canton, MI

Jarek Olszak
Laempe Reich
Trussville, AL 

David Moodie
Foundry Lab
Austin, TX

This presentation introduces Foundry Lab’s Digital Metal Casting (DMC) process, a tool-less approach to producing high-strength metal castings directly from CAD. 

The session then presents a cost-focused case study comparing DMC to traditional sand and investment casting for a low-volume aluminum component. By removing tooling and reducing lead times, DMC offers a complementary approach for high-value, low-volume applications. Key cost considerations and application drivers will be discussed to illustrate where digital casting can add value alongside conventional foundry methods—particularly in prototyping, sustainment, and short-run production.
 

Jacob O’Dell
University of Northern Iowa Industry 4.0 Center
Cedar Falls, IA

In binder jet additive manufacturing, printhead test patterns are routinely generated to assess equipment health. Traditionally, operators evaluate these patterns qualitatively, relying on personal judgment to determine whether to proceed with printing or perform maintenance. Improper evaluations can lead to unnecessary maintenance or prints with a high risk of failure and scrap. To address this, the University of Northern Iowa has developed a preliminary software package that objectively analyzes printhead test patterns and assigns a quantitative health score. This score enables longitudinal tracking and analysis of printhead performance, providing actionable thresholds to support consistent and reliable printing operations.
 

Jiten Shah
PDA LLC
Naperville, IL

The results from OSD funded and Honeywell led research on complex aerospace aluminum alloy 3D printed sand castings. The research focused on as-cast surface finish and dimensional control of 3D printed molds and cores, with reduction in out-gassing will be presented using the best practice driven data generated with the AFS Test Casting poured at Denison Industries and other castings poured at Ohio Aluminum, Chicago Magnesium, and Carley foundries. This was a two-year research project where results will be presented along with a web enabled tool incorporated into the MMDS (Mold Material Data Search) tool developed by PDA. The knowledge and best practices generated through the research project are incorporated into future AFS course curriculum and Institute training courses as well as a revised publication of "The 3D Printed Precision Sand Casting Process" pocketbook.

Nicholas Phares
Liberty Pattern Company
New Liberty, IA

As additive manufacturing continues to mature, its role in production tooling is rapidly evolving from prototype support to fully integrated hybrid solutions. This presentation will explore real-world case studies from Liberty Pattern Company demonstrating how polymer additive and hybrid tooling strategies are reshaping traditional foundry and manufacturing applications.

We will examine how combining additive processes with conventional patternmaking methods enables faster lead times, reduced cost structures, and increased design flexibility for production environments. Topics will include hybrid tooling integration, material selection considerations, structural enhancements, and performance comparisons between fully printed, traditionally built, and hybrid tooling systems.

The discussion will focus on practical implementation: where additive adds value, where it does not, and how to strategically deploy polymer-based and hybrid tooling to maximize ROI. Attendees will gain insight into decision-making frameworks, lessons learned from field performance, and the development roadmap for next-generation tooling applications in aerospace, industrial, and complex core production.

This session is designed for manufacturers, engineers, and tooling professionals seeking actionable strategies to integrate additive manufacturing into scalable production environments—not just experimentation, but execution.

All speakers/presenters