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 foundrymen.
Demographics
The U.S. casting industry currently consists of 2,130 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 3,300 in 1990 and as high as 6,000 in 1955.
The metalcasting industry represents 200,000 jobs in the U.S.
Markets/Applications
In 2008, more than 12.6 million tons of castings in the U.S. were valued at more than $31.5 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
Recent interviews with casting users indicate that most market sectors are experiencing losses in shipments in the first quarter of 2009 as the domino effect of poor sales has affected markets beyond automotive and housing starts. These losses indicate that the metalcasting industry will struggle to rebound in the next three quarters to match 2008’s tonnage and sales.
The production of light vehicles fell close to 30% in the first quarter of 2009. Medium to heavy truck and trailer production is expected to fall to about 190,000 units after dropping in 2008, and orders for railroad freight cars in 2009 are expected to fall to 40,000.
Based on these and other first quarter statistics, total metal casting shipments are reforecast to decrease 2,300,000 in 2009 versus 2008.
For more information on metalcasting, try the following articles recently published in MODERN CASTING and Metal Casting Design & Purchasing:
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