AFS: a strengthening force.

At the last CastExpo, AFS celebrated its 100-year anniversary and this year heralds its entry into the year 2000. Since its inception, the Society has been a major force in developing the metalcasting industry into one all foundrymen can be proud of and has served as a vehicle to drive them through challenges and changes in customer relationships, skills training and technological advances. Activities, programs and accomplishments at AFS during the past fiscal year only have added to that force.

Foundrymen and suppliers have experienced the benefits of AFS firsthand as the Society has over 1000 volunteers from the industry serving its technical and management committees. Membership has leveled off at nearly 13,000 individuals representing some 2500 foundries and suppliers to the metalcasting industry, and more than 600 companies hold corporate membership. While these figures are encouraging and have made AFS the strongest it has ever been, in order for the Society to develop the industry even further, there must be increased participation and membership.

The committees are the backbone of the national program. They are responsible for developing publications, reviewing new processes, conducting conferences, strengthening CMI's curriculum, planning the Casting Congress, and sponsoring and monitoring research projects.

Presently, there are 40 research projects that have significant AFS involvement. By leveraging available funds, AFS research today has a total worth of about $10 million. In addition to research, there are other important projects supported through AFS and industry funding that will impact this industry greatly - namely, the Maximum Achievement Control Technology (MACT) standards for iron, steel and aluminum. Two task force groups, sanctioned by the AFS board of directors, acting as ad hoc committees of the AFS Environmental, Health and Safety Div., are serving as the formal representatives in dealing with the EPA in the development of these standards for the industry. These efforts are supported with more than $300,000 in funding.

AFS also continues its membership in the multi-industry Silica Coalition, designed to ensure that any new standard promulgated on silica is based on current and valid scientific, technical and economic data.

Volunteer members of the AFS Marketing Div. are expanding their efforts to promote metal castings over other manufacturing processes and provide the designers and buyers with casting design and process information on a timely basis.

The recent development and distribution of an interactive tutorial CD-ROM targets three distinct groups of audiences - design engineers and buyers, university faculty and engineering students, and local, state and federal government officials.

Another effort to communicate better with casting customers is being accomplished by modern casting magazine through an entirely new quarterly publication. This new publication, Engineered Casting Solutions, is being distributed to a circulation of 25,000 design engineers, purchasers and students, and provides an informational and advertising medium for the industry and its individual foundries.

modern casting continues to strive toward providing the industry with the most up-to-date news and technology about metalcasting. Most importantly, it produces revenue that directly supports many of the Society's services and programs.

Cast Metals Institute (CMI) had one of its better years in 1998, educating some 2800 students in 110 courses. Since its beginning in 1957, total enrollment for courses has reached 70,352.

Many hours of strategic planning have gone into the CMI education programs the last couple of years, as the Institute addresses the challenges of educating today's workforce. Our members are demanding newer and less costly means of training. One such effort has been the production of video training programs - tapes that can be used by the foundry to train their people in-house on a variety of subjects.

During the past year, the Institute had the pleasure of expanding its Certification Tuition Assistance program, thanks to the H.H. Harris Foundation. This program provides individuals and companies funding toward tuition and some expenses for individuals working toward certifications in several metalcasting skill areas offered through CMI. The first tuition scholarship, the Lester B. Knight Scholarship, was established in January 1998, followed by the H.H. Harris Scholarship in July.

An area where AFS grows stronger each year is in government affairs. We are all proud of the progress made in the few short years the Society has guided the interests of the industry in Washington D.C. We are especially proud of the positive image of the foundry industry among policymakers in Congress and various government agencies. Over the past year our staff at AFS and in Washington took some form of action on the issues identified by the Government Affairs Committee as those affecting the industry most, including: air standards for particulate matter and ozone; OSHA reform; ergonomics; the MACT standards; silica standards; and toxic release inventory and global climate change.

I would like to thank each and every one of the AFS corporate members and individual members for their continued support and participation in the Society's programs. I know of no other organization serving our industry today that provides the depth of services, programs and support to members as does AFS. It has been a true pleasure for me to serve as president of this organization, and I am most grateful for the kindness and support shown to me by everyone this past year.

Jack Moore, AFS President, Stahl Specialty Co., Kingsville, Missouri