Congress attracts nearly 1600 metalcasters.

Exceeding the expectations of many in the foundry industry, by the time the 95th AFS Casting Congress closed, 1597 metalcasters had registered to attend the 1991 annual meeting of the American Foundrymen's Society.

Concern about attendance at this year's Congress, which opened on Sunday, May 5, in Birmingham, Alabama, centered on the general state of the foundry industry. With the business levels of many of the industry's major user markets operating at a slow pace since last fall, there were underlying fears that metalcasters might choose to stay home this year. But with a turnout of nearly 1600, the meeting was considered a success by any standard.

In addition to having exceptional attendance, more than 120 individual technical presentations and 93 tabletop exhibits, the 95th Casting Congress was special in other ways. At least two important "firsts" set this year's meeting apart from others. This was the first national meeting of the Society since AFS and the American Cast Metals Assn. merged earlier this year to form the "New AFS."

Also, this year's Congress marked the first time an AFS national award has been accorded to a woman. Mary Beth Krysiak, technical director, George Fischer Foundry Systems, received one of three 1991 AFS Awards of Scientific Merit for her work on the measurement of ammoniacal nitrogen, soluble calcium and magnesium as well as for her participation on AFS technical committees.

A variety of other special events also highlighted this year's meeting. A full report on the 95th AFS Casting Congress appears in this issue of modem casting. Foundry Executive Asks: "Do You Care?"

One of the great challenges the U.S. and its economic system face is the urgent need to educate workers and instill in them a cooperative sense of community within their companies, Robert Reesman, vice president, Intermet Foundries, Inc., told his audience. Reesman was the keynote speaker at the annual AFS Sand Division Dinner.

We must be visionary in our approach to people utilization. I question if the role of foreman, the layers of mid-management and the reams of paperwork are truly needed today," he said.

People are the secret to the equation. It is the quality of management layers and not the quantity that counts."

Managers should integrate their time and work with their employees because workers need to feel that what they do counts and that their job function is important, according to Reesman.

He believes that workers feel alienated from their leadership. "All management must show a genuine interest in plant operations. It can't be done from an office; it must be done at the grassroots level."

In conclusion, Reesman said industry must first refocus the goals of its management teams and select the right people for leadership roles. Second, the U.S. must upgrade the technical part of its high school system, recognizing that only a quarter of high school graduates finish college.

Overall, the country must educate its work force to compete successfully in the world marketplace, Reesman said. The velocity of emerging technologies compresses time. This means that the country needs a technical training system that will deliver high-quality journeymen to all segments of industry. it needs to create standards for the mastery of benchmark skills, and employers must have competency tests to upgrade the work force.