Contraction Still Expected in '00.Interviews of major casting end-users reinforce the original forecast for a contraction contraction, in physics contraction, in physics: see expansion. contraction, in grammar contraction, in writing: see abbreviation. contraction - reduction in the economy, however, many casting markets remain strong despite the overall slowdown For articles with similar titles, see Slow Down (disambiguation). A slowdown is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. . An analysis of econometric e·con·o·met·rics n. (used with a sing. verb) Application of mathematical and statistical techniques to economics in the study of problems, the analysis of data, and the development and testing of theories and models. factors indicates that a slight contraction in some major market sectors is probable this year, with a corresponding 5-6% decline in overall casting shipments. A marked increase in imports, especially from Asiatic countries, is threatening domestic suppliers in specific market sectors and causing a reduction of shipments despite an expansion in casting demand. After 8 years of continued economic expansion, the slight downturn forecast for some sectors is not expected to curtail cur·tail tr.v. cur·tailed, cur·tail·ing, cur·tails To cut short or reduce. See Synonyms at shorten. [Middle English curtailen, to restrict expansion efforts by major casting producers. Gray Iron U.S. gray iron casting shipments continued above the 6-million ton level in 1999, despite some declines in specific market sectors. A loss of 7% is forecast for '00 as most market sectors are expected to decline. Motor Vehicles--Light vehicle production saw a record year in '99. Production was up 9% over '98 and 5% over the former '94 peak year. Transplant transplant or graft Partial or complete organ or other body part removed from one site and attached at another. It may come from the same or a different person or an animal. One from the same person—most often a skin graft—is not rejected. production was 21% of the total. Passenger car production rose 1.3% while light trucks increased 15% to capture 56% of the total light vehicle production. Though light vehicle production is expected to drop 4.6% in 2000, another 12-million production year is forecast. Gray iron casting use per light vehicle dropped 6% in '99 to 300 lb/vehicle and is expected to decrease to 280 lb this year as aluminum conversions accelerate. Gray iron casting shipments for light vehicles is forecast to decline 11% over '99. Medium-to-heavy truck production hit a unit record last year, and will decline about 15%. Gray iron casting usage in medium-to-heavy trucks and trailers is expected to decline to roughly the same level as in '97. Municipal Castings--The forecast decline in housing starts is expected to reduce domestic production of municipal castings to 490,000 tons; but still another good year overall despite imports of 65,000 tons. Internal Combustion combustion, rapid chemical reaction of two or more substances with a characteristic liberation of heat and light; it is commonly called burning. The burning of a fuel (e.g., wood, coal, oil, or natural gas) in air is a familiar example of combustion. Engines--Production of diesel engines, as well as lawn/garden equipment, are expected to have a down year after peaking in '98-'99, based on expected reductions in shipments of trucks, tractors, and off-road equipment. A 10% decline in gray iron casting shipments is forecast. Machine Tools--Based on the continued decline of U.S. machine tool shipments, gray iron casting consumption is expected to drop 5% vs. last year and 20% off the '97 peak year. Pumps & Compressors--Gray iron casting shipments are expected to continue to decline to 245,000 tons in 2000, near the 1997 level, as demand of both compressors and pumps declines slightly. Refrigeration refrigeration, process for drawing heat from substances to lower their temperature, often for purposes of preservation. Refrigeration in its modern, portable form also depends on insulating materials that are thin yet effective. & A. C.--After 6 expansion years, gray iron casting usage is forecast to drop as housing starts and auto production decreases. Household Appliances--Lower demand, imports and material substitution are expected to lower shipments of gray iron to a record low of 60,000 tons in '00. This tonnage TONNAGE, mar. law. The capacity of a ship or vessel. 2. The act of congress of March 2, 1799, s. 64, 1 Story's L. U. S. 630, directs that to ascertain the tonnage of any ship or vessel, the surveyor, &c. is expected to drop by another one-third in future years as conversion to plastic and light metals (Chem.) the metallic elements of the alkali and alkaline earth groups, as sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, etc.; also, sometimes, the metals of the earths, as aluminium. See also: Metal continues. Special Industry Machinery--Lower demand in major machinery classifications has reduced shipments from gray iron jobbers late last year. These conditions are not expected to improve in '00, and gray iron consumption is expected to continue to decline another 1%. Electric Motors & Generators--Imports from China continue to flood this market, which is already facing substitution by aluminum and plastic. Shipments of gray iron are forecast to decrease 10% in '00. Ductile Iron Ductile iron, also called ductile cast iron or nodular cast iron, is a type of cast iron invented in 1943 by Keith Millis[1]. While most varieties of cast iron are brittle, ductile iron is much more ductile, as the name implies. A record 4.3 million tons was shipped in '99, due to peak production in motor vehicles and pressure pipe. A loss of 2.3% to 4.2 million tons is expected in '00. Pipe--Ductile iron pipe production has seen 4 consecutive strong years, and this is expected to continue in '00 despite a slight loss in shipments. Continued softening softening /sof·ten·ing/ (sof´en-ing) malacia. softening a change of consistency, with loss of firmness or hardness. of European currency exchange rates can improve the competitiveness of French and German pipe producers, reducing U.S. exports. Competitiveness from PVC PVC: see polyvinyl chloride. PVC in full polyvinyl chloride Synthetic resin, an organic polymer made by treating vinyl chloride monomers with a peroxide. pipe continues to reduce further expansion possibilities. Motor Vehicles--Average ductile iron weight per light vehicle is expected to rise to 180 lb in 2000 and reduce the forecast loss in consumption to 2%, despite a reduction in light vehicle demand. General Motors is expected to begin outsourcing (1) Contracting with outside consultants, software houses or service bureaus to perform systems analysis, programming and datacenter operations. Contrast with insourcing. See netsourcing, ASP, SSP and facilities management. some of its malleable iron (Metal.) iron sufficiently pure or soft to be capable of extension under the hammer; also, specif., a kind of iron produced by removing a portion of the carbon or other impurities from cast iron, rendering it less brittle, and to some extent malleable. this year and may consider converting some parts to ductile iron this year. A total of 100,000 tons of potential conversions to ductile iron could be possible in the next 2 years. Shipments for use in medium-to-heavy trucks are expected to decline to 210,000 tons as demand decreases. Growth in austempered ductile iron applications continues. Construction Machinery & Equipment--The construction industry had a strong year in '99, growing 3.5%. The forecasted decline of 0.5% this year parallels the expected reduction in housing starts. Shipments of ductile iron are expected to drop 1% this year. Oil Field Equipment--After a poor start in '99, ductile iron use in oil field equipment climbed 5% and is expected to increase another 6% in '00, based on elevated prices. Farm Machinery & Equipment -- Farm machinery sales fell 10% last year and are expected to drop another 5% this year. Shipments of ductile iron are expected to drop another 4% this year. Steel Castings Steel casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured into a mold, allowed to solidify within the mold, and then the mold is broken and the solid piece is taken out. Freight car production again exceeded 70,000 cars in '99 and spurred U.S. steel The United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States and Central Europe. The company is the world's seventh-largest steel producer ranked by sales (see list of steel producers). casting shipments to 1.5 million tons. Based on a reduction in car deliveries in '00, along with decreases in demand in other market sectors, shipments are expected to decline to 1.4 million tons. Railroad--Freight car deliveries this year are expected to decline by 10,000 cars, causing a drop of 15% in steel casting shipments. A further decline is forecast next year before car shipments begin to peak again in '04-'05. Construction & Mining--Steel casting consumption in construction machinery is forecast to drop in '00, while a slight rebound rebound (rē´bownd), n/v 1. a recovery from illness. n 2. an outbreak of fresh reflex activity after withdrawal of a stimulus rebound adjective in mining machinery parts is forecast. Mining machinery shipments dropped 9.5% in '98 and declined again last year for the third consecutive year. A rebound is expected to begin in '00. Oil Field Equipment--High oil prices again is spurring equipment orders and causing increases in steel casting demand. Corrosion Resistant Steel Castings--A decline of 5% in shipments is forecast this year based on expected drops in valve/pump demand. Boom demand in corrosion applications is expected to spur casting shipments in 2002 and 2003. Aluminum The continued conversion to aluminum among automakers, plus last year's peak production for light vehicles, elevated aluminum shipments in the U.S. to a record 2 million tons. A repeat year is expected in '00 as engine block conversion accelerates. Diecasting shipments reached 1.17 million tons last year and are expected to match that figure in '00. Shipments of permanent mold mold, name for certain multicellular organisms of the various classes of the kingdom Fungi, characteristically having bodies composed of a cottony mycelium. The colors of molds are caused by the spores, which are borne on the mycelium. and sand cast aluminum is expected to exceed 800,000 tons in '00 based on increased production of blocks/heads and other motor vehicle and internal combustion engine Internal combustion engine A prime mover, the fuel for which is burned within the engine, as contrasted to a steam engine, for example, in which fuel is burned in a separate furnace. parts. Aerospace casting shipments fell 8% last year and are expected to drop another 10% in '00. Motor Vehicle--Aluminum engine block usage in light vehicles is expected to reach 35% by '01 and 60% by '06 and increase the average aluminum castings per vehicle to 250 lb. Aluminum casting consumption in light vehicles in '00 is expected to reach 1.2 million tons, 57% of which are produced by via diecasting. Aluminum cylinder head usage should reach 80% next year and grow to 94% by '06. About 22% of the heads now are imported. Copper-Base Castings Shipments of brass and bronze castings are forecast to decline 5.6% in '00. Imports and substitution of plastic for brass parts has lowered shipments from U.S. foundries.
Casting Consumption in Light Vehicles
1980-2009 (lb per vehicle)
1980 1990 2000 2009
Gray Iron 590 350 280 180
Ductile Iron 194 170 190 180
Aluminum 80 110 210 270
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