Slow dip in 2008 leads to small bump in 2009: casting shipments continue to decline this year, leading to a slight uptick next year.A preliminary analysis of the use of metal castings Metal casting A metal-forming process whereby molten metal is poured into a cavity or mold and, when cooled, solidifies and takes on the characteristic shape of the mold. in the U.S. indicates that the 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. forecast for 2008 continues, and a loss of 3.8% in casting shipments is to follow the drop in 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. in 2007. The slowdown experienced in the first six months of this year in most casting market sectors is expected to continue into 2009; however, shipments should increase 2.8% over this year's totals. Sales of passenger cars and light trucks have continued to drop in 2008, high inventories have resulted, and some car makers have plans to idle metalcasting plants in the second half of the year. A 6.9% loss in production of light vehicles is likely over the course of this year, following the 3% loss in 2007 and the 7.9% drop in 2006. Housing starts also have declined in the first half of the year, reinforcing the forecast of a 5% decline in 2008, which followed the 10% loss in 2007 and the 13% drop in 2006. Imports of castings from Asian nations Noun 1. Asian nation - any one of the nations occupying the Asian continent Asian country country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" and countries involved in the North American Free Trade Agreement North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), accord establishing a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States and took effect on Jan. 1, 1994. continue to increase and are affecting shipments from U.S. metalcasting facilities despite increased demand in some market sectors. Following is a breakdown of the 2009 forecast of casting demand by metal, as well as the resulting forecast for shipments. Casting Demand Interviews of casting consumers in specific market sectors have generated a distribution of casting demand forecasts by weight ranges and processes. The demand forecast is the predicted tons (Transparent Optical Networking Services) A marketing term for providing dark fiber to a customer. The customer is responsible for generating the transmission signal and interpreting it at the other end. See dark fiber. of castings consumed con·sume v. con·sumed, con·sum·ing, con·sumes v.tr. 1. To take in as food; eat or drink up. See Synonyms at eat. 2. a. . A shipment forecast is calculated using this data. Investment castings investment casting Precision casting for forming metal shapes with minutely precise details. Casting bronze or precious metals typically involves several steps, including forming a mold around the sculptured form; detaching the mold (in two or more sections); coating its are not included in the forecast. Gray Iron Engineered Castings The predicted demand for gray iron engineered castings in 2009, excluding municipal, soil pipe and ingot mold a box or mold in which ingots are cast. See also: Ingot castings, is 4,142,000 tons (Table 1). Approximately ap·prox·i·mate adj. 1. Almost exact or correct: the approximate time of the accident. 2. 40% of the total is in the 0-50-lb. (0-23-kg) weight range, where most of the castings are produced in vertically and horizontally-parted flaskless molding machines (Woodworking) A planing machine for making moldings (Founding) A machine to assist in making molds for castings. See also: Molding Molding . In 2009, 26% of the total (1,056,000 tons) is forecast to be in the 50-150-1b. (23-68-kg) range. This percentage is to gradually grad·u·al adj. Advancing or progressing by regular or continuous degrees: gradual erosion; a gradual slope. n. Roman Catholic Church 1. increase to near 27%, as iron blocks and heads are converted to aluminum. The forecast of 649,000 tons of gray iron consumed in light vehicles is expected to be cut in half in four years. Heavy gray iron castings (greater than 700 lbs. [318 kg]) are predominantly pre·dom·i·nant adj. 1. Having greatest ascendancy, importance, influence, authority, or force. See Synonyms at dominant. 2. used in diesel engines, pumps and compressors, and machines for the machine tool and special industry groups. The castings are predominantly made in nobake or green sand floor molds. Approximately 82% of the castings in the 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. and air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. category are made in vertically parted machines, shell molds or lost foam. 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. Engineered Castings The predicted demand for ductile iron engineered castings in 2009, exclusive of ductile iron pipe, is 2,419,000 tons, with 63% of the total in the 0-50-lb. weight range (Table 2). The larger portion of this weight range is contained in suspension, brake, bracket In programming, brackets (the [ and ] characters) are used to enclose numbers and subscripts. For example, in the C statement int menustart [4] = ; the [4] indicates the number of elements in the array, and the contents are enclosed in curly braces. , yokes and housings for automotive applications made in vertically parted molding machines. Most of the castings in the 50-300-lb. (23-136-kg) weight range are made for construction machinery, valves, pumps and special industry machinery. Carbon 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. The forecast demand for carbon and low alloy steel Low alloy steel is steel alloyed with other elements, usually molybdenum, manganese, chromium, vanadium, silicon, boron or nickel, in amounts of up to 10% by weight to improve the hardenability of thick sections. castings in 2009 is 547,000 tons, exclusive of railroad railroad or railway, form of transportation most commonly consisting of steel rails, called tracks, on which freight cars, passenger cars, and other rolling stock are drawn by one locomotive or more. castings (Table 3). Approximately 34% of the demand is included in the 0-100-lb. (0-45-kg) weight range. The greater than 10,000-lb. (4,535-kg) castings produced in these alloys This is a list of alloys for which an article exists in Wikipedia (or is proposed but not yet written). They are grouped by base metal, in order of increasing atomic number. Within these headings they are in no particular order. are primarily consumed in the turbine turbine, rotary engine that uses a continuous stream of fluid (gas or liquid) to turn a shaft that can drive machinery. A water, or hydraulic, turbine is used to drive electric generators in hydroelectric power stations. , steel mill, gears and special industry machinery categories, as well as in fluid handling equipment not included in the valve and pump categories. Approximately 264,000 tons of carbon and low alloy steel castings are in the 101-1,000-1b. (46-454-kg) range. These generally are cope and drag In foundry work, the terms Cope and Drag refer to the upper and lower parts of a two-part casting flask, used in sand casting. The flask is a wood or metal frame, which contains the molding sand, providing support to the sand as the metal is poured into the mold. castings used primarily in mining and construction machinery. Corrosion Resistant Steel Castings Approximately one-third of the corrosion resistant steel castings are in the valve market sector, with 77% in the 0-500-lb. (0-227-kg) weight range (Table 4). Aluminum Castings It is forecast that 1.28 million tons of aluminum die castings die casting Forming metal objects by injecting molten metal under pressure into dies or molds. An early and important use of the technique was in the Linotype machine (1884), but the mass-production automobile assembly line gave die casting its real impetus. are to be in demand in the U.S. in 2009. Another 1.24 million tons of aluminum are expected to be made by the 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. or sand cast processes, including low pressure and gravity systems, lost foam molding and special sand processes (Table 5). Other Nonferrous non·fer·rous adj. 1. Not composed of or containing iron. 2. Of or relating to metals other than iron. nonferrous Adjective 1. Castings The estimated distribution of shipments of other nonferrous castings (not including investment castings) also varies by weight range and process. Brass and bronze valves and fittings from 0-700 lbs. (0-318 kg) will account for 144,000 tons of the metal's 314,000 tons of total shipments. The remaining 170,000 tons will go to other markets. Of the 307,000 tons of zinc zinc, metallic chemical element; symbol Zn; at. no. 30; at. wt. 65.38; m.p. 419.58°C;; b.p. 907°C;; sp. gr. 7.133 at 25°C;; valence +2. Zinc is a lustrous bluish-white metal. It is found in Group 12 of the periodic table. die castings that are forecast to ship in 2009, 60,000 will feed the automotive industry The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles. In 2006, more than 69 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide. , and out of 129,000 total tons of magnesium magnesium (măgnē`zēəm, –zhəm), metallic chemical element; symbol Mg; at. no. 12; at. wt. 24.305; m.p. about 648.8°C;; b.p. about 1,090°C;; sp. gr. 1.738 at 20°C;; valence +2. castings shipped, 88,000 tons will be automotive. The current forecast indicates that 61,000 tons of other nonferrous sand castings Casting is the process of production of objects by pouring molten material into a cavity called a mold which is the negative, or mirror image of the object, and allowing it to cool and solidify. will be shipped in 2009. Casting Shipments The forecast shipments for 2009 are calculated by taking casting demand, adding the export tonnage and subtracting the imported casting tonnage. Investment castings are not included. The following is a breakdown of the casting shipment forecast for 2009 by metal and end-use industry (Table 6). GRAY IRON Shipments of gray iron castings are forecast to decline 3.8% from 4,287,000 tons in 2007 to 4,125,000 tons in 2008, before rising to 4,234,000 tons in 2009. Motor Vehicles Gray iron casting shipments for use in light vehicles are expected to drop to 778,000 tons in 2008, as the casting weight a weight that turns a balance when exactly poised. - B. Trumbull. See also: Casting per light vehicle declines to 190 lbs. (86 kg) due to consumption of fewer iron blocks and heads. Light track production is again expected to reach 59% of the total light vehicle production, keeping the casting weight per vehicle relatively high. Based on the increased conversion to aluminum in the next five years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time weight per vehicle is expected to drop to 150 lbs. (68 kg). The forecast reduction in medium to heavy truck production in 2008 should reduce casting shipments in this market sector to 134,000 tons, a 100,000 reduction from the peak production in 2006. A 30,000-ton increase in 2009 is forecast. Diesel Engines Though engine production has remained high in the construction machinery sector, diesel engine demand has been reduced because of the decline in truck and tractor tractor, in agriculture, vehicle used to pull such equipment as plows, cultivators, and mowers; to power stationary devices such as saws and winches; and to push snowplows and earth-moving implements. production. Gray iron casting shipments should decline in 2008 by 106,000 tons from the 2006 high of 486,000 tons, as elevated imports continue. Construction Machinery & Equipment Based on a forecast increase in exports in 2009, the production of construction machinery is expected to increase 1%, despite a slight decrease in construction activity. Iron casting production for consumption in heavy off-road off-road adj. Existing, taking place, or designed for use off paved or public roads or in rugged terrain: off-road sports such as snowmobiling. equipment is expected to rise again in 2009 to 260,000 tons, after experiencing a down year in 2008. Machine Tools Though the first six months of 2009 is expected to yield 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 machine tool shipments in the U.S., gray iron metalcasters supplying this market sector continue to experience a slowdown in sales. The rebound is expected to continue into 2009. However, a loss of 0.9% per year in demand for iron castings is forecast by 2018. Special Industry Machinery A second straight year of decline is expected for most market sectors in the special industry machinery classification. Casting production in 2008 is expected to decline another 2%, followed by a rise in 2009. Pumps & Compressors A 3-4% loss in cast iron shipments is expected in 2008, though the closing of some captive captive said of naturally wild or feral animals kept in captivity for educational and scientific investigation with no attempt being made to domesticate them. facilities should aid some compressor compressor, machine that decreases the volume of air or other gas by the application of pressure. Compressor types range from the simple hand pump and the piston-equipped compressor used to inflate tires to machines that use a rotating, bladed element to achieve producing jobbing facilities. DUCTILE IRON Shipments of ductile iron castings are expected to decline 2% in 2008 from a high of 4,671,000 tons in 2005 to 4,084000 tons in 2008 and then rise to 4,236,000 tons in 2009. Motor Vehicles Spurred by the high production of light trucks and vans, the ductile iron average weight per vehicle has dropped to 178 lbs. (81 kg). That number is expected to begin falling back to the 155-1b. (70kg) level due to loss of some crankshaft applications to steel forgings in aluminum engines and losses to aluminum conversions for suspension parts. A 2% drop in ductile iron consumption in light vehicles is forecast for 2008, decreasing to a 764,000-ton low, as light vehicle production in the U.S. decreases 7% in 2008. Consumption in medium to heavy trucks also is expected to decline in 2008 to 176,000 tons as truck production drops. A subsequent rise to 218,000 tons in 2009 is forecast. Pipe Shipments of ductile iron pressure pipe are again expected to drop to 1.92 million tons in 2008, though a slight 4.1% increase is expected by 2010. An increase in exports is expected to keep plant utilization utilization, n 1. the extent to which a given group uses a particular service in a specified period. Although usually expressed as the number of services used per year per 100 or per 1000 persons eligible for the service, utilization rates may be at relatively high levels. Valves and Fittings Aided by the pressure from increased imports in this market sector, which are growing at a rate of near 4% annually, shipments of ductile iron castings are expected to decline 8.8% in 2008 to 198,000 tons from the 2005 peak. Farm Machinery Shipments of farm machinery increased for the fourth consecutive year, rising more than 5% in 2008 and approximately 1% in 2009. The growth was caused by an increase in domestic demand, as well as a gain in exports to Asian countries Noun 1. Asian country - any one of the nations occupying the Asian continent Asian nation country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" . Ductile iron casting shipments rose from 139,000 tons in 2006 to 155,000 tons in 2008 and are expected to rise to 157,000 tons in 2009. Construction & Oil Field Equipment An increase in the demand for construction machinery and oilfield drilling equipment has spurred ductile iron growth in both of these market sectors. Despite a forecast decline in construction activity in 2008, ductile iron applications in these markets are expected to grow 1% per year in construction machinery and 0.6% per year in oil field equipment. STEEL Excluding investment castings, shipments of steel castings are forecast to decline 3% from 1,376,000 tons in 2007 to 1,336,000 tons in 2008 and 1,334,000 tons in 2009. Railroad A forecast drop of 8,000 freight car deliveries in 2008, which follows a 16% drop in 2007 from the 75,000 peak in 2006 and two consecutive years of peak shipments, is expected to result in a decline in steel casting consumption in the railroad industry of 138,000 tons from the high of 758,000 tons in 2006. A further decline of 3% is forecast for 2010. Mining Machinery & Equipment After declining 1% in 2007, the mining industry is expected to decline again at a rate of 1% in 2008 but grow 2% in 2009. Growth is expected to continue and lead to steel casting shipments of 69,000 tons per year by 2010. Trucks Steel casting shipments are forecast to decline to 53,000 tons in 2008 as production of medium to heavy trucks decreases from peak levels and drops to 26,000 tons by 2018. ALUMINUM Shipments of aluminum castings reached a peak level in 2005 of 2.3 million tons and are expected to top 2.3 million again in 2013. Aluminum die casting shipments also reached a record level in 2005 of 1.3 million tons and are expected to equal that tonnage again in 2013. Motor Vehicle Aluminum casting weight per vehicle has passed 250 lbs. (13 kg) in 2008 and is expected to grow to 280 lbs. (127 kg) within the next five years. For More Information "Industrial Production to Spur SPUR - An early system on the IBM 650. [Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)]. Casting Demand," MODERN CASTING, January January: see month. 2008, p. 26-31. About the Author A 50-year metalcasting industry veteran, Ken Kirgin founded Stratecasts Inc. in the early 1980s to provide domestic and international forecasting and trends analysis and strategic planning Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people. . Ken Kirgin, Stratecasts Inc., Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers is the county seatGR6 and commercial center of Lee County, Florida. The population was 48,208 at the 2000 census. According to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau's Estimates, the city had a population of 60,531.
Table 1. 2009 Gray Iron Casting Demand (000 tons)
Market Total By Weight Range (lbs.)
0-50 50-150 150-300 300-700
Sanitary/Radiator 170 77 62 31 0
Valve & Fitting 301 86 83 57 66
Internal Combustion Eng. 650 111 106 213 158
Farm Equipment 344 98 126 39 58
Construction Equip. 275 78 64 37 55
Mining Machinery 37 15 7 6 3
Oil Field Equip. 69 34 14 8 4
Material Handling Equip. 45 20 8 6 4
Metalworking Mach. 115 21 26 20 26
Special Industry Mach. 214 59 45 37 37
Pump/Compressor 229 40 56 46 55
Power Transmission 110 35 25 21 20
Refrigeration/AC 112 90 12 6 4
Electric Motor 57 18 12 12 10
Household Appliance 37 37 0 0 0
Car & Light Truck 969 686 253 30 0
Medium/Heavy Truck 212 58 122 32 0
Railroad 14 11 2 1 0
Other 182 104 33 12 17
TOTAL 4,142 1,678 1,056 614 517
Market By Weight Range (lbs.)
> 700
Sanitary/Radiator 0
Valve & Fitting 9
Internal Combustion Eng. 62
Farm Equipment 23
Construction Equip. 41
Mining Machinery 6
Oil Field Equip. 9
Material Handling Equip. 7
Metalworking Mach. 22
Special Industry Mach. 36
Pump/Compressor 32
Power Transmission 9
Refrigeration/AC 0
Electric Motor 5
Household Appliance 0
Car & Light Truck 0
Medium/Heavy Truck 0
Railroad 0
Other 16
TOTAL 277
Table 2. 2009 Ductile Iron Casting Demand (000 tons)
Market Total By Weight Range (lbs.)
0-50 50-150 150-300 300-700
Valve & Fittings 230 55 69 51 26
Internal Combustion Eng. 116 36 56 21 2
Farm Mach. 165 67 39 20 20
Construction Mach. 236 62 46 38 40
Oil Field Equip. 99 42 18 14 13
Material Handling Equip. 13 8 3 2 0
Metalworking Mach. 47 11 11 11 10
Special Industry Mach. 107 36 20 19 20
Pump/Compressor 93 27 20 16 16
Power Transmission 27 9 7 6 4
Refrigeration/AC 38 34 4 0 0
Electric Motor 16 11 3 1 1
Car/Light Truck 917 907 10 0 0
Medium/Heavy Truck 247 184 31 21 11
Railroad 13 12 1 0 0
Other 55 31 10 7 6
TOTAL 2,419 1,532 348 227 169
Market By Weight Range (lbs.)
> 700
Valve & Fittings 29
Internal Combustion Eng. 1
Farm Mach. 19
Construction Mach. 50
Oil Field Equip. 12
Material Handling Equip. 0
Metalworking Mach. 4
Special Industry Mach. 12
Pump/Compressor 14
Power Transmission 1
Refrigeration/AC 0
Electric Motor 0
Car/Light Truck 0
Medium/Heavy Truck 0
Railroad 0
Other 1
TOTAL 143
Table 3. 2009 Carbon and Low Allay Steel Casting Demand (000 tons)
Market Total By Weight Range (lbs.)
<100 101-500 501-1000 1001-5000 5001-10000
Valves 70 25 21 10 6 5
Construction 194 66 65 38 19 4
Mining 77 25 28 10 6 4
Oil Field 51 17 16 10 6 1
Pumps 18 7 4 3 2 1
Trucks 55 28 23 3 1 --
Others 82 16 21 12 14 8
Total 547 184 178 86 54 23
Railroad 697
TOTAL 1,244
Market By Weight Range (lbs.)
>10000
Valves 3
Construction 2
Mining 4
Oil Field 1
Pumps 1
Trucks --
Others 11
Total 22
Railroad
TOTAL
Table 4. 2009 Corrosion Resistant Steel Casting Demand (000 tons)
Market Total By Weight Range (lbs.)
<100 101-500 501-1000 1001-5000 5001-10000
Valves 32 16.10 8.89 3.52 1.61 1.13
Others 72 34.60 21.13 6.26 4.21 2.26
TOTAL 104 50.70 30.02 9.78 5.82 3.75
Market By Weight Range (lbs.)
>10000
Valves 0.75
Others 3.18
TOTAL 3.93
Table 5. 2009 Aluminum Casting Demand (000 tons)
Market Diecast Permanent Maid & Sand
Engine 85 38
Computer 42 13
Refrigeration/AC 38 12
Electric Parts 31 7
Household Appliance 47 22
Automotive 693 840
Aerospace 28 81
Instruments 61 75
Other 259 152
TOTAL 1,284 1,240
Table 6. Summary of 2008 Metal Casting Shipment Estimates
Metal Estimated Shipments % Change Versus
(000 tons) 2006 Shipments
Gray Iron 4,125 -12.2%
CGI 127 +8.5%
Ductile Iron 4,084 -10.0%
Malleable Iron 69 -11.5.0%
Steel 1,336 -11.1%
Aluminum 1,953 -7.7%
Brass & Bronze 310 -2.2%
Zinc 316 -5.4%
Magnesium 125 +7.8.6%
Other Nonferrous 60 +5.3%
TOTAL 12,609 -9.7%
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