Slowing economy lowers casting demand.Vehicle sales in the second quarter have reportedly decreased from the highs of 1994 and the first quarter of 1995. Though production of both passenger cars and light trucks has continued strong, inventories have increased, causing manufacturers to begin planning cutbacks. It is now estimated that total light vehicle production could hit 12,015,000 units in 1995, or 98.3% of 1994 production. Medium to heavy truck production is forecasted to increase in 1995 to 330,000 units, an increase of 3% over 1994. Our original estimates indicated that housing starts could decline by about 1% in 1995. New forecasts indicate that the downturn Downturn The transition point between a rising, expanding economy to a falling, contracting one. downturn A decline in security prices or economic activity following a period of rising or stable prices or activity. could reach 5% and continue this trend into 1996. This change will affect many markets for castings. Gray Iron Shipments of gray iron castings in the U.S. are forecasted to decline 1.7% to 6,260,000 tons in 1995. Motor Vehicles - Shipments of gray iron castings for passenger cars and light trucks in 1995 is expected to decline about 4% from the 1994 peak of 2,145,000 tons. At the same time, shipments for medium to heavy trucks are anticipated to increase to 224,000 tons. Municipal Castings/Soil Pipe - Though production remains strong in this market sector, a 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. of 2.3% in 1995 is expected. This forecast is based on continuing imports from India and other Asiatic countries. Farm Machinery - The manufacture of farm machinery is expected to remain strong for at least the quarters in 1995. Casting shipments for this market are forecasted to decline overall by 1% in 1995. Construction Equipment - The continuing strong export market is expected to keep gray iron shipments at about the same level in 1995 as '94, when 197,000 tons were shipped. Internal Combustion Engines 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. - Shipments of gray iron blocks, heads, and other engine castings are expected to exceed 1994 by 2% in 1995. Valves and Fittings - Shipments of gray iron valves and fittings are expected to decline 3% in 1995 to 267,000 tons. 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. Overall shipments of ductile iron from U.S. foundries are forecasted to decline 2.7% in 1995 to 4,028,000 tons. Gains are expected in 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. compressors, special industry machinery, and pumps and compressors. Motor Vehicles - Supply shortages of ductile iron castings for automotive applications continues in 1995. Surpluses are expected in 1996, as some large 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. foundries have entered the jobbing market. Farm Machinery - The demand for ductile iron in 1995 is forecasted to be slightly lower than the strong 1994. Captive production has virtually been reduced to zero, thus shipments from independent foundries continue to grow. Construction Machinery - Ductile ductile /duc·tile/ (duk´til) susceptible of being drawn out without breaking. duc·tile adj. Easily molded or shaped. ductile susceptible of being drawn out without breaking. shipments for use in construction equipment are expected to reach 150,000 tons in 1995, down slightly from '94. Pressure Pipe - Cast pipe exports now total more than 15% of the U.S. demand. Shipments are expected to hit 1.8 million tons in 1995, a 4.3% drop. 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. Shipments of all types of steel castings are expected to decrease slightly in 1995 from a strong 1994, which reached 1,357,000 tons. 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. - Consumption of steel castings for draft gears, bolsters, side frames, couples, knuckles, trucks and wheels reached 700,000 tons in 1994 and is expected to decline only to 680,000 tons in '95. Mining - The mining industry recovered slightly in 1993, gained momentum in 1994, and is headed to another good year in 1995, which could be its best since the 1980s. Companies are aggressively replacing old machinery and metal prices remain high. Steel casting shipments for mining equipment are expected to reach 113,000 tons - an increase of 8% over 1994. Construction - Steel casting use in construction vehicles and machinery is reported to have reached 166,000 tons in 1994 and is expected to be at about the same levels this year. Corrosion-Resistant Steels - Shipments of corrosion-resistant steel castings are expected to increase to 71,000 tons in 1995, an increase of 1% over the record year in 1994. Aluminum Castings Shipments of aluminum castings are expected to reach 1,653,000 tons in 1995, a 0.2% increase over 1994. Motor Vehicle - The average weight of aluminum castings per car and truck has increased to 150 lb per vehicle. The breakdown of aluminum castings in 1995 by process is as follows: 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. 526,000 tons; 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. 264,000 tons; and sand cast 136,000 tons. Refrigeration/Air Conditioning - Aluminum die casting use in compressors and other refrigeration parts is expected to reach a record high of 34,000 tons in 1995. Brass & Bronze Castings Shipments of brass and bronze castings are expected to reach 310,000 tons in 1995, a 3% decline from 1994. Though a slight decline in plumbing plumbing, piping systems inside buildings for water supply and sewage. The Romans had a highly developed plumbing system; water was brought to Rome by aqueducts and distributed to homes in lead pipes—hence the name plumbing from the Latin word plumbum fittings is forecasted, the consumption of brass and bronze castings in industrial valve applications remains strong. 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 Shipments of investment castings in the U.S. is forecasted to reach 150,000 tons in 1995, a drop of 2.6% from the record high of 1994. Industrial valves continue to be the main consumer of investment castings, with an expected demand of 48,000 tons in 1995. 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. Die Castings Magnesium die castings are expected to hit a record shipment level of 31,000 tons in 1995, with over 11,000 tons in motor vehicles. |
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