U.S. casting shipments on the rise.A stronger economy and increased car and truck sales offer boom potential for the American foundry industry. But offshore recessions and weaker market sectors could point to unsettled casting sales. Shipments 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. are forecasted to increase near 7.5% in 1994, continuing the growth pattern of 1993. The climb is being sustained by increased growth in motor vehicle sales and improved domestic construction activity. This bullish Bullish Word used to describe an investor's attitude. Bullish refers to an optimistic outlook, while bearish means a pessimistic outlook. bullish forecast is based on projected growth in the gross domestic product (GDP GDP (guanosine diphosphate): see guanine. ) of 3.7%, along with a forecasted 6% rise in construction activity and housing starts. In addition, growth in 1994 will be bolstered by the projected domestic shipments of 7 million passenger cars, 4.9 million light trucks and 300,000 medium to heavy trucks. The continued recession in Europe, Japan and other areas of the world has hurt exports of construction equipment and machinery. Sales to these countries are not expected to improve significantly until mid-1994. Other casting markets also are expected to be hurt by decreases in defense spending, material substitutions and technological changes. 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. , aluminum, 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. and corrosion-resistant steels are expected to be leaders in the growth of casting use in 1994. FERROUS ferrous (fĕr`əs), iron in the +2 valence state. Containing or having to do with iron. The difference between ferrous and ferric is the number of valence electrons they contain (ferrous contains two and ferric contains three), which CASTINGS Ductile Iron Shipments of ductile iron, spurred by increased pipe and motor vehicle sales, are forecasted to reach the 4 million ton mark for the first time in 1994. Pipe--Despite increased competition from polyvinylchloride (PVC PVC: see polyvinyl chloride. PVC in full polyvinyl chloride Synthetic resin, an organic polymer made by treating vinyl chloride monomers with a peroxide. ) and concrete pipe, the demand for ductile iron pipe in the U.S. is expected to approach 1.8 million tons in 1994. Pipe shipments are now about 47% of the total ductile iron casting shipments in the U.S. Motor Vehicles--U.S. production of motor vehicles (cars and light trucks) is expected to reach 11.9 million units in 1994. The use of ductile iron castings in light vehicles has reached nearly 175 lb per unit, on the average. Based on this trend, it is forecasted that shipments of ductile iron to this market could rise to more than 1 million tons in 1994. Ductile iron casting shipments for use in medium to heavy trucks are forecasted to reach 144,000 tons in 1994, an increase of nearly 15% over 1993 as truck production rises to 300,000 units. Valves and Fittings--Ductile iron castings continue to replace gray and 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. valves and fittings used in pipeline and water applications because of their superior resistance to shock and impact. In 1994, ductile iron demand for valves and fittings is expected to increase to 200,000 tons, a growth of 5.3% over 1993. Special Industry Machinery--In this market, ductile iron castings are mainly used in paper, printing and plastic machinery. After a three-year decline, the paper machinery market should recover in mid-1994, and printing machinery is expected to continue its recovery that began in the middle of 1993. Based on an evaluation of these markets, it is forecasted that ductile iron use will grow to 95,000 tons in 1994, an increase of 5% over 1993. Internal Combustion Engines--Ductile iron castings are expected to consume 88,000 tons in this market in 1994, an increase of 11% over 1993 based on their use in small gasoline and diesel engine applications. The increased demand for medium and heavy trucks produced a good market for diesel engines in 1993, and this demand should continue to grow in 1994. Farm Equipment--Following three consecutive years of boom production of combines, four- and two-wheel tractors Two-wheel tractor or better known as walking tractor or power tiller that are generic terms understood in the USA and in parts of Europe as a rotary tiller that can be wheeled and/or self-propelled but normally not. and other farm vehicles and equipment, this market sector began to decline in 1991. The dropoff, resulting from a decline in equipment purchases here and abroad, is expected to continue into early 1994, thus limiting casting demand. The expected shipments for 1994 are 85,000 tons--far off the peak year of 1990 and lower than originally forecasted. Construction Machinery & Equipment--Based on increased construction activity in the U.S., it is expected that shipments of ductile iron castings to this market will grow 7% in 1994 to 150,000 tons. Gray Iron In the short term, gray iron casting shipments are expected to grow 5% in 1994 to 5.5 million tons, based on increases in motor vehicle sales, valve and fittings, municipal casting, and 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 markets. Passenger Car & Light Truck--Federal regulations now require that each manufacturer's fleet of new passenger cars sold in the U.S. achieve an average 27.5 miles per gallon Noun 1. miles per gallon - the distance traveled in a vehicle powered by one gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel unit, unit of measurement - any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange; "the dollar is the United States unit of . Light trucks must average 20.2 mpg. All these regulations will spur the growth of light metal parts that can meet engineering requirements while reducing overall weight. Gray iron will be the material suffering most from the new regulations. Despite this, gray iron use in cars and light trucks should increase by 6% to 1.56 million tons as light vehicle production rises in 1994. Municipal Castings--The use of municipal castings is dependent on housing starts, nonresidential construction and public works public works pl.n. Construction projects, such as highways or dams, financed by public funds and constructed by a government for the benefit or use of the general public. Noun 1. . Housing starts are expected to increase 6% in 1994. However, nonresidential construction is still suffering from the overcapacity o·ver·ca·pac·i·ty n. Too great a capacity for production of commodities or delivery of services in relation to actual need: the problem of overcapacity in many large industries. of office buildings. Based on these factors and an expected increase in public works, it is projected that the demand for gray iron castings in this market will increase by 8% during the coming year. Ingot ingot Mass of metal cast into a size and shape such as a bar, plate, or sheet convenient to store, transport, and work into a semifinished or finished product. The term also refers to a mold in which metal is so cast. Molds--Forecasted shipments of molds and stools are expected to be 420,000 tons, a loss of 3 million tons from 1979 levels. These continued losses are due to the increasing use of the continuous casting Continuous casting is a refinement of the casting process for the continuous, high-volume production of metal sections with a constant cross-section. It allows lower-cost production of metal sections with better quality, due to finer control through automation of the casting process for producing steel. Valves & Fittings--Despite increased import pressures from Asiatic countries and material substitution by plastic and ductile iron, gray iron castings for use in valves and fittings are expected to rise 4% in 1994 to 257,000 tons. Internal Combustion Engines--Shipments of gray iron castings for use in engines, other than those used in light automotive vehicles, are expected to increase by 11% in 1994 to 456,000 tons. The major growth will come in diesel engine castings used in medium and heavy trucks, and construction and farm equipment and vehicles. Mining--Spurred by increased export sales, products like coal and rock cutting machinery, crushers, grinding mills Grinding mill A machine that reduces the size of particles of raw material fed into it. The size reduction may be to facilitate removal of valuable constituents from an ore or to prepare the material for industrial use, as in preparing clay for pottery making , rock bits and other parts are expected to grow 3.8% in 1994. Gray iron, led by abrasion-resistant iron castings are projected to grow to 34,000 tons in 1994. Machine Tool--The machine tool industry continues to be highly volatile and difficult to forecast. This is because the industry is very dependent on the automotive sector. Based on new and existing foreign automotive plants, the U.S. machine tool industry is expected to grow 7% in 1994 to about 107,000 tons. Pumps and Compressors--Production of castings for this market in 1993 barely exceeded 1992. However, an 11% upswing Upswing An upward turn in a security's price after a period of falling prices. is forecasted in 1994, based on interviews with buyers of these castings. Shipments should reach 230,000 tons in 1994. Malleable Iron Based on expected growth in the automotive sector, shipments of malleable iron are forecasted to increase to 235,000 tons in 1994. In the long term, however, malleable iron production in the U.S. is projected to decline, based on the following factors: * conversion of malleable iron car and truck parts, including the connecting rod, to other metals and/or processes; * conversion of electrical and plumbing fittings to ductile iron. 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. Steel casting shipments by U.S. foundries are expected to grow 5% in 1994 to 1,220,000 tons. The following table is the '94 forecast for specific steel casting types (in thousands of tons):
1994
Carbon & Low Alloy 1051
Corrosion Resistant 71
Heat Resistant 33
Manganese 32
Other 33
Shipments of carbon and low-alloy steel castings are forecasted to increase 4% in 1994 to 1,051,000 tons. Following is a breakdown for the coming year for the major end-use markets for carbon and low-alloy steel castings. Railroad--Based on the forecasted delivery of 35,000 freight cars in 1994, it is projected that shipments of carbon and low-alloy steel railroad castings will reach 550,000 tons, a 3% increase over 1993. Construction--The demand for steel castings used in construction machinery varied considerably in 1993, making it difficult to forecast in the short term in large part because this industry is very dependent on export sales of equipment and vehicles. Based on forecasts of improving economies in some parts of Europe and increased construction activity in the U.S., it is expected that production of carbon and low-alloy steel castings by U.S. foundries will increase 7% in 1994 to 145,000 tons. Mining--Based on a forecasted industry growth of 3.8% in 1994, it is expected that the consumption of carbon and low-alloy steel castings in mining equipment will increase 4% in 1994 to 95,000 tons. Oil Field Equipment--The price of oil continues to remain low and is projected to remain low through 1994. Increased production of oil rigs and drilling equipment is expected to rise only 2% in 1994. Therefore, steel casting production in this market sector is expected to remain low at about 25,000 tons. Trucks--The decline in the use of steel castings in medium to heavy trucks is forecasted to continue in 1994 and to decrease steel casting production to 50,000 tons as wheel applications are lost to ductile iron. Valves--Carbon steel valves are used primarily in petroleum, oil field, chemical processing and power generating applications, and are forecasted to grow by 7% in 1994 to 65,000 tons. Corrosion-Resistant Steels--These steels continue to be one of the fastest growing cast metals. Led by a projected strong valve market in 1994, corrosion-resistant stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. castings and high-nickel-base castings are expected to grow at a rate of 14% over 1993. Valve and pump castings continue to be the leading applications for use in such environments as waste handling, acid and alkaline alkaline /al·ka·line/ (al´kah-lin) (-lin) 1. having the reactions of an alkali. 2. having a pH greater than 7.0. al·ka·line adj. 1. service in handling pulp and paper, oil well drilling Well drilling is the process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource such as ground water, natural gas, or petroleum. Drilling for the exploration of the nature of the material underground (for instance in search of metallic ore) is best described , and in nuclear and other corrosive corrosive /cor·ro·sive/ (kor-o´siv) producing gradual destruction, as of a metal by electrochemical reaction or of the tissues by the action of a strong acid or alkali; an agent that so acts. liquid environments. In the valve market alone, corrosion-resistant steel shipments are expected to increase to 24,000 tons in 1994. It is forecasted that stainless steel valve production will parallel the growth of durable goods durable goods Goods, such as appliances and automobiles, that have a useful life over a number of periods. Firms that produce durable goods are often subject to wide fluctuations in sales and profits. Also called consumer durables. used in the petrochemical and chemical industry, which is estimated at 3.5% per year. Shipments of 13,000 tons are forecasted in 1994. Heat-Resistant & Other Steel Castings--These steel types are forecasted to increase by over 15% in 1994, based on forecasted use in furnaces, ovens and special industry machinery. Increases in ammonia production Because of its many uses, ammonia is one of the most highly-produced inorganic chemicals. There are literally dozens of large-scale ammonia production plants worldwide. The worldwide production in 2004 was 109,000,000 metric tons.[1] China produced 28. and fertilizer fertilizer, organic or inorganic material containing one or more of the nutrients—mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and other essential elements required for plant growth. use can significantly affect the use of reformer tubes made of heat-resistant alloys. Growth of other steels, such as manganese manganese (măng`gənēs, măn`–) [Lat.,=magnet], metallic chemical element; symbol Mn; at. no. 25; at. wt. 54.938; m.p. about 1,244°C;; b.p. about 1,962°C;; sp. gr. 7.2 to 7. and wear-resistant steels, is expected in 1994 for use in the mining and railroad markets. 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 Aluminum Castings Spurred by growth in the motor vehicle sector, aluminum casting shipments in the U.S. are expected to increase by 14% in 1994 to 1,671,000 tons--a new high. 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 projected to grow to 1 million tons in 1994, while permanent mold and sandcast aluminum are expected to rise 13% in the coming year to 640,000 tons. Automotive--The automotive sector, which consumes 55% of all aluminum castings produced in the U.S., continues to be this metal's fastest growing market. Today, there is an average of 150 lb of aluminum castings per vehicle and this figure is projected to grow to 185 lb per vehicle in 10 years. Based on current forecasts, it is expected that 915,000 tons of aluminum castings will be consumed in motor vehicles in 1994, a 15% increase over 1993. Instruments--The 1994 aluminum casting 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. for this market is projected to be 94,000, a 15% increase over 1993. The largest part of this growth is in the photocopying photocopying, process whereby written or printed matter is directly copied by photographic techniques. Generally, photocopying is practical when just a few copies of an original are needed. When many copies are required, printing processes are more economical. industry, which consumes a considerable amount of 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. as well as die castings. Internal Combustion Engines--It is projected that aluminum castings will grow 7% to 92,000 tons for engine use in 1994. About 70% of this use is in small gasoline engine gasoline engine: see internal-combustion engine. gasoline engine Most widely used form of internal-combustion engine, found in most automobiles and many other vehicles. castings for lawn mowers, garden equipment and outboard Not built in. Outboard devices are external to the main unit. Contrast with inboard. See offboard. motors, with the balance being in diesel engines. Diecast engine castings are to grow to 62,000 tons in 1994, 67% of the total aluminum use. The 30,000 tons for use in diesel engines are primarily flywheel housings and gear covers, made by gravity semi-permanent molding. Office Machines and Computers--Forecasts for the use of aluminum in computers have changed considerably this year because of lower production of mainframe computers. About 80,000 tons of aluminum are forecasted for 1994, a 20,000-ton loss compared to 1989. Aircraft--Business in the aircraft sector, a large consumer of aluminum castings, decreased in 1992 and 1993, and is forecasted to decrease at a lower rate in 1994. Based on these bearish Bearish Words used to describe investor attitude. A bearish investor believes that a particular asset or the market as a whole will decline in value. bearish forecasts, it is expected that aluminum casting production for this market will decline to 65,000 tons in 1994, a 35% loss compared to 1989. Household Appliances--Aluminum castings are expected to increase to 50,000 tons in 1994, a 14% rise. Copper-Base Castings Demand for brass and bronze castings has declined continuously for the past few years; however, a 6% rise is forecasted for 1994. The shining light for copper-base castings has been the industrial fitting market, which has suffered in the past from imports. Bronze castings for pipe fittings, shower fixtures, faucet and sink parts, as well as drainage and other parts have recovered from the lows of the early '80s. As a result, they are forecasted to reach near 60,000 tons in 1994. Growth continues in the marine hardware market sector. Though stainless steel has shown increases in specific applications, aluminum-bronzes should be competitive in small parts and grow with the small boat and ship industry. Magnesium Castings The use of magnesium die castings continues to grow at a rapid pace as new automotive applications develop. In 1994, for example, it has been reported that new applications will appear in new models, including knee bolster retainers, steering wheel armatures, large engine valve covers, and seat pedestals or stanchions. Weight reduction is now paramount and, despite a greater price variance The materials price variance (Vmp) is computed as follows: Vmp = (Actual Unit Cost - Standard Unit Cost) * Actual Quantity Purchased or Vmp = (Actual Quantity Purchased * Actual Unit Cost) - (Actual Quantity Purchased * Standard Unit Cost). between aluminum and magnesium, the use of magnesium continues to grow. These applications are forecasted to increase magnesium consumption to an average of 5 lb per car in 1994. Magnesium also is replacing some zinc parts for weight reduction. Nonautomotive applications of magnesium include computer actuator arms Same as access arm. , wheel chain parts on saws, instrument parts and fan drives for diesel engines. It is forecasted that magnesium diecasting shipments from U.S. foundries will be near 45,000 tons in 1994. Zinc Castings Shipments of zinc die castings in the U.S. are projected to increase 6% in 1994 to 398,000 tons. However, in the long term, shipments are forecasted to decline. The main loss is in the automotive sector, which consumes 40% of zinc castings. Zinc castings for hardware, plumbing fixtures and builders' tools continue to show a very slight growth rate, despite losses to plastics 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 . It is estimated that 112,000 tons of zinc die castings will be used in this market area in 1994. 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 Based on increased sales to the valve and pump industry, investment casting shipments are forecasted to grow from 135,000 tons in 1993 to 150,000 tons in 1994. Growth in the commercial sector of the investment casting market is led by the valve and fitting market, which is projected to consume 50,000 tons of castings in 1994, an increase of 15% over 1993. About 50% of this tonnage is in stainless steel, 35% carbon steel, 10% nonferrous and 5% other. The aircraft and military sector of the market is predominantly made up of blades and vanes for gas turbine engines and jet engines, along with aerospace and aircraft engine applications. It is forecasted that the blade and vane Vane , John Robert 1927-2004. British pharmacologist. He shared a 1982 Nobel Prize for research on prostaglandins. vane the membranous or main part of the contour feather in birds as distinct from the shaft. market, which makes up 20% of the dollar value of the business, will remain stable and show little or no growth. Casting Exports/Imports Exports of metal castings from U.S. foundries are projected to exceed 1 million tons, despite Europe's continued recession. Based on forecasted currency exchange rates of 110 yen/$ and 1.7 Deutsche mark/$, exports and imports are forecasted as follows (in thousands of tons):
Imports Exports
Gray Iron Engineered Castings 411 384
Ductile Iron Castings (exc. pipe) 195 193
Carbon Steel Castings (non-railroad) 49 31
Aluminum Die Castings 158 137
Total 1253 1103
Dumping by Asiatic countries of such parts as malleable iron threaded plumbing fittings and gray iron municipal castings continues, causing loss of business and profits to U.S. companies. Increased action by the federal government is needed to curb these activities. Future Trends The product mix of the metalcasting industry is forecasted to change dramatically by the year 2003. Growth of both ductile iron and aluminum, spurred by technological and environmental changes within end-use industries, has been outstanding. Many of new applications for these materials have replaced other cast materials. However, the engineering properties of ductile iron and aluminum have precipitated design changes leading to replacements of forgings and fabrications by metal castings, as well. |
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