Free Webinar to Focus on Metalcasting Forecast and Trends
This webinar will forecast a number of factors that will impact the metalcasting industry in 2008 and beyond. To bring this information to you, AFS is producing a 30-minute webinar on Wednesday, April 23, at 11:00 AM EST. Developed from intensive research and interviews of casting users and producers, this webinar will analyze casting shipments from both a producer and buyer perspective, and looks at all major casting consuming markets and metals and processes.

Employees of Corporate Members are encouraged to register for this free webinar by going to www.afsinc.org/forecastandtrendswebinar. Others, please contact Dave Krugman, AFS PR and marketing coordinator at dkrugman@afsinc.org or 800/537-4237 for a personal invitation.

AFS Corporate Member AmeriCast Buys A.G. Anderson
AFS corporate member AmeriCast Technologies, Atchison, Ka., announced it has completed the purchase of A.G. Anderson Ltd. Based in London, Ontario, Canada, A.G. Anderson is a respected source for patterns, ferrous castings and machined components.

"We are very pleased and excited that AG Anderson has joined our team. Anderson brings to AmeriCast added capability and capacity to provide finished cast components to our customers. There are very clear synergies with Anderson and our existing machining operations at London Precision Machining that will benefit our customers," said Tom Armstrong, CEO, of AmeriCast.

AFS Assists With Emerging Area Source Rules
AFS and its Environmental, Health & Safety Air Quality Committee (10-E) established a task force for the area source rules for aluminum, copper-base and other nonferrous metalcasters currently under development by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This task force, which is comprised of representatives from metalcasting facilities, environmental consultants and industry associations, is charged with working with EPA during the rulemaking process to ensure the agency understands the concerns of the metalcasting industry and the effect increased environmental control will have on casting manufacturers.

As part of its Urban Air Toxics Strategy under the Clean Air Act and a consent decree with the Sierra Club, EPA is required to establish new air emissions standards for smaller, or area, sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from copper, nonferrous and aluminum metalcasting facilities by June 15, 2009. For each of the area source categories, EPA must develop standards based on generally available control technology (GACT) used to reduce HAPs. GACT may be in the form of pollution control devices or best management practices.

To ensure an industry-wide collation during the rulemaking, AFS has joined forces with the Non-Ferrous Founders' Society (NFFS) and its task force, and these groups will work together with EPA during the rulemaking process. Similar to the rule published for iron and steel metalcasters this year, the nonferrous rule has the potential to significantly impact operations. The first step by AFS and NFFS will be a joint mailing to all nonferrous metalcasters in the U.S. to alert them to the rulemaking.

For more information, contact Abigail Adreani, PR and marketing specialist, at abigail@afsinc.org or click here.

Metallurgy of Aluminum Casting Alloys Course Coming
CMI will be offering a Metallurgy of Aluminum Casting Alloys course June 3-5 at the Univ. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa. This is a practical course in aluminum metallurgy for producers and users of aluminum alloy castings. The classification of aluminum alloys is presented, along with solidification and phase diagrams, melting practice and interpretation of microstructures. The latest technology in alloy treatment, mechanical testing, heat treatment and quality control is discussed