Welcome to e-Connections, the weekly AFS email newsletter. In this Sept. 2, 2008, edition:

Regional to Host Metalcasting Solutions Seminar for Casting Buyers, CMI Marketing Course, Technical Sessions for Metalcasters, Plant Tours
Executive Conference Focuses on Energy, Raw Materials
Harley-Davidson Chairman of the Board to Speak at Northeastern Ohio Chapter
New to Metalcasting? CMI Offers Intro Course
Intro to Total Quality Management Course Coming

Regional to Host Metalcasting Solutions Seminar for Casting Buyers, CMI Marketing Course, Technical Sessions for Metalcasters, Plant Tours
The 2008 East Coast Regional Conference will be held Oct. 2-4 at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort, York, Pa. Prior to the official conference kick-off, AFS will be sponsoring its Metalcasting Solutions Seminar Wed., Oct. 1 at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort. In this seminar, casting buyers and designers will:

discuss the casting processes;
review the various alloy families;
see casting design successes;
learn about technological advancements in metalcasting.

If you are a buyer, attend this workshop to learn more about what metalcasting can do for you. If you are a metalcaster, show buyers what you can do by exhibiting with a table top. Click here for more information.

Thurs., Oct. 2:

participate in a CMI marketing course, which will focus on strategic marketing, the difference between marketing and sales, prospecting, metalcasting's forecast and industry specific case studies to help your bottom line grow;
attend a golf outing at the Heritage Hills Golf Course;
win big at Casino Night, which also will include dinner and prizes

Fri., Oct. 3:

two plant tours; one of Buck Foundry, Quarryville, Pa., Harley Davidson, York, Pa.;
eight technical presentations in two sessions, including melting and control, aluminum processing, fluxes, aluminum degassing and heat treatment, ductile iron processing and more;
speakers from the AFS Washington Office.

Sat, Oct. 4:

eight technical presentations in two sessions, including melting and control, aluminum processing, fluxes, aluminum degassing and heat treatment and iron processing.

For more information on the Metalcasting Solutions Seminar, contact Leo Baran, AFS director of membership services, at 800/537-4237 x201 or lbaran@afsinc.org.

To download a registration form for the East Coast Regional Conference, visit http://www.keystoneafs.org/ECRC.pdf. For more information, contact George Frigm, vice-chairman, East Coast Regional Committee, at 215/796-0324 or george.frigm@hereaus.com.

Executive Conference Focuses On Energy, Raw Materials
The 2008 Foundry Executive Conference will be held September 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, Incline Village, Nev. This annual summit of industry leadership will feature presentations on:

Slimming Down with Lean Manufacturing, Chip Long, World Class Consulting Group;
U.S. Scrap & Alloy Markets: A Status Report for Metalcasters, Jason Redden, Omnisource Corp.;
Going Green in Metalcasting, Jim Schifo, Keramida Environmental, Inc.

The special events at this conference include golf and tennis tournaments and a three-hour Lake Tahoe Cruise aboard the Tahoe Queen. For more information, or to register, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237. To view the conference brochure, click here.

Harley-Davidson Chairman of the Board to Speak at Northeastern Ohio Chapter
Jeffrey L. Bleustein, chairman of the board, Harley-Davidson, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisc. will be speaking at the AFS Northeastern Ohio Chapter Meeting Sept. 11 at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Middleburg Heights, Ohio.

In addition to holding his current position as chairman of the board, Bluestein has held several positions with Harley-Davidson, including senior vice president, executive vice president, chief operating officer, president and chief executive officer. For more information, or to register for this event, visit www.neoafs.org.

New to Metalcasting? Intro Course Coming
CMI will be offering an Introduction to Metalcasting course Oct. 28-30 at AFS Headquarters, Schaumburg, Ill. This introductory course presents a general overview of the metalcasting process. Topics covered include patternmaking, molding and coremaking processes, alloys poured, melting methods, gating and risering, cleaning and finishing, defects, and inspection techniques. The program also acquaints the student with metalcasting industry terminology.

For more information or to attend this course, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237 or click here to register.

Intro to Total Quality Management Internet Course Coming
CMI will be offering an Introduction to Total Quality Management internet course Oct. 28-Jan. 24. The intent of this online course, offered in conjunction with Mohawk College, is to introduce the student to the broad range of topics that comprise the field of quality. Taking a total quality management (TQM) viewpoint, quality is presented as an integrated set of concepts centered on product, process and organizational issues.

Topics discussed during the course include the historical development of the field of quality, the movers and shakers of the quality world, quality costs, charting, TQM, acceptance sampling, statistical process control, ISO 9000 and Six Sigma. No previous quality knowledge is assumed. Mathematical concepts, where necessary, are introduced at a fundamental level.

For more information or to attend this course, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237, or click here to register.

Looking for more information on metalcasting? The publication Metalcasting Dictionary, 2^nd Edition can help. AFS Special Publications has everything you need to supplement your metalcasting training. Visit www.afsinc.org/estore or call 800/537-4237 for more information.

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