Articles: Industry News

Premier Engineered Products’ (PEP, Grand Rapids, Michigan), which owns Appalachian Cast Products (Abingdon, Virginia), has a new investor; Charter Growth Capital Fund (CGCF) has provided mezzanine debt in support of PEP’s recapitalization. Birmingham, Michigan-based Colfax Creek is the lead investor in the transaction. Colfax Creek and foundry veteran Mike Ryan, formed PEP in January 2019 to recapitalize Appalachian Cast Products (ACP) and integrate Premier Die Casting's production into its Abingdon facility.

AFS Corporate Member General Motors (Warren, Michigan) announced on September 28 it will invest $71 million into two Ohio manufacturing facilities including $32 million at its Defiance casting plant to prepare the facility for future engine casting components work. 

Ryobi Die Casting (USA), Inc. (Shelbyville, Indiana), a supplier of large complex aluminum die castings, was recognized for a third consecutive year late this summer with an Excellence in Quality & Delivery Award from Honda. As one of only 26 out of 735 OEM parts suppliers serving Honda with parts for mass production to be awarded, Ryobi ranks in the top 3.5% of Honda North America’s excellent supply base for quality and delivery. 

IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., (Franklin, Indiana) has been awarded $1.9 million in new orders for investment-cast, beryllium-aluminum (“BeAl”) components from a major U.S. defense contractor. The purchase order is for additional BeAl components currently manufactured by IBC, as well as for new BeAl components, both of which the company expects to produce by the end of 2020.

Signicast, a Form Technologies company, has signed a partnership with DDM to offer the convenience and speed of ceramic 3D printing with the precision of investment casting.

“DDM is extremely proud to join hands with Signicast to modernize investment casting while offering speed, complexity and value to customers. This partnership greatly accelerates the introduction of DDM’s ceramic 3D printing based Digital Foundry offering to the market,” said Dr. Suman Das, founder and CEO of DDM.

Sumitomo Corp. (Tokyo) has entered an agreement to invest in AFS Corporate Member Kimura Foundry America (KFA) and will hold a 35% interest in the Schaumburg, IL-based manufacturer of prototype casting using 3D printing technology.

As part of an extensive capital improvement of its foundry, AFS Corporate member Adalet, a Scott-Fetzer Company (Cleveland, Ohio) installed a new automatic DISA Matchplate (LaGrange, Georgia) 24/28 molding machine this spring, the latest generation of DISAs and the first of this size in the U.S.  In addition, the company added a complete automated mold handling system custom-built by Summit Foundry Equipment (Fort Wayne, Indiana).

AFS Corporate Member Franklin Bronze Precision Components (Franklin, Pennsylvania) has upgraded its shell room with new robotic technologies––earlier this year, it upgraded the robotic arm and supervisory system in its Shell Room 2.

Additionally, the company’s operating platform––SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system––has been upgraded to the newest version available. The upgrade allows for unlimited future growth and flexibility of Franklin Bronze’s investment cast shell room processes.

AFS Corporate Member Humtown Products (Columbiana, Ohio), which serves the metalcasting industry with conventional and 3D printed sand cores and molds, has won two Manufacturing Leadership Awards from the National Association of Manufacturers: (1) in the Engineering and Production Technology Leadership category and (2) in the Talent Management Leadership category.

Barron Industries (Oxford, Michigan) a global manufacturer of engineered metal components, is now certified for welding by the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP). Barron performs welding in conformance with the ASME Section IX of the Boiler Code, AWS D17.1, as well as requirements for Ballistic Steel Welding.