The holiday season continues for our magazine staff as boxes full of surprises still arrive at our doorsteps. The reason? It is the Annual Casting Competition submission season.

Entries are rolling in to our offices. Peanuts and popcorn (at least Styrofoam versions) are flying as we unpack each masterpiece. Our magazine staff is proud of everything we produce through Metal Casting Design & Purchasing, Modern Casting and Global Casting magazines.  But once a year, the excitement peaks when the castings arrive for judging.

It is hard to believe the Annual Casting Competition we sponsor is in its 16th year.  From the first Casting of the Year—the lost foam cast aluminum oil filter/cooler adapter for Mack Trucks—to the V-process cast steel crawler transporter’s tread belt shoe for NASA that won in 2005 to last year’s ablation sand cast aluminum space frame nodes for Honda, our winners have showcased the diversity and ingenuity of metalcasting’s capabilities.

If you haven’t participated in our Casting Competition, I urge you take a chance. The entry form is on p. 49. Every year, we have castings named Casting of the Year, Best-in-Class or Honorable Mention that represent all metals, processes and end-use markets.  We have submissions from casting buyers as well as metalcasters. Our judges examine what the casting achieved in its given material and process combination (for example, iron/green sand or steel/investment) compared to what typically can be achieved in that material and process.

One of the keys to metalcasting’s future is to educate on the capabilities of the process. Take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your firm’s design prowess and enter this year’s competition.