AFS Corporate Member American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings (Detroit) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Grede, its U.S. iron casting operations, to funds managed by Gamut Capital Management for $245 million.
The sale is the latest change for Grede, which was acquired by AAM in 2017 when it purchased Metaldyne Performance Group for $3.3 billion.
Allison Transmission (Indianapolis), the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, made a strong move into metalcasting with its purchase of Walker Die Casting (Lewisburg, Tennessee) and C&R Tool and Engineering (Muscle Shoals, Alabama).
Tesla filed a patent for a casting machine that could help streamline production for future vehicle projects. The diecasting machine is likely to be part of several manufacturing improvements for its Model Y program.
CEO Elon Musk has said Tesla is shifting to an aluminum casting design instead of stamped steel for the Model Y.
Tesla’s patent is for a “Multi-Directional Unibody Casting Machine for a Vehicle Frame and Associated Methods.”
AFS Corporate Member AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company (Birmingham, Alabama) and Oregon’s Joint Water Commission (JWC)—owned in partnership by the cities of Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Beaverton, and the Tualatin Valley Water District —worked together to design a water-delivery pipeline for an area that has averaged nearly one earthquake per week during the past year.
For the first time in its 123-year history, AFS Corporate Member Lodge Cast Iron (South Pittsburg, Tennessee) has made an acquisition.
Lodge announced it is purchasing FINEX Cast Iron, a producer of skillets, pans and ovens. Lodge is shifting FINEX production to South Pittsburg, though FINEX will keep its sales and marketing base in Portland, Oregon. The FINEX brand will remain.
AFS Corporate Member Mueller Water Products (Atlanta) announced plans to build a new, state-of-the-art foundry in Decatur, Illinois.
In a release, the company said the foundry "will be one of the largest state-of-the-art, finished goods brass foundries in the world" and "will increase production capacity to meet current and future demands of Mueller customers and the industry."
Skuld LLC (Columbus, Ohio) received a Small Business Innovative Research grant from the Department of Energy (DOE). The grant will be used to show going to 0.060-in. thick ductile iron can be done without negatively impacting automobile properties.
Skuld’s most recent trials reduced the weight of designs by 70% and material costs by 40%. This is of interest to the DOE due to increasing fuel efficiency standards.
AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry, a Hitachi Metals company, opened its manufacturing plant in Ironwood, Michigan.
The facility will process castings produced in Waupaca, Wisconsin. The facility is expected to create 61 new jobs and an investment of $4.3 million and covers 50,000 sq. ft.
The University of Northern Iowa’s Additive Manufacturing Center, located at TechWorks (Waterloo, Iowa) hosted a three-day camp for Cedar Valley students interested in STEM.
Focusing on a “Jurassic Park” dinosaur theme, Panther Park 3D was one of many camps offered by the STEM program at UNI and granted students the opportunity to broaden and develop their STEM interests and skills with an immersive 3D printing and design experience involving dinosaurs.
AFS Corporate Member Victaulic (Easton, Pennsylvania) has purchased Globe Fire Sprinkler ( Standish, Michigan).
“The addition of Globe’s fire protection sprinkler volume and engineering capabilities will provide the scale and skills necessary to be a true leader in all aspects of the fire protection industry," Victaulic CEO John F. Malloy said.
Steven Worthington, who will serve as president of Globe Fire Protection, echoed that excitement.