Localisation for Africa left Plenary Session : Keynote Address Global Metalcasting : A Strengths and Weaknesses Assessment Alfred Spada - Director of Marketing , Communications and PR , American Foundry Society , USA
Metal Casting Conference
A milestone for the South African Metal Casting Industry
The Metal Casting Conference 2013 was a milestone for the South African Metal Casting Industry as a key component of the manufacturing sector .
The theme for this year ’ s conference was Technology and Practice for increased Competitiveness , key for not only the foundry sector but for its customers as well .
Globally , the challenges within the foundry sector are common , from energy , environmental issues , labour , cost of raw materials , skills development , turn around times and quality . These challenges are but a summary of the points highlighted during the BRICS Foundry Forum and the Metal Casting Conference , which followed .
The key to addressing and overcoming these challenges is through platforms such as the Metal Casting Conference and the BRICS Foundry Forum , to talk and engage with each other on a global level .
“ This is a critical industry that impacts the overall competitiveness of the broader manufacturing sector . The most recent Cabinet-approved IPAP plan that was launched in 2011 has identified impact sectors of the economy . The IPAP stresses that SA ‘ s manufacturing sector needs to improve in order to be globally competitive and create jobs . The NFTN has been established as a key action programme by the dti ( Department of Trade and Industry ) to increase the overall competitiveness of the foundry sector ,” said
Mahadi Granier , Director : Metals , Industrial Development Division , dti .
The key message delivered at the conferences centred on collaboration within this sector , from supply chain through to customers and even competitors . Changing the perception of the industry as dirty , dangerous and old is also imperative .
“ You cannot sit back and wait for things to happen , our customers need us right now . The foundry industry is in a position where they need to be more price competitive and quicker but the broader scope of this is that the customer is under the same or similar pressure . However as an industry we have never engaged the customer , so they don ’ t really understand the casting process . It begs the question , how
You cannot sit back and wait for things to happen do they get the best value from us unless there is a collaborative effort ?” said Alfred Spada , Director of Marketing , Communications and PR , American Foundry Society .
Spada went on to say that “ Customers don ’ t understand the process and it ’ s up to the foundry industry to talk about opportunities , educate customers and show what should be and can be done . Irrespective if it fits your foundries process or not – create the opportunity !”
“ New market opportunities such as nuclear , wind energy and medical in the USA have seen tremendous growth . A great casting opportunity is hybrid cars and it is important to consider how we as an industry are going to take advantage of these opportunities . The key question is , is the industry looking for opportunities or are we waiting for them to come to us ? Whilst fabrication makes sense in some instances , castings are far superior .“ said Spada .
Government regulation is a huge threat . Environmental and SHEQ regulations are squeezing the foundry industry at every level . There is an urgent need to change the perception of customers , governments and environmentalists who see the industry as dirty , old , dangerous and unskilled .
Spada explained that this perception does not relate to the end product , but it does discourage people from wanting to be in this industry .
Productivity and castings going out the door will keep the business going , but making the industry exciting and attractive will get young people into the industry and provide further innovation and sustainability going forward .
Pre-recession levels have returned in the US , which has come from metal casting buys . China ’ s internal demand for castings and its own challenges relating to increasing costs means that the country could soon be facing competitiveness issues .
Germany is the largest shipper of metal casting by far . Most of their facilities are headed by engineers who focus on production and process . India is growing , predominantly driven by the automotive sector as well as internal and external demand . However energy , infrastructure and transport remain a challenge .