 More than 90 percent of all
manufactured goods and capital equipment use metalcastings as engineered components or
rely on castings for their manufacture [AFS 2000]. The
metalcasting industry produces both simple and complex components of infinite variety,
whether they are produced once as a prototype or thousands of times for use in a
manufactured product. In addition to producing components of larger products, foundries
may also do machining, assembling, and coating of the castings. Major end-use applications
for castings include automobiles and trucks, farm and construction equipment, railroads,
pipes and fittings, valves, and engines.[AFS 1998 ]
Metalcasting industry sales in the United States have been
in the range of $25 to $28 billion annually for the past several years, with a small trade
surplus. There are close to 3,000 foundries operating in all 50 states, employing
one-quarter of a million people. [AFS 2000] The industry
estimates that it invests more than $1.25 billion annually in pollution prevention
technologies and in meeting environmental standards. [MECS 1994]
Under the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system, the iron
and steel foundries are grouped under code 332, while nonferrous foundries and die casters
are grouped under code 336.
Shipments from foundries are valued at about $28 billion
annually.
The metalcasting industry uses an estimated 200 to 250
trillion Btu annually.
U.S. metalcasting facilities are found in every state but are
concentrated in the Midwest.
More than half of U.S. castings are produced using sand
casting methods, followed by permanent mold, die casting, and investment casting.
About half of gray and ductile iron foundries conduct
energy-management activities.
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