FIA is pleased to welcome two Forging Producer members to the Association:

Erie Press Systems Celebrates 50 Years of FIA Membership

George Currie, Exec. VP, was recognized by FIA President Kevin Crowley at the Annual Meeting of Members with a plaque to commemorate 50 years of continuous FIA membership for Erie Press Systems.

ERIE Press Systems was incorporated in 1895 by five local investors as Erie Foundry Company, a grey iron foundry, and capitalized with $10,000.00. In 1904, ERIE purchased the machine tool business of Pittsburgh Shear Knife and shipped its first 600 pound single frame hammer to Rome Brass and Copper Company.  A 1908 fire destroyed the machine shop, but left the foundry and office. 

One of the founder's nephews, D. Angus Currie (Doug and George's grandfather) left his father's Michigan farm to join the Company in 1906 as a timekeeper working his way up during the automotive growth and WWI years to become President in 1935. Mechanical trim presses were introduced in the teens while small custom application hydraulic presses were introduced in the twenties.  Doug and George's father, Jim Currie returned from WWII and succeeded as president when his father, Angus, died in 1955. Today, as third generation, Doug and George hope to continue the ERIE legacy for another 115 years by continuing to build their technical and manufacturing capabilities in order to serve the forge and several other key industries which the Company has supported over the years.

Congratulations, Erie Press Systems!

Theory & Applications of Forging & Die Design School - June 20-23 - Cleveland

The "Theory and Applications of Forging & Die Design" school continues to evolve, reflecting new insights into forging technology and the wide availability of metal flow simulation software.  This four-day school is taught by a team of industry experts and engineering professors who work together to carefully explain principles and practice.  We urge you to join the 1200+ forging employees who have already attended this course.

(Click here) to view/print brochure.

This will be the only offering of this program in 2011. Class size is limited, (last year's class filled up early, leaving many closed out), please don't wait to register.

For additional information, contact George Layne at: glayne@forging.org.
 

International Forgemasters Meeting Registration Opens - Early Bird Expires June 30

Industry Elects New Leadership at Annual Meeting

Four new directors have been elected to Forging Industry Association's (FIA) Board of Directors for three-year terms. They are:

Cesar Garza, President, W. Pat Crow Forgings, Fort Worth, TX  

Charles J. Crout, President, AJAX-CECO, Park-Ohio Capital Equipment Group, Wickliffe, OH

Simon Ormerod, President & CEO, AJAX Rolled Ring & Machine, York, SC       

Matthias Praus, General Manager, Metform LLC, a Maclean-Fogg Company, Savanna, IL

Michael A. Kamnikar, Senior V.P., Marketing & Business Development, Ellwood Group, Inc., Ellwood City, PA was elected President. Dennis Potter, COO, Impact Forge Group of Hephaestus Holdings, Inc., Columbus, IN was elected Association Vice President for the coming year.

Arnold Visser, COO, IMT, Ingersol, Ontario and Ronald A. Wallis,Technical Director, Wyman Gordon Forgings, Inc., Houston, TX, were elected to the FIA Executive Committee to serve with Kamnikar and Potter.

Four trustees have been elected to Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation's (FIERF) Board of Trustees for three-year terms. They are:

Tim Gudszend, COO, Rotek Incorporated, Aurora, OH

Darryl S. Hammock, CEO, Weld Mold Company, Brighton, MI

Markus Knoerr, VP Engineering, HHI, Royal Oak, MI

Jack H. Simmons, Mgr. Marketing & Product Development, Electralloy, Oil City, PA

Brad A. Ahbe, President, Canton Drop Forge, Inc., Canton, OH was elected to a one-year term as President of the Foundation. 

James Woidke, COO, SIFCO Industries, Inc., Cleveland, OH was elected as Vice President for the coming year.

Douglas Brown, President & COO, Inductoheat, Madison Heights, MI and Jeffry D. Jones, VP, Girard Engineering, Inc., Cleveland, OH were elected to the FIERF Executive Committee to serve with Ahbe and Woidke.

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FIA Safety, Health and Environmental Newsletter

In this Issue:

·         Attention Environmental Affairs

·         Lesson Learned

·         AWARENESS ALERT - Swivel Hoist Ring

·         Bills filed to Codify VPP

·         Congratulations to FIA Safety Award Winners

·         Remember the Safety Star Program

Click here to view/print Newsletter

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Aerospace Subcommittee Update

2011/2012 FIERF Research Projects Approved!

Marquette University - Heat Loss Study on Ring Rolling and Evaluation of Heat Amounts Required for Near Isothermal Rolling

University Of Michigan - Advanced Tonnage Signal Analysis for Forging Process Monitoring and Quality Improvement (Four Year Project)

Colorado School of Mines - Hot Deformation and Recrystallization Behavior of Ni-Base Superalloys

Case Western Reserve University - Development of Coatings and Procedures for Reducing Decarburization during Preheat of Forging Billets

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Effect of Carbide Formers on Steel Decarburization

Wright University - Economic Ways to create UFG Bulk Materials for Forgers

University of Pittsburg (co-sponsored by Ellwood Group, Inc.) - Effects of Aluminum Nitride Precipitation on Hot Ductility of Steels

Illinois Institute of Technology (co-sponsored by A. Finkl & Sons) - Experimental and Finite Element Investigation of Defect Closure in Large Forgings

For a copy of the project plan please contact FIA Technical Director Carola Sekreter at carola@forging.org

For reviewing all on-going projects click here.

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Optimism Fuels a Successful 2011 FIA Annual Meeting

Thank you to all who were interviewed at the Conference.  Watch for more interviews to be included in more videos!

Click here to view the video on U-Tube. 

2011 Forging Capability Guide Released

Members Raise Funds for Scholarships - and Have a Good Time!

Annual Meeting attendees contributed over $1500 to the Charles W. Finkl Scholarship Fund during the "Sink or Swim" chipping contest that took place during the meeting's opening reception.  Members competed to be closest to the pin of the 9^th hole that lies just across the water from the Palm Grove Court where the evening's event was held.

Hackers and serious players came forward to support the scholarship fund while trying their luck and for the most part managing to avoid exploding golf balls.

Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to Paul Dimitry, Gerdau MACSTEEL who won a $500 gift certificate for being closest to the pin!

Each year the Foundation supports up to 30 undergraduate engineering students (at a cost of $60,000), a large percentage of whom end up in the forging industry supply chain.  If you would like to contribute to the Finkl Scholarship Fund or other activities of FIERF, please contact Karen at karen@forging.org or 216.781.5040.

Click here to see more photos from the event.

Job Shop Lean Workshop Offered to the Public on June 9 and 10, 2011 in Columbus OH. 

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Defense Logistics Agency Releases New Video on its R&D Investments in the Forging Supply Chain

The Defense Logistics Agency released a really cool video on its investments in the forging industry especially PRO-FORGE.  This fast paced video features two FIA member companies and an aerospace OEM which depends on forgings.  Click on this link and share it with your team.  http://fdmc.ati.org/videos/media-video.html 

Meanwhile, in the Real World

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