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 Bill Bennett to be Featured Speaker at FIA Fall Meeting; Hotel Rooms Still Available |
 William Bennett, one of America's most important, influential and respected voices on cultural,
political and education issues, will address members at the FIA Fall Meeting, October 22-23, 2012 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Now known for his roles as host of the highly ranked nationally syndicated radio show, Morning in America and his commentary on CNN, he formerly served cabinet positions under Ronald Reagan and George H.W.Bush. Bennett is perceived-even by his adversaries-as a man of strong, reasoned convictions who speaks candidly, eloquently and honestly about some of the most important issues of our time.
Other items on the agenda include a forging market outlook, becoming an employer of choice, protecting assets from lawsuits, handling a crisis at your workplace and the likely impact of the 2012 elections on our industry. Both general and focused roundtables will be available for your selection.
Technical, environmental and safety professionals attending with at least one other senior manager from your company will be given a 50% reduction in the meeting registration fee!
Hotel rooms may still be available at the Cosmopolitan (Saturday, October 20 excluded). Call the reservation number on the back of the brochure for more information. Other Vegas hotels are certain to have availability as well. Click here for more information, hotel numbers and registration.
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Every Vote Counts |
FIA is a proud member of the National Association of Manufacturers' (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations. We recently received an email from Jay Timmons the President of NAM that includes a short video encouraging everyone involved in manufacturing to get to the polls in November. It is moving and we wanted to share it with you.
America's economy is at stake. But, if manufacturers unite on Election Day, we can correct our course and achieve bold reforms to again unleash America's competitive spirit. After all, we built this great country.
Manufacturers are 12 million strong, and each one of our voices can make a difference. Visit the NAM Election Center to learn more about the candidates and find tools to mobilize the manufacturing workforce and our allies on November 6.
Let's send a message to Washington.
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In Memoriam | | FIA was recently notified that the industry has lost one of our own. Foster E. Harris past Chairman and President of Harris Thomas Drop , served as a FIA Board Member 1972-75, passed away on September 3rd at his home in Dayton, OH.
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Theory & Applications of Forging & Die Design School Offered Again - October 2012 | |
Due to a sellout June class, FIA is offering the Die Design School again this year, October 29 - November 1, 2012, in 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 1500+ forging employees who have already attended this course.
(Click here) to view/print full Program.
Class size is limited, the June class filled up early, leaving many closed out, please don't wait to register.
For additional information, contact George Layne at: [email protected].
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Marketing Workshop Rated Excellent; Speaker Slides Posted for FIA Members | |
Chairman Sean Connolly, Composite Forgings, and the rest of the FIA Marketing Committee programmed another successful Marketing Workshop. With 86 sales and marketing professionals in attendance, the program was comprised of professional sales trainers, economists, social media specialists and an expert on the shale gas industry. Attendees and interested parties are encouraged to review the slides from most presentations by clicking here. Sorry -- FIA Members with passwords only !
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Queen City Forging Company's Success Story of Implementing Infrared Heating Technologies. |
A joint research project with Oakridge National Laboratories turned out to be a great success story for Queen City Forging Company. The results are anything but exceptional. Increased material properties that are not achievable with conventional processing methods, throughput increase of 400%, and reduced energy and maintenance cost. Click here to view the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HojgtC5j5cU
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MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions Announces Facility Expansion at Metform | | Metform is significantly investing in our future. Metform is in the process to add another manufacturing facility in Illinois, that will see equipment investments of more than $30M.
Duncan MacLean, President of MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions, announced the ground-breaking of an 86,000 square foot precision component machining facility at its Metform location in Savanna, Illinois. According to Mr. MacLean, "This investment will enable Metform to significantly expand its already strong position in the driveline component forging and machining market."
Click here to read more.
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New Thesis Available from FIERF Sponsored Research | |
New thesis available on the subject of Microstructure Evolution in INCOLOY� 945 During Hot Deformation by Edward Wolfram, Shane Giskaas, Kip Findley; George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Colorado School of Mines, 2011 FIERF Fellowship - click here
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ForgingPAC Update |
 ForgingPAC Update
Thanks to the support of individuals who believe in the mission of the Forging Political Action Committee, ForgingPAC raised just over $31,000 for the 2012 election cycle. This was a 50% increase over the amount raised in the 2010 cycle!! We have delivered the last of our contributions click here to see the Final Report of which campaigns the Steering Committee chose to support.
ForgingPAC is dedicated to helping elect Members of Congress who support U.S. forgers and the forging industry, along with supporting policies that increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. ForgingPAC is working hard to make sure the interests of forgers and U.S. manufacturers are heard in Washington
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FIA to Exhibit at Power-Gen International 2012 | |
FIA will represent its Member companies through exhibition at the Power Gen International Show, December 11-13, 2012, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Over 18,000 attendees are expected for the power industry's three-day information exchange designed to share practical experiences, knowledge and ideas on the latest trends and challenges. Plenty of Forging Capability Guide CDs promoting member custom forging services will be distributed. It's expected that many domestic and offshore forging operations will send personnel to prospect this growing market segment. See http://www.power-gen.com/index.html for more information on exhibiting or attending the show.
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| Industry Technical Conference a Success - Thanks to Many! | |
 Over 170 industry, research and academic partners participated in the 29th Forging Industry Technical Conference in downtown Cleveland in early September. Highlights of the conference included 35 technical papers presented in dual tracks covering R&D subjects as well as applied technology from metallurgy to maintenance. Reports were also heard on industry collaborative research projects that are bringing together FIA Members with university resources.
Technical papers are available on the FIA website click here
Attendees also enjoyed the 18 table top exhibits sponsored
by industry suppliers and research partners. Also three
roundtables on different subjects added value to participants.
And as always, networking with fellow industry experts,
FIERF Magnet School Professors and students was ranked
as a valuable part of participation.
Many thanks to The Timken Company for opening their Faircrest Steel facility for a plant tour on the closing day of the conference. Participants very much enjoyed the invitation to tour The Timken Company's facility and they were impressed by the strong continuous improvement culture.
Thank you also to all the presenters, exhibitors and participants for making this an outstanding conference referred to by many as "the best so far"!
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Professor Seeking Industry Input | | Chuck White, FIERF Magnet School Professor at Kettering is applying for an Advancing Science, Saving Society Fellowship and would your ideas for a position paper he is writing.
Chuck says, "In looking at the current manufacturing situation in the U.S., I see a number of issues which are troubling:
1. I don't think the U.S. manufacturing community can sustain the defense of the country. With the lowest cost mentality that exists, the U.S could not make the equipment we need defend ourselves. A high % of critical parts for defense equipment are not U.S. made.
2. Universities in the U.S are not supplying the engineering talent that companies need to survive. In some cases, engineering graduates don't have basic skills. They have high level skill which are focused on scientific research and not manufacturing competency. As an example, we have material scientist not materials engineers, metallurgists, ceramists, and polymers experts.
3. Academics preparing engineers for jobs don't understand how important it is to focus on delivery of a product. They are interested in the development of data rather than the application of the data and research to solve a problem and make money.
First I need some verification that these topics are relevant to current manufacturing. Secondarily, are there issues in manufacturing that a policy fellow might address that are more important?"
If you are willing to provide Chuck with feedback, he can be reached at [email protected].
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Forging Design Seminar for Buyers and Designers of Forgings - November 15, Houston, TX | |
A one-day seminar on:
� Why use a forging?
� How to design a forging
� How to buy a forging
The Forging Design Seminar is a one-day Seminar, created to assist component designers in understanding the nuances of forged part design, to improve part design, to reduce cost, improve quality and reduce administrative and production lead times.
This course will familiarize attendees with the forging process, forging design topics, and the optimum utilization of forgings in critical service applications. Engineers at OEM's will learn about topics that influence the component design. Buyers will gain a better understanding of the process and commercial issues that may be unique to forging. Attendees will be in a better position to select a supplier and collaborate with them to develop an optimum and cost effective forging. While attendees won't become forging experts, they will be provided with information that will accelerate their learning curve by years.
(Click here) for additional information or contact George Layne at: [email protected], 216-781-6260
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Road Trip to Lenape Forged Products, Corp. |
A group of 19 Defense Logistics Agency employees from Richmond, Virginia took a road trip to Lenape Forged Products, Corp. in West Chester, Pennsylvania on September 18, 2012. FDMC and the DLA'S Aviation Forging & Casting Assistance Team (AFCAT) coordinated the trip, whose purpose was to expand DLA employees' understanding of the forging process.
While on the bus en route to the forge shop the FORGE-IT engineer provided a background on the forging and manufacturing processes through the use of presentations, briefings, and videos. While at Lenape Forged Products, Lenape staff first gave the group an overview of the forging industry and their processes and capabilities, then led the group on a tour of their facility where they saw the open die forging process and the machining the takes place to produce the final part.
This was the 20th DLA Aviation tour of a forging facility since May 2003, and this was the tenth time Lenape has opened their doors for DLA employees. FDMC thanks Lenape and other forges that have graciously supported these tours in the past.
Other FIA member companies are welcomed to host similar tours in our ongoing process of workforce development!
Contact Jon Tirpak at 843-760-4346 for future opportunities for your forge with respect to this and other Department of Defense forging programs.
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