Blog Archives
McWane Ductile Utah Hosts American Foundry Society Meeting
McWane Ductile Utah recently hosted the annual American Foundry Society (AFS) 8F chapter meeting. The group toured the plant and conducted committee business. The
AFS is a non-profit association serving members of the metal casting supply chain both in the United States and abroad.
McWane Team Attends American Foundry Society EHS Conference
The American Foundry Society (AFS) held its 27th annual Environmental, Health and Safety Conference on August 11–13, 2015 in Park City, Utah. The conference was heavily attended by both safety and environmental representatives from multiple McWane facilities as well other foundries from across the United States.
McWane played a big role in the conference by providing several speakers (Mike Parker, Ward Pate, and Jeet Radia) and the conference co-chair (Holly Guerrero) from among the McWane safety and environmental ranks. Also, as part of the conference, our nearby foundry, McWane Ductile–Utah, opened its doors to over forty attendees for a plant tour.
McWane Awarded Corporate Contribution Award by AFS
L – R: John Grahek, AFS Past President Paul Mikkola, Ruffner Page, Jeet Radia, Steve Johnson, and Jim Proctor
We are proud to announce that the American Foundry Society (AFS) presented McWane with the Corporate Contribution Award at the AFS Metal Casting Congress in Columbus, Ohio, on April 23. This is the first year this award has been given out by AFS which makes it extra special for McWane!
McWane received this award in recognition of the extensive in-kind contributions we have made to the metal casting industry through AFS. This includes active participation by McWane team members in AFS technical committees, local AFS chapters, and presenting and teaching at AFS conferences and Cast Metals Institute courses.
AFS established the Corporate Contribution Award in 2015 to recognize a company for superior or meritorious service to AFS and the metalcasting industry demonstrated through the contribution of time and service by company employees. The intent of this award is to recognize those organizations that have consistently sponsored the involvement of their employees in the AFS technical committee structure, local chapters, service to the AFS Institute and other volunteer activities. This award recognizes that for every individual member who is involved in AFS volunteer activities, there is a company that has approved that involvement and a corporate decision to support that contribution with financial and company resources.
Thanks to the McWane team members that spend endless hours participating in AFS committees and local chapters as well as make presentations and teach classes at AFS and CMI!
Larry Bowers Named 2014 Recipient of AFS Jonathan Stone Outstanding EHS Contribution Award
L to R: Corporate Environmental Team – Jeff Weatherly, Dennis Zurakowski, Terri Evans, Larry Bowers, Jeet Radia, Hari Krishna, and Ward Pate
We are proud to announce that the American Foundry Society’s Division 10 Executive Committee has selected McWane Group Environmental Director Larry Bowers as their 2014 recipient of the Jonathan Stone Outstanding EHS Contribution Award. This award is presented to deserving individuals who exhibit exemplary service to the metalcasting industry.
In 2014, Larry led a highly successful AFS Stormwater Compliance Seminar in Atlanta, Georgia. The award will be presented at the AFS 27th Environmental, Health and Safety Conference which will be held in Park City, Utah, in August 2015.
Please join us in congratulating Larry on receiving this prestigious award. It is very well deserved!
Clow Valve Presents CO2 Study Findings at AFS Sand Conference
L to R: Brodie Biersner (HA International), John Grahek, and Jeff Beuthien (Core Room Supervisor)
Clow Valve and HA International joined forces over the past year to conduct a case study to evaluate the changes/improvements, if any, that might occur if Clow ran CO2 cured cores. They recently had the opportunity to present their findings at the American Foundry Society’s Sand Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The CO2 process of replacing amine gas to cure cold box cores is common in Europe, however it is new to the United States and Clow. In fact, Clow is one of a few foundries that is running it in high production.
Clow has been running and learning from this process for over a year on one core center and has now moved it to the other machines.
According to John Grahek, Assistant Metal Casting Facility Manager, “This has allowed us to eliminate the flammable MEF gas used to cure cores and utilize an environmentally friendly CO2 gas further reducing our plant hazards, HAPS, and VOC’s.”
Ironically John, Jeff, and Brodie are Foundry Education Foundation alumni from the University of Northern Iowa. It’s a small world!
