DIS Marketing Conducts
Casting Design Training
The Ductile Iron Society will conduct a “Design with Ductile Iron” seminar on Tuesday, October 28th, 2014 (9:00AM – 3:00PM) at the Decatur Conference Center & Hotel in Decatur, IL. Check out more information here.
There is certain to be some very good information presented,
so be sure to get there!
Ag market
There are reports in places like Farm Equipment Magazine about layoffs and such at the major ag producers. These make sense and were fairly predictable based on IRS changes late in 2013 affecting the ability to write off large pieces of equipment. In short, farmers cannot write off massive purchases very easily anymore, so they logically are extending the time they use existing combines and big tractors. For casting producers this means fewer castings for such equipment lines.
However, good weather means record crops. That logically means more castings for consumable castings – after all, you still need to harvest those crops.
Same thing in light
vehicles
Heavy Duty Trucking magazine reports:
“A separate report shows new car, light-truck and SUV sales are expected to drop 0.7% in August compared to the same time a year ago, hitting a total of 1.49 million units, according to publishers of the vehicle price guide Kelley Blue Book. Although sales are down from a raw volume perspective, they remain up slightly after adjusting for the difference in selling days in August 2014 versus August 2013.”
Now, most high-volume automotive foundries I know are jammed with work, and if they are not busy then they have other problems. I myself think we will see a leveling off in 2015.