Dear Sir or Madame-
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In this January 20, 2010 Publication:
GM Says China Sales Up 67 Percent in 2009
Discover the Best Surface Finishes on
Aluminum Die Castings
Automotive Production Expected to Increase in 2010
Some Pointers for Designing Die Castings
International Die Casting Design Competition
Offers Increased Exposure
Exhibiting at CastExpo'10? Make The Most
of Your Opportunity!
GM Says China Sales Up 67 Percent in 2009
BEIJING -- General Motors Co. said Monday that 2009 sales in China by the company and
its local partners rose 67 percent to a record 1.8 million vehicles amid tax cuts and
incentives to help boost the industry.
Detroit-based GM and other global automakers are looking to China's fast-growing market
to drive sales amid slack demand elsewhere. Chinese auto purchases surpassed those in
the United States for all but two of the first 11 months of the year. Total sales for
December are yet to be released.
To view the rest of this article,
click here.
Discover the Best Surface Finishes on Aluminum Die Castings
NADCA has just released a new publication — Performance Evaluation of Surface Finishes
on Aluminum Die Castings. Aluminum die castings are used in many modern applications.
These applications range from engine blocks to power tool casings, and from structural
to decorative applications. Aluminum is used because of its high strength to-weight
ratio and other attractive properties. Although there are many attractive features to
raw die cast aluminum components, sometimes these features need enhancements to fulfill
the demanding applications for these components. One such enhancement is the use of
surface finishes.
Fifteen surface finishes were applied to fifteen aluminum die castings. These finished
castings were then tested in an accelerated corrosion test. The goal was to determine
which coatings provide corrosion protection and maintain an attractive finish. Castings
with the surface finishes applied endured a 30-day accelerated corrosion test.
The evaluation revealed six of the surface finishes were continuing to provide
protection, while the remaining nine coatings were determined to have failed, offering
little or no further corrosion protection. This report should be used to complete the
first steps of selecting a finish, starting by understanding the requirements of the
surface finish. Is corrosion protection or appearance protection most important? Will
the casting be used in extreme corrosive environments or relatively non-corrosive
environments? Answering questions like these will narrow the possible coating systems.
To purchase this publication visit
www.diecasting.org/publications, item number 309.
Automotive Production Expected to Increase in 2010
The State of the Industry article, featured in NADCA’s January 2010 issue of Die Casting
Engineer and its February 2010 issue of LINKS examines the effect this troubled economy
is having on the die casting industry. This analysis shows how the die casting industry
is positioning itself to look ahead and develop sustained growth into the next two to
three years.
This report covers specific industry data such as the effects of the automotive
industry, as well as the home building industry, on die casting. It reflects on the
forecasted costs of raw materials and predicted unemployment during this year. With the
die casting industry in such critical condition, this article explores how it will
recover in 2010. Although change is not predicted to happen overnight, the die casting
industry should see growth in the second half of 2010. Order your copy of DCE through
www.diecastingengineer.org to read the full report.
Some Pointers for Designing Die Castings
Die castings offer exceptional design freedom while still getting great mechanical
properties in a product. However, some features can cause quality problems and others
can add unnecessarily to the cost of the casting. To read more about some pointers on
how maximize the value of the casting,
click here to login and read the January issue of Die Casting
Engineer.
International Die Casting Design Competition Offers Increased Exposure
All innovative die casting design wanted! By entering the 2010 International Die
Casting Design Competition, participants compete for a chance to have their castings
displayed during CastExpo'10, March 20-23, 2010, in Orlando, FL.
Entries will be judged in several categories: Aluminum, Zinc and Magnesium die casting.
Both custom and captive casters are eligible, and judges use four equally weighed
criteria: ingenuity of casting/product design; overall quality; cost savings &
contribution to expanding the market for castings. A panel of independent judges,
acknowledged experts with no ties to eligible casters, will choose the winners.
This is an excellent chance for exhibitors to gain additional exposure during
CastExpo‘10. In addition, the castings will be published on the NADCA Web site and the
NADCA Design Web site. Other sites and magazines will also be showcasing the winners,
hence exposing them to more designers and purchasers.
Besides all the benefits of winning, this competition helps promote increased use of die
castings by recognizing and publicizing outstanding designs. Time is running out.
Become a participant in the International Die Casting Design Competition today. For an
entry form and more information, please visit
http://www.diecastingdesign.org/castings/competition/.
The deadline for entries is January 22, 2010.
Exhibiting at CastExpo'10? Make The Most of Your Opportunity!
Two special webinars have been planned for exhibitors of CastExpo'10! The titles of
these webinars are:
- "So You Are Exhibiting at a Trade Show — Giving the Metalcaster Value Through Cast in North America"
- "Exhibiting at a Trade Show—Get Value From Your CastExpo Involvement"
The first webinar has been scheduled for 2:00 PM CST on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 and
the second webinar has been scheduled for 2:00 PM CST on Thursday, January 28, 2010. Leo
Baran will be giving both presentations.
If you would like to attend, please visit www.afsinc.org/webinars.
