Simulation has nearly limitless applications and has revolutionized engineering developments in manufacturing.

IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. launched copper-alloy casting at its new and expanded copper-alloy foundry facility in Franklin, Ind. The launch of production at the new facility marks the completion of a two-year consolidation of three production facilities into a single vertically integrated manufacturing operation dedicated to producing copper and copper-alloy products. IBC invested approximately $6 million to expand and modernize its Franklin facility and consolidate its former Missouri and Pennsylvania foundries to the new plant. The consolidation is expected to generate efficiencies and production cost savings for the Copper Alloys Division and enable the division to expand production.

Charter Manufacturing acquired Aarrowcast Inc., a Shawano, Wis.-based manufacturer of high-quality gray and ductile iron castings. Aarrowcast, a green sand foundry, offers a range of complex iron casting solutions to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers across industries including agricultural equipment, compressors/ hydraulics, defense contractors, construction and mining and heavy-duty off-road vehicles. The company produces an estimated 85 million pounds of castings annually. Aarrowcast will operate as Charter Aarrowcast, joining Charter’s existing family of metals manufacturing businesses: Charter Automotive, Charter Dura-Bar, Charter Steel and Charter Wire.

Wall Colmonoy completed an upgrade to its casting facility in Pontardawe, Wales. The approximately $822,000 investment modernizes the company’s casting foundry, reducing its environmental footprint and improving its efficiency. The casting upgrade includes new induction melting equipment and magnetically screened furnaces. The furnaces offer increased capacity and reduced processing times.

Ellwood Aluminum of Hubbard, Ohio, says that it has manufactured the largest cross-section sized aluminum slab ever produced in North America. In partnership with Wagstaff, Ellwood Aluminum cast an aluminum slab that weighed over 95,000 pounds. It will be used for injection mold dies. With dedicated melting and holding furnaces and a casting pit capable of lengths up to 360 inches, Ellwood Aluminum produces rectangular aluminum slabs that are made to customer specifications and preferred chemistries and alloys. The company’s aluminum slabs are also approved by international and U.S. rolling mills.

Otto Fuchs ordered a melting furnace and two tiltable holding and casting furnaces from Hertwich Engineering, a company of SMS group. The melting furnace, the fifth at Otto Fuchs’ facility in Meinerzhagen, Germany, will have a capacity of 7.7 tons per hour. The two casting furnaces are designed for a capacity of 20 tons. The melting furnace, the largest at Otto Fuchs, combines scrap preheating and submersion melting of cleaned scrap in one compact unit. The entire furnace process is fully automated by a measurement and control system.