26Feb

Aluminum VS. Aluminium: The Etymology of the “um” and “ium” Debate

The soft, silvery white chemical element in the boron group with an atomic number 13 and the symbol AI has long been the cause of a word feud between the North American Countries (America and Canada) and most of the rest of the world. So, how did this aluminum or aluminium clash start? Looking back on the etymology of this word gives a clear explanation to how this spelling difference got set into place.


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20Feb

NADCA Spotlight – The History & Mission of the North American Die Casting Association

It’s a name you’ve heard before and know they’re a driving force within the die casting industry, but what do you really know about NADCA?

What is NADCA?

The North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) has been the voice of the die casting industry since 1989 when it was founded through a merger with the American Die Casting Institute and the Society of Die Casting Engineers. These organizations were formed in 1928 and 1957, respectively. Headquartered in Arlington Heights, IL, NADCA is committed to promoting industry awareness, domestic growth in the global marketplace and member exposure.


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14Feb

Aluminum Die Casting Market Insights: What Our Consumers Have To Say

In 2013, the North American Die Casting Association conducted a survey of OEM users of die castings in order to determine what the market place is seeking from our industry.

A few questions were posed to nearly 100 companies that represented $450 million in die cast purchases. The idea was to get a pulse of the market thought at this time. Here are a few of the questions, and some of the answers, courtesy of NADCA, in graphic format for ease of understanding.


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04Feb

Part 2: Aluminum Die Casting vs. Other Casting Processes

The great part about this industry is that there are a number of valuable resources available; sometimes the hard part is finding them. Last year I created a General Casting Design Data Sheet in hopes of having a single reference point for the properties and tooling specs for seven of the most widely used casting processes.


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