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.

Who Can Join NADCA?

NADCA is comprised of both individual members and corporate members located throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. There are different levels of membership offered by NADCA to accommodate the needs of the industry.

  • Student Membership: valid for any high school or college student in North America
  • North American Individual Membership: available for individuals residing in North America
  • Non-North American Associate Individual Membership: offered to individuals residing outside of North America
  • Corporate Membership: available for companies that would like all their employees to have access to NADCA membership benefits.

Members receive monthly magazines and e-newsletters that cover such things as industry events, technical updates, discounts on publications and services, die casting design assistance, access to sales leads and exposure to OEMs.

Currently, there are 15 chapters nationwide of NADCA that serve local die casters, communities and industry. These chapters hold monthly events and meetings to help foster a network between local businesses and the industry.

What Does NADCA Do?

NADCA does a lot of activities and is heavily involved within the industry and its advocacy. Some of the things they do are research and development, marketing, meetings and expositions, education, design assistance, government affairs, and help build careers/opportunities.

  • Research and Development: NADCA has an entire technical archive and library that is dedicated to improving the flow of information on die cast part quality and repeatability. They hope to identify industrial needs, expand funding resources and eliminate myths that are associated within the die casting industry. This research is put out through books, CDs and software, and is also published into its two bi-monthly magazines – Die Casting Engineer and LINKS, a corporate members-only publication.
  • Marketing: NADCA uses its resources and connections to shed light upon the die casting process to business and engineering.
  • Meetings and Expositions: They host a multitude of events, including the CastExpo, which is the world’s largest exposition of metalcasting technology and takes place every three years.
  • Education: Centered on presenting industry knowledge, improving die cast part quality and production technique, NADCA offers over 30 industry training programs each year.
  • Design Assistance: They provide an online resource, www.diecastingdesign.org, to help designers and specifiers of die casting to optimize die cast parts and processes.
  • Government Affairs: Developing grassroots efforts and fostering strategic alliances, NADCA is effectively bringing industry matters before Congress and federal agencies, and are a strong advocate within Washington.
  • Building Careers/Opportunities: NADCA offers a look into careers and opportunities in the die casting industry. It gives jobs/titles as well as companies within the industry that are looking for employees.

Not only that, but NADCA also provides endless die cast industry information on their website and their blog, keeping everyone up to date on the latest happenings and news.

In the end, NADCA is a force that wants to promote the die casting industry by working with businesses, individuals, and communities to do so. It promotes education, awareness, and advancements that can lead more people into the die casting industry, either by career opportunities or bringing in consumers. Now that you know a little more about NADCA, you’re well informed for the next time you see their name come up.

By Leonard Cordaro, President of Premier Engineered Products


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