In August the European Foundry Sentiment Indicator (FISI) increased again after the slight dampener in the previous month. The plus of 1.0 points brings the index to a value of 109.7. While the current business situation is generally rated poorer than in the previous month, the more positive expectations for the coming six months pull the index up on balance.

As the annual highlight and start-of-year gathering for the die casting industry: EUROGUSS, the international exhibition for die casting, processes and products, will take place again in Nuremberg from January 18 to 20, 2022. After two turbulent years, the die casting sector will now come together again as one at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.

Cast aluminum parts have a huge potential for functional integration, which is a fundamental concept in light weight design. At LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen (LKR) a test geometry has been developed to enable coupon and component testing from one single cast part with minimum geometrical influence.

The Slovenian Foundrymen Society together with co-organizers University of Ljubljana and University of Maribor organized in Portoroz between 15 and 17 September the 61^st International Foundry Conference (IFC) with a Foundry Exhibition under the motto, “Innovative solutions for the future of foundry”.

Despite all the supply bottlenecks, the order books in the mechanical engineering industry were continuously filled up strongly in August. The German Engineering Federation (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e. V.; VDMA) draws a comparison with the previous year.

The EU intends to become climate neutral by 2050 – through the European Green Deal and a tax on carbon emissions. Fraunhofer-research scientists are helping businesses capitalize on net-zero technologies for this. They improve energy efficiency significantly and reduce carbon emissions.

Cast semis account for about a quarter of the global consumption of aluminium products, while their key consumer is the transport industry, first of all, the automotive industry. The automotive industry consumes over 60 % of the world's cast products. The further development of the cast products consumption in the world in the next ten years will be greatly facilitated by a fast growth in demand for electric vehicles.

Just weeks after Lotus confirmed it will be launching a new family of EV performance cars, it has given a world premiere to the innovative new lightweight chassis technology that will underpin the electric sports car in the range.

Members of the International Magnesium Association (IMA), honored their peers with the IMA Awards of Excellence. Honors annually bestowed by the IMA include five Awards of Excellence: Automotive Cast Products, Commercial Cast Products, Process, Wrought Products, and Health and Safety.

RUSAL, a leading global aluminum producer, has announced the inclusion of an aluminum-scandium alloy developed by the company in the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The advantages of the new alloy are reduced weight and lower environmental impact.