With raw materials prices escalating and shortages reported by a few suppliers, metalcasters are in a purchasing pinch that could affect casting end-users. It's an inalienable fact of manufacturing: some costs (particularly for materials that fluctuate widely in price) are passed on to customers. Metalcasters are no different than any other manufacturer in this respect. Because the industry's raw materials supply picture can hinge on many external factors, metalcasters can be hamstrung by rising prices. "In the scheme of things, the foundries are a very small component," said Robert Peaslee, president and co-owner of Manitowoc Grey Iron Foundry, Manitowoc, Wis. "We have zero influence on the pricing of [most] commodities. They are driven by other industries that use far more, and we just have to sit here and grin and bear it."
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