U.S. Metalcasting's Future By Design: A product engineer sheds light on the future of customer/supplier relationships

摘要

The U.S. metalcasting industry has begun to see an upswing in business after a five-year lull, and a recent industry outlook has forecast continued growth through 2008. But the industry that is rising out of the recent downturn is not the industry it was a decade ago. An increasingly competitive global environment and shifting customer needs are creating higher demands on metalcasting facilities to constantly reexamine their business plans and process capabilities. U.S. metalcasting facilities are working to meet these demands, and knowing how to communicate your company's requirements to a casting supplier could yield great dividends.