Our Next Meeting is Thursday February 16, 2012.
An AFS Ontario Special Event “CAST DIFFERENTLY” Seminar to be held at CANMET Materials Technology Laboratories followed by a casual light dinner buffet at Kelsey”s Restaurant.
Cost of the Seminar is $20.00 (all proceeds go to the Foundry Education Foundation).
Seminar Location: McMaster Innovation Park (MIP)
183 Longwood Road South, Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1
Focus: Cast Differently
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Speaker: Bob Puhakka, Vice President, Process and Metallurgy
Alloy Casting, New Hamburg, Ontario
Bob is a foundry engineering professional specializing in metal casting technology and process metallurgy. Developer of the vortex step ingate, a velocity throttle for naturally pressurized, surface tension-controlled gravity fill systems.
Bob has spent the last four years developing advanced methoding techniques using detailed computerized process simulation and fundamental fluid dynamics based on the work begun by John Campbell at the University of Birmingham, UK. Bob and John are close colleagues and have co-authored two papers. Bob recently presented two papers on advanced casting practices at TMS 2011 in San Diego, California.
Ticket Prices and Reservations:
We ask all members and guests for your assistance in placing your reservations no later than 5:00 pm on Monday February 13th. We will enjoy a Pub Buffet style meal in the “Marauder Room” at Kelsey”s Restaurant at 875 Main Street, Hamilton. Cost for the dinner will be $20.00 per person (drinks not covered). If you plan to attend both the seminar and the buffet please make sure you register for both. Register at afsontario@bell.net. Please include the names of the people attending.
ONTARIO CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
January 2012
We were pleased to have Marg Duffy, Main Street Management providing a presentation “Managing a Multigenerational Workforce” at our meeting on January 19, 2012. Due to weather, we had 14 in attendance to hear Marg”s presentation. She has offices in Stratford and London and provides Human Resources support to businesses (large and small).
Her goal is “to make a business less stressful so management can focus on what is important”.
Her business provides support in the following areas, WSIB, wage surveys, policy research, Ministry of Labour issues, recruitment and general health and safety issues, to name a few.
Her topic tonight focused on how the workplace is shifting from “Boomers” to “Gen X”ers and Y”s” and how each generation communicates so we can avoid conflict. There are 76 million Boomers in the US that will retire shortly and there are only 46 million Gen X”ers and Y”s to fill their positions. Apprenticeship programs are not being filled either. This can and does create conflicts between workers.
Generation definitions:
Traditionalist – born before 1946, have a military control style.
Boomer”s – born between 1946 and 1965, are more comfortable with change.
Gen X”ers – born between 1965 and 1980, want everything fast and will change jobs frequently.
Gen Y”s – born between 1980 and 2000, need technology to communicate.
How we integrate these differences are one of the business challenges faced today. Integrity and trust seem to be the main factors in improving the generational gaps. Identifying what is important to each generation is also important on how to keep and retain the best employees.
Dan Peace – Past Chairman and guest speaker Marg Duffy, Main Steet Management
We normally present our speakers with a small token of appreciation. Marg requested we instead donate the money to Mission Services of Hamilton. On behalf of Marg the chapter has sent $35.00 to Mission Services.
50-50 Winner
Pamela Hewitson, a guest of Dominion Pattern Works, who is a Unit Supervisor at Hamilton General Hospital won the 50-50.
AFS Ontario Chapter Technical Seminar “Non-Destructive Evaluation of Castings”
The Second Technical Seminar for 2011-2012 was hosted at CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory in Hamilton on January 19th. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) or Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of castings involves diagnostic techniques to evaluate their properties without causing damage. Four presenters provided attendees with an excellent technological overview of techniques, and applications and offered many insights connecting the world of NDE to the foundry environment.
Technical seminar Chair Ron Walder opened the event by thanking Dr. Jennifer Jackman, Director of CANMET, P.K. Yuen, Jennifer Bondy and the rest of the CANMET staff who graciously hosted the seminar. The first presenter was P.K. Yuen, Manager for the Government of Canada”s National NDT Certifying Agency located at the CANMET facility. P.K. detailed the state of the NDT industry in Canada, and discussed CANMET”s over 50 years of leadership in the qualification and certifiction of NDT personnel. The Agency is continually focused on new emerging techniques and involving its many industrial partners in the development of new national standards. Canada enjoys an excellent reputation world-wide for its training and certification programs.
The second presenter was Larry Cote, the President and CEO of the Canadian Institute for NDE which is located at Mohawk College in Hamilton. The Institute is the foremost training ground for NDT/NDE training in Canada and a major purveyor of information on the subject. Larry described the critical training and important member services the Institute provides NDT professionals. He then presented an overview of NDT techniques, including radiography, ultrasonics, eddy current, magnetic particle, liquid penetrant and their applications in the foundry industry.
The third presenter was Dr. Joseph Poon, President of Canavision Technologies and Abraham Innovation Systems Inc. located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. With years of direct and practical experience with machine vision and image processing algorithms, Dr. Poon has developed pattern recognition, image processing techniques, and artificial intelligence solutions for quality control in manufacturing industries including foundries. His automated visual inspection systems can evaluate casting shape, size, orientation and surface imperfections at remarkable speeds at relatively low cost.
The final speaker was Jeffrey McIsaac, President of Dynajoin Corporation of Cambridge, Ontario who has advised some of Canada”s largest companies on challenges related to R&D, intellectual property, and materials processing. His presentation focused on thermal analysis techniques that can produce key input data for process simulation software. Techniques discussed included differential scanning calorimetry, dilatommetry, thermo-gravimetric analysis, as well as the alloy characterization techniques – scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. Jeff advised that advanced thermal analysis inputs into process simulations can provide important insights into all aspects of casting process. Root causes of failures and/or process challenges can be identified quickly and easily off line, saving dollars on expensive foundry trials.
YOUR ELECTRONIC INGATE
NOTE: As long as we have your correct email address you should get your copy of the Ingate. If you or if anyone you know who is a paid up member of the Ontario Chapter did not receive their issue of the Ingate please contact us at afsontario@bell.net
INGATE SUPPORTERS
There is still time to get your business card on our web site. If you have not added your business card to our web site and would still like to you can do so at a prorated fee. Contact us at afsontario@bell.net or skopysh@cogeco.ca.
We would like to thank all who have supported us by their business card and ad donation this year. If you would like to advertise in the Ingate (and also on our website) please contact us at afsontario@bell.net. Please note the funds donated from advertising go towards scholarships for students interested in our industry. If you see errors or have changes to make with your ad, please contact us to we can correct it.
AFS ONTARIO CHAPTER LIBRARY
The AFS library has an excellent collection of the latest editions of our industries literature and foundry information. The AFS resource base is the most comprehensive collection of foundry information in the world. In addition to books; video and CD”s are also available. Remember, you get the best price available when you purchase or order through the chapter library.
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
Have you thought about the benefits and services you get with a Corporate Membership?
Here are some:
Management Reports/Magazines/Journals
Exhibit Booth Space Discounts
Shipping Solutions – in and out of Canada
Technology Transfer
Design Solutions
Energy Solutions
Career Solutions
Marketing/Industry Branding
Education & Training
Free Individual Corporate Affiliate members
Government Advocacy
Management Services (HR Solutions)
ROSTER CORRECTIONS
We ask that you check your membership roster for errors. Please note that the information in the roster is detail we receive from AFS headquarters in Chicago. We can assist with any corrections by contacting our Membership Chairman, Vince Skinner and he will forward to the Chicago office. You can email Vince with your changes at vskinner@penalloy.com
AFS ONTARIO WEB SITE
We have a new look and new features on our web site. By checking our site you can keep abreast of what is happening with our chapter. It also allows you to quickly access our sponsors web sites. As always we are open to your suggestions for improvements both with our web site and the Ingate. You can send your comments to afsontario@bell.net.
INDUSTRY CALENDAR
February 8 – 10, 2012 AFS Labor Relations & H R Conference
February 29 – March 2, 2012 Wisconsin Regional Conference
March 22 – 24, 2012 AFS Northwest Regional Conference
March 28 – 30, 2012 AFS Southeast Regional Conference
April 27 – 20, 2012 AFS 116th Metalcasting Congress
April 25 – 27, 2012 World Foundry Congress
May 2 – 4, 2012 AFS Government Affairs Conference
August 12 – 13, 2012 AFS Environmental 101 Seminar
August 14 – 15, 2012 AFS 24th Environmental Health & Safety Conference
August 16 – 17, 2012 AFS Chapter Officers Conference
September 16 – 18, 2012 AFS Executive Conference
CMI COURSE SCHEDULE
**For more information please visit www.afsinc.org and click on “Cast Metals Institute”. The Cast Metals Institute provides intensive, specialized education for metal casters by metal casters. Since its beginning in 1957, CMI has presented over 3,000 courses to 65,000 participants representing nearly 5,000 individual companies – dramatic evidence of the acceptance of CMI as a vital contributor in the continuing development of foundry personnel.
Directions and Map to CANMET
From Toronto:
Take Highway 403 to the Highway 8 West Main St. Exit. At the traffic lights at the top of the ramp turn right. Proceed on Main St. West and then turn right onto Longwood Road South.
From Niagara:
Follow the Queen Elizabeth Way Eastbound over the Burlington Skyway Bridge. Take Highway 403 West towards Hamilton, and exit as described above in the directions coming from Toronto.
From Kitchener – Waterloo:
Take Highway 401East to Highway 6 South to Highway 403 West, and exit at Highway 8 Main Street Exit as described in the directions coming from Toronto. Or take Highway 8 to the Town of Dundas; proceed along King Street straight through the town – this will become Highway 12 (Cootes Drive). Turn left onto Main Street, continue 1.5 kilometers and turn right onto Longwood Road South.
From Brantford and London:
From Brantford, take Highway 403 East to the Aberdeen Street exit, and turn left onto Longwood Road South.
Parking:
South side of Innovation Centre, 175 Longwood Road South, Hamilton
