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This paper seeks to review the industrial applications of state‐of‐the‐art additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in metal casting technology. An extensive survey of concepts, techniques, approaches and suitability of various commercialised rapid casting (RC) solutions with traditional casting methods is presented.

The tooling required for producing metal casting such as fabrication of patterns, cores and moulds with RC directly by using different approaches are presented and evaluated. Relevant case studies and examples explaining the suitability and problems of using RC solutions by various manufacturers and researchers are also presented.

Latest research to optimize the current RC solutions, and new inventions in processing techniques and materials in RC performed by researchers worldwide are also discussed. The discussion regarding the benefits of RC solutions to foundrymen, and challenges to produce accurate and cost‐effective RC amongst AM manufacturers concludes this paper.

The research related to this survey is limited to the applicability of RC solutions to sand casting and investment casting processes. There is practically no implication in industrial application of RC technology.

This review presents the information regarding potential AM application – RC, which facilitates the fabrication of patterns, cores and moulds directly using the computer‐aided design data. The information available in this paper serves the purpose of researchers and academicians to explore the new options in the field of RC and especially users, manufacturers and service industries to produce casting in relatively much shorter time and at low cost and even to cast complex design components which otherwise was impossible by using traditional casting processes and CNC technology.

The Association of Swedish Foundries has recently made an investigation of the possibilities of using industrial robots in foundries. The result is published in a special report: ‘Industrirobotar i giuterier’ (Industrial robots in foundries). This article is based on this report.

To provide the basis for the development of a specific benchmarking methodology for the foundry industry.

The methodology was developed with the support of the Portuguese Foundry Association (APF). The project was structured in two stages: developing the model for the performance assessment (including performance indicators specially designed for the foundry companies); and conducting a pilot benchmarking exercise in order to validate the model. Both stages received the contribution of eight relevant national foundries.

Provides information about expectations of the benchmarking partners group. Make available a specific benchmarking model for assessing the foudries' performance based on critical factors. Provides foundry‐oriented indicators. Confirms that benchmarking is a time‐consuming tool, demanding continuous commitment of the top‐managers.

A limitation of the study is the number of benchmarking partners (eight foundries). The statistical analysis of the results based on this small sample was not practicable, preventing the definition of the presumed causal relations between improvement practices and performance outcomes.

The benchmarking model is now available at the APF. From now on, this institution can provide its members with a tool for promoting the co‐operation among companies and to enhance and enlarge significantly the available information about this sector. This activity will, certainly, help to improve organisations' performance, upgrading the competitiveness of the metalcasting industry in Portugal.

This paper helps the development of benchmarking in the metalcasting industry in which the number of published studies is very limited.

The question of health and safety at work is a central issue for trade unions. In Britain it is an area of concern where there were important legislative initiatives in the 1970s and 1980s, although surprisingly this has received relatively little attention in the debates about trade unionism. This neglect results in an aspect of union activity about which little is known. Explores through a detailed longitudinal study of a middle‐range engineering firm, from the late 1970s into the 1990s, the ways in which trade unions organize and act on health and safety questions. Argues that it is almost “routine” that workers face dangers and hazards at work, a central feature of the work and employment experience of most workers. However, this is often difficult to deal with as individual issues, or as matters which are subject to collective consideration. On the one hand, workers often appear to accept the dangers and hazards they face. On the other hand, managements are preoccupied with questions relating to production and finance, rather than the day‐to‐day problems faced by workers. This tension suggests that the future wellbeing of workers in unionized workplaces lies not so much with legislative provisions and rights at work, but in education and the organizing ability of workplace unions, raising and addressing what often seem like individualistic problems in collective ways.

November 27, 1969 Factory — Maintenance — Floor — Freedom from Obstruction — Obligation — Foundry — Sand floor — Pieces of metal embedded — Whether “reasonably practicable” to keep floor clear — Factories Act, 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz.II,c.34), s.28(1).

The UK foundry industry employs more people in management and supervision than any other skilled occupation. Almost one in three of these managers will have reached retirement age within the next ten years. If the industry hopes to recruit its future management from amongst its technologists and technicians there are not enough young people entering these occupations to provide an adequate supply of managers to replace those retiring. Very few managers and supervisors receive any training prior to their appointment into management. The development of new technology, the introduction of more and more legislation, the need to survive in a depressed and increasingly competitive market, the demand from customers for higher quality castings, the need to continue investment and modernisation at a time of high interest rates are just some of the factors which make the job of managing increasingly complex and time consuming.

Like most of the organisations set up as a result of the Industrial Training Act, the Joint Committee for Training in the Foundry Industry (FJC) is faced with the problems of recruiting new staff. The FJC was set up in March by the Engineering and Iron and Steel Industry Training Boards, who delegated to it all training functions in Section 2 of the Industrial Training Act 1964. The Committee inherited only a small number of experienced training staff at its headquarters and in the provinces. Though the quality of policy planning and organisation are of the utmost importance, it would be by the men who represented the FJC in the field that companies would tend to judge the service. As a first step it was therefore decided to look for a nucleus of Training Advisers (TAs), who were to be stationed in areas of high foundry concentration. Ten TAs were selected from over 200 applicants, though we set out to find fifteen.

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the significance of quick changeovers in die‐casting foundry environments.

The paper gives set‐up instructions and guidelines to prepare the standardized set‐up procedure without ignoring actual constraints in foundries. It uses a case study in a medium scale piston foundry to generate an integrated set‐up reduction approach, utilizing single minute exchange of die (SMED)‐based industrial engineering tools to achieve faster set‐ups. It describes the feasibility of quick changeovers in foundry small and medium enterprises based on a “SMED” approach. Finally, the paper carries out empirical analysis of the financial/non‐financial benefits incurred from set‐up reductions.

Set‐up activities are a vital part of the production lead‐time of any product and so affect overall product cost. Tools like Pareto analysis, root‐cause analysis and method study have been used to analyze the existing procedure of set‐ups. A SMED approach can help eliminate unwanted activities, externalize the internal activities, if possible and reduce them by simplification or standardization. The application of other tools such as 5S, Poke‐Yoke and specific tool‐kits are suggested to further reduce set‐up times.

The paper demonstrates the practical application of SMED showing how it can bring real breakthroughs in productivity to small and medium scale foundries.

The Code of Practice spells out in detail many of the factors which help to create a healthy climate within a company and underlines the importance of incorporating these factors into positive personnel policies. It indicates a number of areas where training can make an effective contribution in this direction. Training has traditionally been concerned with the competence of the individual employee but the commitment of individual employees to the company's success is equally important. An understanding of how people work in groups and how jobs relate to one another is needed if this commitment to the company's objectives is to be promoted. There have been a number of substantial changes in attitudes in the foundry industry in recent years, some of which were brought about by technical developments within the industry, others by social changes. Some — for example the Industrial Relations Act — have consequences for every company. In the light of these changes companies are faced with a problem. Should they continue with their existing practices which range from informal to formal written personnel policies, relying when necessary on external legal advice; or alternatively, should they update their present policies or adopt new ones using the Code of Practice as a starting point? This paper concludes with the results of a survey carried out by, the FITC into the extent to which the larger FITC establishments pursue policies and practices as suggested in the Code of Practice.

Knight's Industrial Law Reports goes into a new style and format as Managerial Law This issue of KILR is restyled Managerial Law and it now appears on a continuous updating basis rather than as a monthly routine affair.