2019 Foundry Management & Technology Outlook Survey

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* 1. What is the principal metal that you cast? (Check only one)

Aluminum

Brass/Bronze

Ductile Iron

Gray Iron

Steel

Other (please specify)

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* 2. How many employees work in your metalcasting operation?

Under 20

20 to 49

50 to 99

100 to 249

Over 250

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* 3. How will your 2018 casting shipments (tonnage) compare with 2017 shipments?

Stay the same

Increase

Decrease

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* 4. If you selected "increase" for Q3, by what percentage (estimate)?

0-10%

10-25%

26-50%

51-75%

76-90%

+90%

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* 5. If you selected "decrease" for Q3, by what percentage (estimate)?

0-10%

10-25%

26-50%

51-75%

76-90%

+90%

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* 6. How do you expect your 2019 casting shipments (tonnage) to compare with 2018 shipments?

Stay the same

Increase

Decrease

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* 7. If you selected "increase" for Q6, by what percentage (estimate)?

0-10%

10-25%

26-50%

51-75%

76-90%

+90%

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* 8. If you selected "decrease" for Q6, by what percentage (estimate)?

0-10%

10-25%

26-50%

51-75%

76-90%

+90%

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* 9. How will your 2019 capital expenditures compare to your 2018 capital expenditures?

Stay the same

Increase

Decrease

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* 10. If you selected "increase" for Q9, by what percentage (estimate)?

0-10%

10-25%

26-50%

51-75%

76-90%

+90%

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* 11. If you selected "decrease" for Q9, by what percentage (estimate)?

0-10%

10-25%

26-50%

51-75%

76-90%

+90%

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* 12. What types of capital expenditures are you planning in 2019? (Check all that apply)

New Plant

New Equipment

Expansion/Addition to existing plant

None

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* 13. Please estimate your total planned capital expenditures for 2019.

Less that $100,000

$101,000 to $250,000

$251,000 to $500,000

$500,000 to $1 million

$1 million to $5 million

More than $5 million

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* 14. What are your borrowing plans for 2019?

More debt

Retire debt

Stay about the same

Not currently carrying any debt

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* 15. Do you plan to purchase any of the following types of equipment in 2019? (Check all that apply)

Air compressors

Automatic pouring system

Blast cleaning equipment

Continuous mixers

Conveyors

Coremaking machines

Cranes/hoists

Cutoff equipment

Design software/hardware

Diecasting machines

Grinding equipment

Heat treating equipment

Investment casting system

Lab equipment

Lift trucks or loaders

Lost foam system

Machine tools

Melting equipment

Molding machines

Permanent mold system

Pollution controls

Power control equipment/systems

Process computers

Rapid prototyping equipment

Robots/manipulators

Sand Prep equipment

Sand reclaimation equipment

Shakeout/punchout equipment

Simulation software

Testing/inspection equipment

Other (please specify)

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* 16. Indicate which of the following issues have been significant problems for your operation during 2018: (Check all that apply)

Availability of Capital

Energy Costs

Energy Shortages

EPA Requirements

Human Resources

Imported Castings

Interest Rates

Labor Costs

Labor Shortage

Lack of Orders

Material Shortages

Medical/Insurance Costs

On-Time Delivery of Castings

OSHA Requirements

Plant Management

Plant Operations

Product Liability

Product Marketing/Sales

Quality of Castings

Raw Materials Cost

Training

Workers’ Compensation Costs

Other (please specify)

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* 17. Indicate which of the following issues are likely to be significant problems for your operation in 2019: (Check all that apply)

Availability of Capital

Energy Costs

Energy Shortages

EPA Requirements

Human Resources

Imported Castings

Interest Rates

Labor Costs

Labor Shortage

Lack of Orders

Material Shortages

Medical/Insurance Costs

On-Time Delivery of Castings

OSHA Requirements

Plant Management

Plant Operations

Product Liability

Product Marketing/Sales

Quality of Castings

Raw Materials Cost

Training

Workers’ Compensation Costs

Other (please specify)

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* 18. How are casting imports affecting your business?

No affect

Becoming more of a competitve factor

Becoming less of a competitive factor

We’re building our own export business

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* 19. Please explain in detail your response to Q18:

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* 20. What percentage of "normal" plant capacity is represented by your 2018 average monthly casting production? ("Normal" being the number of employees, shifts, and days your plant typically operates.)

0-50%

51-60%

60-75%

76-90%

91-100%

+100%

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* 21. How do you feel the overall U.S. economy (GDP) will perform in 2019 compared to 2018?

Significantly Improve

Improve Somewhat

Remain About The Same

Decline Somewhat

Decline Dramatically

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* 22. Do you plan to increase employment totals during 2019?

Yes

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* 23. Which of these will be most effective at encouraging professional growth in metalcasting?

Additional scholarships and internships

Additional or alternate training programs (programs at colleges, trade schools)

More active involvement of metalcasters with trade associations and colleges

New professional associations (geographical? market-focused? industry-specific etc.)

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* 24. What is your age?

Under 25

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60 or older

Prefer not to answer

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* 25. Which of these market areas offers the most promise for the growth of your metalcasting operation?

Alternative energy (nuclear, wind, solar)

Automotive engines

Other automotive components

Off-road vehicle and equipment

Medical / surgical equipment or devices

Infrastructure and construction

Oil/natural gas

Other, please specify

None of the above

Other (please specify)

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* 26. Any additional comments that you might have regarding the state of the foundry industry and the business outlook will be appreciated. Your comments are confidential. We may quote relevant comments, without attribution, for our report in the December 2018 issue.

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* 27. If you would like to be entered in the drawing, please fill-in your information below:

Name:

Country:

Email Address: