National foundry group to meet at Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A national foundation dedicated to increasing education and growing awareness of the metal casting industry among university students will meet at Purdue to discuss the future of the industry.The Foundry Educational Foundation will hold its annual board of trustees meeting from 2:30-9 p.m. Monday (April 10). It is the group's first time to meet at Purdue.
"Most people do not realize how important the foundry industry is to Indiana's economy," said Mileta C. Tomovic, the W.C. Furnas Professor of Enterprise Excellence in the College of Technology. "The state ranks third in the country in the size of its foundry industry and those foundries support a wide range of Indiana businesses and manufacturing companies."
In addition to the group's business meeting and awards, attendees will tour several Purdue facilities, including the College of Technology and College of Engineering manufacturing and metal casting laboratories.
Tomovic said between 40 and 50 chief executive officers of metal casting companies and foundries will attend the event, and work to grow partnerships between their companies and educators.
Indiana is home to 120 foundries, which employee nearly 15,000 employees and a payroll of more than $550 million. Tomovic said the scope of the industry in the state makes it a key to Indiana's economic future and underscores the importance of a strong educational program in the state.
"Purdue is uniquely qualified in the state of Indiana to engage the metal casting industry," he said. "As manufacturing processes advance and become more technology-based, so do metal casting processes. Foundries are shifting from heavy metals like iron to lighter metal casting and that cooperation between universities and industry will be one of the keys to the further growth of the industry."
Tomovic said the Foundry Educational Foundation has funded more than $300,000 in scholarships for Purdue students and its members have donated more than $3.5 million in laboratory equipment and software to the College of Technology.
The Foundry Educational Foundation works to further the education of metal casting students in a variety of ways, including scholarships, internships and cooperative education programs. The foundation's outreach introduces students to various aspects of the metal casting industry, including sales, marketing, technical service, manufacturing and research and development.
Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu
Source: Mileta M. Tomovic, (765) 494-5866, tomovicm@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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