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| COVER STORY: The future of melting: Inductotherm Engineering a smarter, safer, and more efficient foundry. For more than seven decades, Inductotherm has helped advance induction melting technology. Founded by Henry M. Rowan in 1953, the company grew from a small garage operation into a global organisation by focusing on innovation that gives metal producers greater control, efficiency and reliability. Read more |
| ISO launches update to world’s most widely used quality management standard for a new era of business The publication of ISO 9001:2026 follows extensive international collaboration. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has announced the launch of ISO 9001:2026 quality management systems requirements, the new edition of the world’s leading quality management system standard. Read more |
| Local manufacturers and suppliers call for reversal and relief from sweeping new tariffs on imported steel, tungsten carbide products and cutting tools as ITAC issues notice calling for comment on proposed new steel tariffs and rebates The tariffs now imposed on certain tungsten carbide products and cutting tools have effectively increased the cost of production for local manufacturers. PtSA driving appeals for tool, die, mould and special machining sectors. Read more |
| Ford South Africa embraces its “second century” with a bold declaration of its commitment to South Africa [VIDEO] In 2023 Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa marked a century in South Africa. Today, it marks something different: Intent; with the release of a bold new corporate manifesto that draws a line under its clear, sustained commitment to South Africa, customers and dealers and an enhanced commitment to champion the critical role industrialisation plays in our country’s future. Read more |
| SPS positive about participation at Electra Mining Africa 2026 “There are many positive reasons and benefits as to why you take space at an exhibition. They all form part of an overall strategic marketing campaign but one of the biggest advantages is to show your products and to make first hand contact with a possible new client. There is also the networking and communication aspect.” Read more |
| Transnet looks for partner to expand manganese corridor and export terminal Transnet has begun the process of selecting a private-sector partner to upgrade the rail route from the Northern Cape manganese fields to Ngqura and develop a new export terminal at the port. The project could require investment of R30 billion to R44 billion over a proposed 25-year partnership, according to Transnet’s request for qualification (RFQ), issued on September 23. Read more |
| Investment holds the key to South Africaʼs steel demand outlook Steel demand is showing resilience despite weak GDP growth, but a sustained recovery will depend on investment moving from project announcements to actual construction and steel consumption, according to an opinion in the South African Iron and Steel Institute Steel Matters. Read more |
| Scawʼs hot strip mill reaches new heights as production and efficiency continue to improve Since producing its first hot rolled coil in late 2024, Scaw Metals’ Hot Strip Mill (HSM) at its Union Junction complex has progressed steadily from commissioning and product qualification into a rapidly maturing operation that is now delivering meaningful volumes to the South African flat steel market. Read more |
| ArcelorMittal South Africa has partnered with environmental services company Veolia and Norwegian developing country investment fund Norfund to accelerate decarbonisation and resource-efficiency projects ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), Veolia and Norfund, have entered into a development agreement to advance a portfolio of practical, investable energy, water and resource-efficiency projects across AMSA’s South African operations. Read more |
| IDC responds to Sunday Times article ‘How IDC lost R1.5 bn on dud steel plant’ “The IDC notes the article published in the 27 September 2026 edition of the Sunday Times carrying the headline ‘How IDC lost R1.5 bn on dud steel plant’. This article infers that the IDC may have engaged in reckless lending which ultimately resulted in loss of public funds. In efforts to recover its funds, the Corporation identified several material breaches by parties involved in this transaction.” Read more |
| SAIF 60th Annual Awards Dinner 2026 The South African Institute of Foundrymen invites you and your customers to the 2026 Annual Awards Dinner to be held at Summer Place, Boksburg, located on Cnr Elizabeth and Leith Road, Bartlett, Gauteng on Thursday 29 October 2026. This is the 60th occasion that the SAIF Annual Awards Dinner will take place and various awards will be handed out to industry. Read more |
| South African Human Rights Commission recommends a mandatory cashless payment requirement for all copper scrap transactions The recommendation comes against the backdrop of an illicit copper trade that costs South Africa more than R45 billion a year. The brief calls for infrastructure vandalism and illicit metals trading to be understood not only as criminal and economic concerns, but as matters with direct consequences for constitutional rights. Read more |
| Why metal recycling matters to South Africa’s Industrial Development Strategy South Africa’s Industrial Development Strategy (IDS) is focused on strengthening local industry and supporting inclusive economic growth. For the metal recycling sector, the strategy is particularly relevant because recyclers form part of the industrial value chain, recovering and processing scrap that becomes secondary raw material for steel mills, foundries and downstream manufacturers. Read more |
| Preparedness of automated and semi-automated South African green sand foundries for Industry 4.0: Challenges, opportunities and the way forward South African green sand foundries face increasing pressure to deliver consistent casting quality, control production costs and strengthen participation in local and export supply chains. Their preparedness for data analytics and Industry 4.0 depends on the reliability and integration of process information, workforce capability and decision governance, alongside the extent of automation. Read more |
| Explore the power of four: ‘The Bright World of Metals’ sharpens its profile for the transformation of the metals industry From 21 to 25 June 2027, ‘The Bright World of Metals’ in Düsseldorf, Germany will bring together the international industry to address industry challenges. GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST will showcase technologies and solutions for the next generation of metal production and provide a forum for exchange, partnerships and new perspectives across markets and national borders. Read more |
| GE Aerospace acquires Consolidated Precision Products GE Aerospace has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Consolidated Precision Products (CPP), a leading manufacturer in the USA of highly engineered castings, from private investment firms Warburg Pincus and Berkshire Partners. With the deal, GE Aerospace has effectively paid $11.75 billion to own more of its supply chain. Read more |
| Progressive Foundry enhances sand consistency with Simpson Multi-Cooler® Progressive Foundry, an iron foundry in the USA focused on quality and continuous improvement, was looking for ways to reduce scrap and improve overall casting consistency. The foundry’s goal was to gain tighter control over sand cooling and moisture to deliver stable, repeatable sand properties across their moulding lines. Read more |
| Gemco pursues a holistic approach for an optimally functioning foundry End-to-end integration results in more stable production, shorter throughput times, fewer disruptions and greater control across the entire production process. A modern foundry is more than melting, moulding, casting, cooling and post-processing. It depends on the coordinated interaction of people, material flows, energy supply, sustainability and digitalisation. Read more |
| Volvo EX60 rear underbody die cast as a single aluminium part Bühler’s megacasting technology has entered series production in Europe with the new Volvo EX60. At the automaker’s Torslanda plant in Sweden, two Bühler Carat 840 die casting cells manufacture the vehicle’s rear underbody as a single aluminium part, replacing about 100 conventionally manufactured and assembled components. Read more |
| Renishaw reports AM as main driver of Specialised Technologies performance Renishaw plc, headquartered in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, UK, has reported that increased demand for its Additive Manufacturing machines was the main growth driver in its Specialised Technologies segment during its 2026 financial year. Renishaw stated that growth in Specialised Technologies was driven mostly by sharply higher demand for its AM machines, particularly from the aerospace and defence sectors. Read more |
| The ‘German badge tax’ The ‘German badge tax’ describes the significant price premium commanded by legacy German luxury automakers relative to their baseline manufacturing costs. As open markets introduce disruptive competitors offering advanced technology at a fraction of the price, this prestige markup is increasingly exposed as an economic illusion. Read more |
| Fabri raises $13.5 million to create digital foundry Fabri is a startup that wants to create a “digital foundry,” using software-defined investment casting for aerospace, defense, and energy applications. Fabri says that it makes the investment castings that every jet engine, AI data center turbine, and cruise missile depends on, at lower cost and a fraction of the lead time. Read more |
| SpaceX plans its own turbine blade foundry in Texas to aid AI boom and reduce bottleneck A secretive SpaceX facility in Bastrop, Texas, may be part of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s latest effort to speed up the artificial intelligence buildout – not by manufacturing chips, but by producing the turbine components needed to power data centres. Musk sees the availability of cast turbine blades in particular as a key bottleneck in expanding new gas-fired power generation capacity. Read more |
| SPECTRO introduces new, improved SPECTROSCOUT kt portable ED-XRF analyser Rapid, reliable results for precious metals analysis on the spot. SPECTRO Analytical Instruments has introduced the new, improved SPECTROSCOUT kt portable ED-XRF analyser for rapid, reliable analysis of precious metals and alloys on the spot. Designed for practical portability, SPECTROSCOUT kt incorporates a large sample compartment within a small footprint. Read more |
| Why transparency makes all the difference when grinding workpieces The CC-GRIND VIEW from PFERD TOOLS makes the machining process visible and reduces the need for reworking. Transparency builds trust. If we can see something, we can assess it better and manage it more effectively. This principle doesn’t just apply to architecture or design, it’s also equally valid when machining metal, in particular during grinding work. Read more |
