The Casting Designers & Buyers track at CastExpo 2025 provides hard-to-find training for engineers, supply chain pros, and OEM representatives. Led by experts in their fields, these sessions are included with an Exhibits Pass.
~ The Casting Source Theater Presents ~
The 2025 Casting Designer-Buyer Continuing Education Lineup
Saturday, April 12 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
10 Ways to Reduce Cost on Your Casting Program
Tom Kayser, Osco Industries, Portsmouth, OH
Take this list of ideas back to your company and apply them immediately. Metalcasting pro Tom Kayser from OSCO Industries explains these tips and how implementing even a few can be a game-changer.
Saturday, April 12 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Practical Versus Pretty – What Surface Finish Do You Really Need, and How Do You Get There
TBA
Casting processes, alloys, and post-casting machining can all contribute to giving your casting a pristine surface finish, but not all castings really require aesthetic perfection. Sit and listen in as we talk about how to evaluate and specify surface finish needs for different types of casting components – and when beauty is and isn’t worth the expense.
Sunday, April 13 | 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
When to Convert a Weldment to a Casting
TBA
Your company may be sitting on a gold mine of cost-savings opportunity. Many parts that are currently fabricated weldments or machined from ingot could have more features and properties and cost less if they were castings. Our guest expert gives examples and provides guidelines to help you identify weldments that are ripe for a casting conversion.
Sunday, April 13 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Get the Best Casting! A Foundry-End User Panel Discussion
TBA
Casting Source magazine’s editor moderates a lively conversation featuring examples of true innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration resulting in castings that exceeded expectations.
Sunday, April 13 | 1:30 – 2 p.m.
2024 Casting of the Year Case Study
TBA
Members from the foundry engineering team at St. Marys Foundry pull back the curtain on how they produced a 6,600-lb. frame for a hard-working frac pump that put their casting and coremaking skills to the test. Hear the specs, the challenges, and the solutions they achieved through collaboration with their oil-and-gas industry customer.
Sunday, April 13 | 2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
Update on AFS Project for Digitizing Various Knowledge Platforms (25-010)
Brian Began, American Foundry Society, Inc., Schaumburg, IL
This presentation will focus on AFS’s efforts to improve digital accessibility and operability of its various knowledge platforms. This digitization entails improving navigation and functionality/searchability between various platforms including the digital library, AFS Onlive webinars, a new, yet-to-be-developed digital publication platform, CADS (Casting Alloy Database Search), and others. These efforts will also make AFS platforms more mobile-friendly and include creating new reference instructional/educational videos. Ultimately, it will highlight the various exciting ambitions with projected timelines and the status of the ongoing AMC Emergent Metal Casting Solutions (EMCS) project, funded by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and AFS under the project title “Virtual Knowledge Transfer Platforms for Improved Access to Metalcasting Best Practices”.
Monday, April 14 | 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Reduce Defects to Reduce Rejects – Improving Quality in Your Castings
TBA
No one wants to deal with rejected product. Our metalcasting expert explains the causes behind the most common casting defects and what foundries can do to ensure your components meet your quality requirements.
Monday, April 14 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
What to Ask a Prospective Foundry Partner
TBA
You’ve got your CAD design and specifications, but where do you begin the journey of evaluating which foundry is best suited to produce your casting? We’ll walk you through all the questions you need to ask to make an informed decision – this checklist could prevent a costly mistake.
Monday, April 14 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Selecting the Right Alloy
TBA
Getting the material properties required for a casting often hinges on using the correct metal alloy––and there are literally hundreds to choose from. Don’t be inundated; be educated. This overview will equip you on the fundamentals of alloy selection and why foundries make different recommendations depending on the end-use application and your specifications.
Tuesday, April 15 | 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing
TBA
The metalcasting industry is experiencing a tremendous evolution right before our eyes as 3D printing super-accelerates the foundry’s ability to produce prototypes, molds, and cores––giving you unprecedented go-to-market speed. Hear the latest advancements and success stories happening throughout the North American manufacturing landscape.