SCHAUMBURG, IL, December 18, 2024 — The American Foundry Society is delighted to announce the recipients of three prestigious awards to be presented at the 129th Metalcasting Congress/CastExpo in Atlanta, Georgia. These honors recognize groundbreaking research, practical advancements, and influential ideas that are shaping the future of the metalcasting industry.
2025 AFS Applied Research Award
The AFS Applied Research Award recognizes research projects funded by AFS that address critical technical challenges and demonstrate rapid adoption in shop-floor applications. The 2025 award is presented to David Weiss, Vision Materials, for the project Welding Alloy and Process for Al-Cu Sand Castings (AFS Project 17-18#07). This project has delivered significant advancements in welding processes for aluminum-copper sand castings, directly impacting metalcasting facilities with practical solutions.
2025 Howard F. Taylor Award
This year’s Howard F. Taylor Award is also awarded to David Weiss, Vision Materials and Dan Hoefert, Eck Industries, for Paper No. 22-077, “Factors Influencing Mechanical Properties in Aluminum Castings Part 1: The Role of Filling Systems on Mechanical Properties.” This honor is given to a paper that has long-term technical significance for the metalcasting industry. The research offers groundbreaking insights into the effects of filling systems on the mechanical properties of aluminum castings, charting a path for future industry innovations. This will be David Weiss’s 7th award and the second time these two authors worked together on a Howard Taylor award selection (2021).
2025 Ray H. Witt Management Award
The Ray H. Witt Management Award recognizes management or marketing-oriented papers that exhibit the greatest potential to positively impact the metalcasting industry. The 2025 award is presented to Jiten Shah, Product Development & Analysis, LLC, and Tyler Nooyen, Waupaca Foundry, for Paper No. 23-033, “Study of Dimensional Tolerance Capability of 3D Printed Tooling-Less Sand-Casting Process in Comparison to Conventional Chemically Bonded Sand Process for the Production of Iron Castings.” This paper highlights the potential of 3D-printed tooling-less sand casting to revolutionize dimensional accuracy and efficiency compared to conventional processes, offering immediate and lasting benefits to the industry.
The Honorary Lectures and Papers Committee has also announced that the 2026 Hoyt Series Lecturer is Dr. Maheswar Sahoo. Since its establishment in 1938, the Charles Edgar Hoyt Memorial Lecture has emerged as a cornerstone event in metalcasting, featuring presentations from esteemed leaders, thinkers, and visionaries who offer their unique perspectives on the industry's evolution.
Award Presentation Details
The awards will be presented during the Volunteer Leadership Awards Luncheon on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. as part of the 129th Metalcasting Congress/CastExpo in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on the event, click here.
The American Foundry Society is a dynamic technical and advocacy organization that serves and represents the $50 billion metalcasting industry. AFS is the only association serving the entire industry, including all metals and processes, with a three-part focus on advocacy, education, and innovation. AFS also publishes Modern Casting and Casting Source magazines and presents Metalcasting Congress and CastExpo, the largest metalcasting trade events in North America. Founded in 1896, the organization is based in Schaumburg, Illinois, with an advocacy office in Washington, D.C. More information is available at AFSinc.org.