Loss to plastic & ductile iron
Imports over 100,000 tons
Ductile Iron + 29.0% + 4. 6 Industry growth
Replacement of malleable/GI
Imports drop
Imports high
Imports gain
Figure 2. Short- and Long-term Casting Shipment Summary for Valves and Fittings Market
Steel Castings
Copper-Based (Industrial Valves
NAICS 332911)
2009 to 2010. **AGR = Average Annual Growth Rate comparing 2009 to 2019 projection.
+12%
+0.7%
+0.8%
+0.7%
As a segment of the overall metalcasting industry, the ferrous casting
industry is composed of foundries producing gray, ductile, malleable and
compacted graphite iron and carbon
and low alloy, corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, manganese and other steel
cast products. Shipments of ferrous
castings are forecast to increase 11%
from 2009 to 2010.
The nonferrous metalcasting industry
is composed of foundries producing aluminum die castings, aluminum castings
made in permanent and sand molds,
brass, bronze and copper-base castings,
zinc and lead die castings, magnesium
castings, and castings in other nonferrous metals such as nickel, cobalt and
titanium. Shipments of nonferrous castings are forecast to rise at an annual
rate of 4.3% from 2009 to 2010.
SHIPMENTS TO THE VALVES
& FITTINGS MARKET
Valves and fittings in NAICS 33291
(North American Industry Classification
System) include industrial valves, fluid
power valve and hose fittings, and other
valves and fittings for use in the control
of the flow of liquids and gases in pipes
and mains. In the short term, valve shipments should increase in 2010 (Figure
2). The strongest demand is expected to
come from the energy-related industry
sector such as the growing chemical and
power generation industries. Residential
and commercial construction sector
growth should also spur demand.
Gray Iron Shipments—Gray iron valve
casting shipments are forecast to
increase from 150,000 tons in 2009 to
200,000 tons in 2019 in the long term.
Imports are forecast to meet nearly
40% of the demand. Meanwhile, supply
capacity has decreased to 336,000 tons
in the U.S., indicating a potential surplus of 23%.
Ductile Iron Shipments—A forecast for
a short-term rise in casting shipments
from the 2009 low is based on pipeline
and water distribution growth. For the
long term, shipments should rise to
220,000 tons ( 4.6% per year). Ductile
iron valves are primarily used with ductile iron pipe in water service and in
pipeline applications. Casting imports of
70,000 tons are forecast for 2010.
Malleable Iron Shipments—As ductile
iron is substituted for many applications, malleable iron casting shipments
are forecast to decrease from 36,000
tons in 2009 to 20,000 tons in 2019.
Malleable iron is competitive in the
small fittings market and is specified
under ANSI B1.3 for threaded plumbing fittings. Imported castings meet
39% of the demand.
Steel Shipments—Carbon and low alloy
steel casting shipments are forecast to
decline 16% in the next 10 years to
50,000 tons. Major factors in this
decline are the increase in imports and
conversion to ductile iron. Corrosion-resistant steel and high-alloy cast valves
should show growth in demand of close to
3% in the short term based on growth in
chemical and petrochemical usage. An
increase in offshore drilling and in overseas desalination projects is expected to
spur growth in nickel-based castings.
Copper-based Shipments—Brass,
bronze and other copper-based alloy
castings should rise in the next two
years despite imports of 21,000 tons.
Even with recent closings, a 54,000-
ton-surplus in supply exists.
IMPORTS OF METAL
CASTINGS
Casting imports into the U.S. increased
in 2008 to 3. 1 million tons, accounting
for 23% of the demand by U.S. buyers
of metal castings, which is an increase
from 7% in 1998. The forecast is for
imports to rise again in 2009 based on
low labor rates and strong currency
exchange rates in other countries.
The leading importer is China, which
garners nearly a quarter of the market.
Meanwhile, Brazil, Canada, Europe,
India and Mexico each provide about
10% of imported tonnage (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Imports to U.S. by Country: 2008
The largest market for imported castings is the motor vehicle market (35%),
followed by internal combustion engines
(11%), valves and fittings, municipal
components, construction, and oil field
and farm equipment.
The U.S. ranks second in the world
(behind China) in terms of tonnage of
castings produced (Figure 4). This is
followed by Russia, India and Japan.
Figure 4. 2007 Global Casting Production
Top 10 Metric Tons No. of
(millions) Plants
31. 3 26,000
11. 8 2,170
7. 8 1,650
7. 8 4,550
7.0 1,702
5. 8 596
3. 2 1,394
2. 7 1,176
2. 4 482
2.0 875
China
U.S.
Russia
India
Japan
Germany
Brazil
Italy
France
Korea
ENVIRONMENTAL
INITIATIVES
The U.S. metalcasting industry is collaborating with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency on environmental ini-
