NFFS 2023 Annual Report
2023 Highlights
Highlights of 2023
2023 was an exciting year for NFFS for a variety of reasons, including the release of new member programs, the introduction of a new weekly newsletter, the award of new government funding for ICON, and more! Read about some of 2023's biggest accomplishments and successes below:
NFFS awarded $2.7M in funding for ICON program
In November, NFFS received funding through an award from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for the continued development and deployment of its Integrated Casting Order Network (ICON) program. The award, totaling more than $2.7 million dollars, will support a 48-month initiative focused on enhancing the ICON portal's data sets and further deploying the program to foundries and machine shops.
NFFS releases new weekly news brief, The Crucible
In January 2023, NFFS introduced a new weekly news brief called The Crucible. Sent every Wednesday to NFFS members and industry subscribers by email, The Crucible contains a variety of timely articles that are relevant to the foundry industry. It combines the content from the Society's three former monthly newsletters into one weekly email, allowing NFFS to better deliver timely, relevant news and information on a regular basis. In addition to content released by NFFS, the new e-newsletter identifies relevant and important content published by outside sources and brings it to the attention of the NFFS audience.
2023 Industry Executive Conference held in Las Vegas
After Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida in fall of 2022, NFFS was required to quickly reschedule the 2022 Industry Executive Conference for early 2023. Fortunately, the Society has long proven that it can quickly adapt to changing circumstances, whether caused by natural disasters, economic fluctuations, technological innovation, or other circumstances, for the benefit of its members and industry. The NFFS staff, board, and Program Committee worked diligently in late 2022 and early 2023 to find a new venue, educational speakers, activities, and entertainment. The result was the highly successful 2023 Industry Executive Conference in Las Vegas, planned and implemented in less than 120 days and attended by more than 100 NFFS members and foundry industry leaders.
Foundry robotics workshop held at UNI
In March 2023, NFFS held a new training program, "Fundamentals of Robotic Operations for Foundries," in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The training was conducted in cooperation with the University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting & Additive Manufacturing Centers and Hawkeye Community College and provided 3.5 days of introductory knowledge and robotic programming fundamentals to students. The sold-out training program included twelve students from six different foundries and organizations.
Automation training video series released
NFFS partnered with Flux Automation in 2023 to release the first three videos in a planned five-video series of technical training sessions intended for entry-level individuals who may be interested in, but intimidated by, automation. The goal of the videos is to provide basic knowledge and break down automation systems into easy to understand segments. The videos are focused on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), ControlLogix fundamentals, and troubleshooting. The final two videos are expected to be released in 2024.
Return of the Foundry Safety Audit Program
In September of 2023, NFFS announced the return of its Foundry Safety Audit Program, available exclusively to NFFS members. The goal of the program is to provide an independent review of a foundry’s safety and health efforts against OSHA requirements and enforcement programs. It offers NFFS members the opportunity to participate in an actual in-plant mock OSHA safety audit to ensure their foundry is compliant with the regulations set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).