A Metallurgist’s Look at CastExpo 2025
Setting the Stage at CastExpo 2025
A little over a month ago, I had the opportunity to join the Buck team in Atlanta for CastExpo 2025. We spent the weekend exploring new advancements, getting a feel for where the industry is headed, and connecting with others who are just as passionate about casting and metallurgy. Plenty of ideas came out of CastExpo, but a few topics have stayed front and center in my mind. Here are the top three I keep coming back to.
How I Found My Way to Foundries
Before I dive in, a little about me: my metallurgy journey started in the 1990s as an analytical chemist in a steel mill. I quickly fell in love with it and wanted to be in charge. Many metallurgists were chemists at the time, so I convinced my boss to cross-train me, took extra classes, and by the late ’90s, I was a metallurgist focused on rolling and forming steel. In 2018, I discovered foundries. People warned me that working at a foundry was like working on a beach. Hot and Sandy. To be honest, I love it. As a metallurgist at Buck, I get to challenge myself every day: solving problems, analyzing materials, and tracking down defects under the microscope, which to me is as exciting as an NCIS investigation. It’s the kind of work that keeps me curious, keeps me learning – and gives me the chance to contribute to the industry in ways that go beyond the lab – like taking part in CastExpo.
1. Foundry 4.0 in Practice
Across the CastExpo floor, automation, robotics, and digitalization dominated conversations – a growing trend in the industry known as Foundry 4.0. It’s a movement I’ve been watching with great interest, and was excited to delve deeper into how traditional foundries are evolving to the digital age with smart, data-driven systems. When thoughtfully implemented, these technologies can accelerate processes, reduce variability, and significantly improve quality. However, a concern I’ve heard echoed across the industry is managing the amount of data that’s digitized and making it actionable. It can be overwhelming, especially for newer engineers. Without the right training, the tools don’t lead to real improvements.
It’s one reason I’m excited about what we’re doing at Buck – we’re launching a pilot with THORS E-Learning Solutions. It lets us upload our own procedures and use AI to help solve complex, multivariate problems. This tool will speed up onboarding, support structured troubleshooting, and help new team members build confidence. Even better, their next release will include DOE (design of experiments) to help teams plan and run statistically sound testing.
What excites me about Foundry 4.0 isn’t just the tech, it’s how it improves how we work daily. That’s the kind of progress I want to be part of.
2. Women in Metalcasting and Manufacturing
One of the most meaningful experiences I had at CastExpo was attending the first-ever Women in Metalcasting Dinner. I got to meet and talk with other women in the industry, and it was genuinely a fun and inspiring evening. One of the standout moments was hearing from Debbie Eckmeter of Sinto, who was recognized for her 47 years in the industry. She started out in 1977 as a clerk typist, working on an overturned crate, and rose to become VP of Operations at a major molding company.
What stuck with me most was her approach to leadership. She described how she once distributed surveys to her employees that could be mailed back anonymously, asking them what she could do better as a boss. The feedback transformed her management approach, and it was powerful to see her so invested in improving not just her work, but herself as a leader. AFS also awarded scholarships that night, including one to a young woman from Georgia Southern who was incredibly inspiring to listen to. Being surrounded by women who are thriving in this challenging field reminded me that while this industry can be tough, the one thing we all share is perseverance. We never stop trying and moving forward in this industry and I’m glad to be in it together.
3. Developing People, Not Just Products
Another highlight was the SFSA Cast in Steel competition, where nearly 40 university teams joined us in Atlanta to design and cast functional versions of a George Washington sword. Using tools like SolidWorks and MAGMA, students crafted blades to strict specs – under 2 kg and 1 meter long – and many added brass hilts for authenticity. They poured, finished, tested, and polished each one before presenting them to Forged in Fire judges Ben Abbott and David Baker, who led the final evaluation and awards. It was right up my alley. The quality was impressive, but even more so was the passion and energy these students brought to their work. Events like this remind me that the future of metalcasting depends on how well we support and inspire young talent.
At Buck, we already invest in student experiences through lab tours, mentoring, hands-on exposure, and job shadowing, but I’m ready to take that commitment even further. I’ve always believed in training early and training well; this isn’t a trade you master overnight. We’re facing a workforce gap that started decades ago when trades took a backseat to university paths, and now we’re feeling the effects. Buck took a chance on me when I didn’t know iron, and they made sure I had the mentorship and industry support I needed to learn. In June, a new graduate joins our lab, and it’ll be my job to get her ready to take over one day. That’s how we keep foundries strong – not just by investing in parts, but investing in people.
The Advantage of In-House Metallurgy
One of the best parts of having the metallurgy lab right here in the foundry is how closely I get to work with almost everyone on the team – melt decks, pouring decks, finishers – you name it. When something seems off, they bring it straight to me, and we trace the error back together. Since we’ve got everything we need under one roof, I can jump right into the testing process. At Buck, each melt is analyzed through spectroscopy, combustion, and microscopy to verify chemistry and structure. We pour test bars, run them on our Tinius Olsen tensile tester, and cross-check with hardness testers. For stricter requirements, I can use our Pax-it auto-imaging system for detailed microstructural evaluation. Having all of this in-house means I can get answers fast – usually in minutes instead of days – and keep things moving on the floor.
Taking an active part in the foundry also means I see improvement opportunities I would have otherwise missed. Not long after I started, I found a Heraeus Melt Control 2020 thermal analysis unit tucked away and out of use. I brought it back online, and now it delivers data in seconds – not minutes – and it’s three times faster for the melt deck to respond. That kind of direct, in-house collaboration creates space to problem solve and innovate as a team. It helps us improve our processes, strengthen quality, and deliver better results for our customers. And for me, it’s the ideal environment: hands-on, investigative, and always evolving.
What’s Next for Buck and the Industry
Reflecting on everything I saw at CastExpo and everything we’re already working toward at Buck, I feel more excited than ever for what’s ahead: smarter tools, better data, and more empowered people. Looking ahead isn’t new for us, it’s part of how we work. I’m already exploring technologies like robotic arms for our spectrometer, ultrasonic tools for nodularity, and digital image analysis systems to get cleaner, faster data with less manual bias.
But what gives me the most confidence isn’t just the tech – it’s the people. Buck continues to invest in my growth, in our lab, and in the next generation of metallurgists. If we keep focusing on upskilling workers, training them well, and giving them the tools they need, foundries aren’t going anywhere. And I’m proud to be part of a team that’s helping lead that future forward.