This blog was updated on July 16, 2024.

You might have heard from politicians, journalists and even investors that American manufacturing is on the decline. There have been claims that globalization has weakened domestic manufacturing (1) and that businesses will continue outsourcing to low-cost countries. Some people even go so far as to say that manufacturing jobs won't be an option within a generation or two. But you know what? They’re wrong.

Those who currently work in the American manufacturing industry understand that this outlook—that manufacturing is on the decline—is far from the truth. In reality, an increasing number of American manufacturers are coming back to the U.S. from lower cost countries. They recognize the cost advantages diminish as other risks associated with low-cost countries increase.

Manufacturing in the U.S. reduces risks significantly and is an attractive option for keeping operations domestic, with numbers to back it. The United States currently has a thriving manufacturing sector, with an annual output of more than $4 trillion (2). Manufacturing in the United States is thriving and will be for a long time to come. 

Below are five key reasons why American manufacturing of cast products can’t be replaced.

We've already covered the history of shell molding, as well as a list of need-to-know terminology, so now it's time to start exploring how shell molding works. Keep in mind that this post presents a brief overview. We'll describe each step in more detail as we move along in the Introduction to Shell Molding blog series.

If you're familiar with metalcasting processes, you probably already know a lot of these words. Feel free to skip to the next post if you're feeling confident. But if you ask me, the same credo that applies to metal casting applies to learning about metal casting: "Better safe than sorry."

On the other hand, if you're knee-deep in casting terminology and can't seem to tell your risers from your ejector pins, this is the post for you. Read on for a primer on the terms and ideas involved in shell mold casting. We'll cover all of these concepts in more detail in later posts from the Introduction to Shell Molding series. Or, click below to download our printable Shell Mold Process Whitepaper.

In this blog series, Introduction to Shell Molding, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about shell mold casting, from history to process and beyond. Whether you’re a student, a manufacturing professional, or just curious, this blog series will answer that burning question: What is shell molding?

Interested in learning all of the details of the shell molding process? If so, this white paper is for you!

Eagle Group is excited to announce that we will be exhibiting in booth #358 at the Greater Chicago Design-2-Part Show www.d2p.com that is coming to Schaumburg, Illinois May 10-11, 2017.

Looking to lower the cost of your casting purchases?

The key is to find a foundry that incorporates lean manufacturing principles into the process.

The lean manufacturing process focuses on identifying ways improve quality while reducing waste, and companies that employ lean processes often find that it lowers their costs over time. Castability, bottleneck solutions and optimizing cycle time are three lean principles that, when applied to manufacturing castings, can reduce costs and lower your purchasing price.