18th Global Foundry Sourcing Conference 2016, China Casting Exporting Conference and China Foundry Conference were successfully held at Shanghai Everbright Int’l Hotel during April 20-21. It was organized by Suppliers China Co., Ltd., co-sponsored by National Technical Committee 54 on Foundry of Standardization Administration of China. The event aims to build a procurement negotiation, market analysis, technical communication platform for foundry industry. The conference attracted more than 600 delegates at home and abroad. Activity information is as following:

China Casting Exporting Conference in the morning of April 20

As we all know, China is the world's largest casting production and consumption country, but the proportion of casting exports only accounts for 10%, which is mainly concentrated on low-end products. In recent years, due to the stagnant global economic environment, multinational corporations have showed the weak demand for castings; the buyers have carried out cost reduction plans such as transfer the low added-value casting purchase orders from China to Southeast Asia and other countries with cheaper labor. Casting production enterprises in China not only have suffered the lower demand from buyers, but also faced the pressure of capital, labor and environmental protection. The advantage of low cost in Chinese foundry industry is gradually disappearing. If we don’t improve labor productivity, casting quality, reduce the cost of production, change the competitive strategy, the brutal market will ruthlessly eliminate a large number of enterprises which are not competitive.
 
How to survive under the new economic situation? Casting production enterprises hope that they can negotiate with multinational buyers with procurement projects, as well as can know the latest purchasing trends, multinational procurement processes and supplier audit standards. Casting production enterprises also hope to learn from advanced experienced enterprise, in order to enhance the comprehensive strength of the enterprise, undertake more quality orders, expand export share, and improve product added value.

According to the demand of China casting export enterprises, FSC prepared this academic activity during the 18th Global Foundry Sourcing Conference, invited industry senior experts, multinational buyers, and casting production enterprises to make a report from the point of "export of casting". The followings are the topics:

Senior experts -- Chinese Academy of agricultural mechanization, former vice president Mr. Zhang Boming made a presentation with the topic of “Problems Encountered in the Casting Export Process and the Countermeasures For it". He analyzed the domestic casting industry export situation and the underlying causes and the common problems encountered in exporting. Mr. Zhang also analyzed the reasons for three European buyers failed in Chinese supplier development, and put forward some suggestions for domestic enterprises. Mr. Zhang’s report was close to reality, thus won the unanimous praise from participants.

Senior experts -- National Technical Committee 54 on Foundry of Standardization Administration of China deputy secretary Mr. Zhang Yin made a presentation from the points of foundry industry national standard, international standard, domestic and international standard differences. Mr. Zhang hopes to provide support technical standards for casting export enterprises by raising the level of standard service, and suggested that capable enterprises can actively participate in the revise work of foundry industry national standard, to enhance the enterprise's soft power.

Overseas buyer -- Canadian Ferrotech Menard, Inc. CEO -- Mr. Yves Menard has been engaged in casting procurement for nearly 20 years in China and has a rich procurement experience. The purpose for this trip to China is to analyze Chinese parts procurement trend, advantages and disadvantages of Chinese foundry enterprises, opportunities and challenges from the view of the North American buyers with the actual procurement case analysis. He also proposed some comments and suggestions for the development of Chinese foundry enterprises.

China Procurement Center of Multinational Group -- Sulzer purchasing manager Mr. Su Dayong made a report about "Supplier Development Process for Multinational Groups". With 7 years foundry production experience, 14 years of casting supplier development and supply chain management experience, Mr. Su introduced in detail the six channels of multinational supplier development, seven standards of supplier evaluation, the composition of  procurement team personnel, the division of functions and supplier audition as well as supplier maintenance process, to help the domestic foundry enterprises understand the international group procurement process and facilitate their deal with buyers.

Domestic large-scale buyer -- from purchaser's viewpoint, purchasing manager Mr. Zhang Mingzhe from Yutong Group gave an in-depth analysis about quality, cost, delivery, service and technology. He did a report on "Casting QCDTS" and offered comments and suggestions to the suppliers.

Ms. Emma Kombrinkof from Latin America Markets, LLC did a specific report on “Latin America Casting Exporting Situation and Market Development Suggestions", hoping to help domestic enterprises explore Latin America market.

Mr. Birger Vinck from German Vinck Agency for Consulting and Trading (VACT) shared his ideas from marketing, procurement and technology about successful casting procurement and foundry new trends. To meet Chinese foundries demand, he also introduced the trend and development of German casting industry, the differences between Chinese and German foundries, the internationalization of Chinese foundries and investment.

Excellent casting exporting enterprise -- manager Mr. Wang Rui from Impro (China) Co., Ltd. introduced the company’s improvement and internationalization process. Having founded for 18 years, its global sales in 2015 is 400 times that of the start, which is a model for Chinese suppliers.

We have excellent reports in the morning where industry experts, buyers and suppliers shared reports centered on "casting exporting” and gave suggestions to exporting enterprises.  We hope that casting exporting enterprises attach more importance on the market, analyze transnational purchasing trends, actively expand the overseas market and become more familiar with international trade rules. Thus, they can occupy a favorable position in the global castings market and get more say in international trade.

The FSC China Foundry Conference was held on April 20 in the afternoon

The China Foundry Conference made a communication about the new material, new technology, new process, new equipment on the foundry industry. It includes:

3 lectures of “new technology, new process”

The organizer invited the senior engineer Mr. Huang Yimin of Shanghai Yuanda Cleaning Equipment Co., Ltd. to do a lecture about Anti discoloration of aluminum casting and anti mildew, the manager Mr. Li Jinliang of Xuzhou Feiyun Foam Manufacturing Co., Ltd. did a lecture about how to control lost foam casting; the manager Mr. Zhang Guanghe of Guangyi Mining Products Group Co. Ltd. did a lecture about The relationship between the casting inclusion and the casting material. Three experts introduced the “new technology, new process” of foundry industry, hoping to provide technical support for casting export enterprises.

7 lectures of “new material, new equipment”

Shengquan Group, FOSECO Cast Material (China) Co., Ltd., Elkem International Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Henan Tongbaishan Kyanite Mining Industry Co., Ltd., Tianjin Huifeng Thermo Sensor Equipment Co., Ltd., Beijing Aoyuksin Surface Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., and Shimadzu International Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., 7 enterprises did the product’s introduction of “new material, new equipment”, hoping to provide material and equipment support for casting export enterprises.

1 lecture to promote the foundry“four-new”communication

Mr. Qu Xueliang, the deputy editor of Foundry Journal, took the example of Foundry Journal, CHINA FOUNDRY, did the lecture about Role of Scientific and Technical Journals in Foundry Technological Development and Innovation.

The organizing committee responsible person said: FSC will be based on the requirements of casting export enterprises of new materials, new technology, new process, new equipment (four-new), to build a global casting "four new" communication platform, introducing the international "four new" into China. Casting export enterprises in China through the application of casting new materials, learning cast new technology, casting new technology and new equipment to enhance the company's level of casting, improve the management, to shorten the development cycle of a new project, production yield improvement and maintain the quality consistency, and improve casting quality, reduce the production cost in order to achieve the transformation and upgrading of the company, to raise the added value of the product and increase profits.

There are over 90 international purchasing companies in the conference. Delegates from Eaton Corporation, ZF Drivetech (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., Compass Technical Services, Inc., Ferrotech Menard, Inc., and Paragon Metals Inc. made speeches to introduce their procurement programs. FSC has invited more than 340 foundries from home and abroad to meet the purchasers. Suppliers from Dongfeng Automobile Co., Ltd. Foundry Branch and Toyo KM JS Co., Ltd. made speeches of introducing their main products and company power.

The negotiation time in the afternoon was purchaser-focused. Each buyer was offered a negotiation table to face-to-face talk to suppliers. FSC organized appointed negotiation zone and free negotiation zone, which also be separated into ferrous metal zone and non-ferrous metal zone. FSC started business-match service three months before conference, which helped save time for both suppliers and buyers during conference.

FSC expresses that they will build a communication platform--foundry sourcing conference as well as build a casting experts team, which includes casting technology experts, casting production experts, casting procurement experts, supply chain management experts, quality inspection experts, and logistics experts. FSC will offer casting suppliers and purchasers more and more detailed and professional service, and contribute for China’s casting upgrading and sustainable development.