2017 is a crucial year for China's foundry industry, a comprehensive transformation and upgrading. We should be confident, take the initiative and promote the industrial structure adjustment to ensure a smooth trend and good running situation of the whole industry 

一、Fully understand the urgency and importance of promoting the transformation and upgrading of the casting industry

Casting industry is the basic industry of manufacturing industry. It provides the basic protection for many products as well as innovation and development of equipment. Since the beginning of the new century, China has become “foundry industry giant”. During the 5 years of “12th Five Year Plan”. China has made significant progress in terms of production scale, product quality, technical level, processing equipment and resource recycling.

First, the industrial scale continued to grow. 2016 China's total output of 47.2 million tons of casting has been ranked first in the world for 17 years. Second, the product structure was further optimized such as more reasonable material structure. The proportion of ductile iron and aluminum alloy casting production increased. Third, the product quality has improved steadily. For some of the casting, the dimensional accuracy, surface quality and intrinsic quality and other indicators reached the international advanced level. Fourth, the industrial layout becomes gradually reasonable. Casting industry area has been developing rapidly.

However, it should be clearly recognized that compared with the industrialized countries, China's casting industry is still not strong. There are differences In some ways such as industrial structure, quality and efficiency, independent innovation capability, process equipment, energy efficiency and others. The task of transformation and upgrading is urgent. First, the problem of structural overcapacity is prominent. There is a considerable amount of backward production capacity. The consistency and stability of the quality of key casting parts is poor. Second, the independent innovation capability is weak. Some key castings still can not meet the requirement of equipment. Third, the characteristics of high input, high consumption, high emissions, low output, inefficient are still more prominent. These problems largely hinder the development of China's casting industry. It must be resolved as soon as possible.

During the 5 years of “13th Five Year Plan” China's casting production will be going through the phase of the low-speed growth. China will face "two-way squeeze" from the industrialized countries of the "re-industrialization" and the developing countries accelerating the global industrial transfer. At the same time, a new round of global technological revolution and industrial revolution is breeding. The application of innovation like 3D printing, robotics and other new technologies accelerate, that has a profound impact on the industrial development. New production methods, industrial form, business model come into being. Under this underground, the foundry industry must actively respond to challenges, seize the development opportunities, shift the focus from the scale and speed to efficiency. Promote the transformation and upgrading of the foundry industry, improve quality and efficiency, provide support for the equipment manufacturing industry.

二、The way of transformation and upgrading Casting industry 

（1）Through laws, regulations and industrial policies 

The current level of development of the foundry industry is uneven. There are a number of enterprises with advanced technology, equipment and environmental protection equipment. But there are also a large number of enterprises with under-developed process coexistence. To promote the transformation and upgrading of the casting industry, we should focus on implementing environmental protection, safety and other laws and regulations and related industrial policies that will eliminate backward production capacity and resolve the problems of excess capacity.

1."Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei air pollution control measures (2016 ~ 2017)" the follow-up program by Ministry of Environmental Protection require that: The most important environmental problem in the foundry industry is the emission of dust and air pollutants. By the State Environmental Protection Department’s commission, "casting industry air pollutant discharge standards" by Foundry Association, the national compulsory standard is about to be released. The standard not only provides the general regional emission limits, but also the development of special emission limits. With the release of environmental standards of the casting industry, the elimination of non-compliance enterprises will accelerate.

In 2016, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAIC) issued the Technical Specification for Safety and Explosion Protection of Aluminum and Magnesium Products (AQ4272-2016) and the Safety Technical Specification for Dust Removal System for Dust Explosion (AQ 4273-2016). New requirements of preparation of aluminum (magnesium) alloy castings grinding, polishing, shot blasting and other dust explosion protection measures. Aluminum (magnesium) alloy casting enterprises need to implement the relevant standards as soon as possible. Casting industry is facing a severe situation of safe producing. The enterprises need to further implement the safety control measures to improve the level of safety management.

2.Since the beginning of 2013, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Industry has carried out three batches of foundry enterprises into the notice management. Three batches of 1729 enterprises in the production of castings accounted for more than 55% of the total output. The implementation of limited access to the industry played an important role to curb the low level of construction, to promote the elimination of backward production capacity of the casting industry.

3.Industrial Green Development Plan (2016-2020): The transformation of the traditional casting industry green is the key to the need to further increase the field of advanced energy-saving environmental protection technology. We should promote the casting enterprises to implement the green concept in the whole process of casting production.

We believe that with the casting industry environmental protection, safety and other laws and regulations and the strict implementation of the strict implementation of the norms of the casting industry management, the number of enterprises will reduce. The size of enterprises will enhance. The concentration of the casting industry the casting industry will enhance. The current situation "scattered, chaotic, poor" will certainly change.

（二）Innovation and development promote the quality and efficiency

1、Accelerate the implementation of machine instead of manual work

At present, the development of the foundry industry is uneven, the traditional hand-styling and mechanization, automation equipment in the casting industry coexist. We should Improve production efficiency and gradually eliminate the backward mode of production based on manual work. Robot in the field of casting applications in recent years has been rapid development. We should accelerate the application for the shape, the core, especially cleaning and other processes to reduce the intensity of workers and to enhance the level of production automation.

2、Promote the intelligent manufacturing of foundry enterprises

Compared with the automobile, machine tools and other industries, the overall level of automation and intelligence of the foundry industry is low. Information construction is weak. There is a broad space for development. Speed up the application of computer numerical simulation technology (CAE), manufacturing execution system (MES), industrial robots, material manufacturing, intelligent logistics management technology to use in the casting enterprises. At present the enthusiasm in the industry on the casting intelligent factory / digital workshop building is relatively high that provide new economic growth momentum. 

For example, in December 2016, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the construction of national intelligent casting industry innovation center which is the first national industry innovation platform. It relies on shared equipment Co., Ltd. national dual demonstration base, China Foundry Association, industry backbone enterprises, financial institutions, production and research with the collaboration in order to achieve cross-border integration and cross-regional collaboration and to promote the whole industry chain (including: materials, technology, talent team building, intelligent equipment, green manufacturing, high-end castings, digital intelligent network, etc.) to change.

3、Promote the development of innovative technology with traditional casting

Casting industry is one of the earliest applications of manufacturing technology. At present, the main manufacturing techniques such as laser selective melting (SLM), light curing forming (SLA), laser selective sintering (SLS), sand cutting and sand three-dimensional printing (3DP) and other rapid prototyping has been applied in the casting industry. These technologies combine with traditional casting processes will create a wider space at the industrial application level. It is also possible in some areas to create a new casting production model.

（三）Enhance the goodness, improve the technical level 

Casting is the basis of manufacturing. The United States, Germany, Japan and other industrial developed countries have a very strong casting industry. Although China is a big country in casting industry, we can not make Cupola. Many companies can only purchase this complete set of equipment with high prices from abroad, which is our weakness in casting equipment. High-end hydraulic castings, heavy-duty gas turbine super-alloy single crystal leaves, 100-ton ductile iron core spent fuel storage containers and other products can not meet the host products and high-end technology and equipment development needs. “Casting industry development plan” listed some key technology that should be improved for key castings, key common casting technology and major casting equipment. 

（四）Set good example, Learn from others, promote development

We should guide the foundry enterprises to establish "ten years make one sword" spirit to promote the casting enterprises to focus on innovation, product quality improvement and on professional development. We should focus on cultivating 100 enterprises with international competitiveness and small-medium enterprises with advantage like professional, precisely, new, special characteristics. The key enterprises lead the industry and common development. We should guide the casting industry efficient, low-carbon, sustainable development and create a number of high-level, characteristic casting industry areas which will promote a wider range of casting enterprises to upgrade.