sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

If you ever wondered why the United States outsources much of its cast iron products and why so much of it is no longer made here....perhaps this is why.

https://youtu.be/M9Lvrr1bw5s

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

I used to work in the steel industry (22 years as mechanical designer) and it was common to need many cast iron products for the steel making machinery. I had many opportunities to visit foundries nearby. Granted, it was like going back in time to the 1950's when visiting these foundries but they were no where near as bad as what's depicted in the video. Not even close. The first question that came to mind is "where are their safety shoes"? How many people have lost toes or even feet while working there? And because they are working there under those conditions, how much longer can they live? It's extremely poor conditions under those circumstances. If I were a company needing those parts, I would look elsewhere that's safer and has better working conditions for their employees.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

I was wondering about the quality control of the metal, I expected to see very unsafe conditions.

Woodworm65 Loc: Lombard, IL

It’s not that difficult to figure out with out watching the video for years foundry’s, appliance manufacturers, have turned to offshore production places like India, China, Mexico, and who knows where else have several things going for them cheap labor ( #1) no insurance, no workman’s comp, no OSHA, we allowed this to happen the fair trade Bill introduced and signed by the Clinton administration should have never happened it opened the doors to corporate manufacturing to put money and greed take the place of people first Whirlpool moved its washing machine manufacturing to Mexico and probably produce a 600 dollar washing machine for a couple of hundred dollars, but the price to sell it never went down.
Prime example of corporate greed is a company that was based in the Chicago area for over 50 years I think and they manufactured and sold commercial and industrial refrigeration evaporators, and equipment were bought out by Ingersol Rand and closed and moved to Mexico and in the 2 to 3 years they were there they produced some of the worst equipment it leaked, was not put together properly it almost put them under fortunately the parent company had deep pockets and moved them back to the Chicago area and they started producing a good reliable product.
Enough of my rambling if this country doesn’t get its act together we will be in big trouble in 25 years or less, a Greek philosopher was quoted as saying all great societies fall from within, look at the current state of affairs and you can see how we are slowly crumbling from within.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

And how many other outsourced "American" products are manufactured under similar conditions? Not only is there no OSHA agency protecting the health and safety of these workers, I'm sure there's absolutely no form of environmental protection agency to make sure their wastes aren't dumped into the air, water or ground.

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

kerry12 Loc: Harrisburg, Pa.

Not sure about where you live, but in Pa. there are still several active foundries.

andesbill

Let’s suppose that we get the manufacturers that sell products in the U.S. to agree to ensuring that all plants everywhere pay the same wages, follow the same OSHA and EPA (etc) regulations. What do you imagine happening? Not just here but everywhere. What kinds of pushback would there be?
Just trying to picture the ramifications gives me a headache. The opportunities for graft and corruption are enough to create hundreds of newly minted millionaires.

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

I've sold many Bobcat loaders to foundries here in east Los Angeles 1970's, 1980's.

Back then in comparison to the video you could just about wear white gloves.

And of course many of them closed up and moved away because of Californias EPA laws.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

I'm always amazed at how much these people can do with so little. There is another popular UTube called Amazing KK Daily in which some amazing forging is performed, mostly making knife type implements, under similar conditions.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Some of my friends from h.s. worked in the foundry at Pontiac Motors, and I lived half a block from it. I'd like to see a video from the inside of it. From what my friends tell me, it was hot, hard work, but I doubt anything like this. For one thing, they wore heavy boots and jean type coveralls, long sleeves and caps, despite the heat.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Like you I am fortunate to live near (25 mi) a foundry built in 1873 and closed in the late 1990's - I visited it in 93 while it was still pouring custom items. I now it still works but only as a history lesson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYAVrE9bSss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjm2zQ3xuo0

Harvey in the Sierra Foothills

DaleBrown

This video does not at all depict a typical outsourced supplier. U.S. companies were allowed by past administrations to outsource work decades ago. This allowed U.S. companies to build and develop manufacturing centers in other countries where costs were cheaper to run and operate for various reasons, such as labor, safety, environment concerns etc.
This why NAFTA was abolished to the dismay of Canada and Mexico. Don't want to rant political, but that is why Pres. Trump has been trying to level the playing field with respect to trade with other countries.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Thanks for the perspective, Dale. I'm confident that this foundry is not an American owned facility (at least I hope so) nor that they sell products to the U.S. market. What it does show is that the extremes that people go through to make what little living they can to the point of risking life and limb.

Of course India still has 2.8-billion people without toilets who defecate on the ground so expectations of health and safety are pretty low.

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

Well, most iron foundries in the USA have fallen on hard times - even the best ones. Because of important , i.e. the work is hard, hot, dangerous, and not very profitable. Most iron casting users now purchase them in foreign countries where labor (and life) is cheap, safety precautions aren't important, and OSHA means Off Shore Hinders Accidents.