At the time of great change (with the appearance of new information and communications technology) and major challenges (globalization of trade), it is necessary for all companies, and particularly small to medium-sized businesses in the foundry industry, to be constantly adding to their information resources in order to be best able to take on their competitors.

For this reason the CTIF has undertaken a huge project using the Internet in order to boost its information and support activities for the foundry trade.

Therefore, following on from the success of its initial website (opened over 3 years ago), the CTIF has embarked upon a project (now almost complete) aimed at progressively bringing its various information and technical support services ‘online’ on a website that has been redesigned for the occasion. In order to be able to guarantee users of the accuracy and validity of the information supplied, the data offered online has been carefully selected by the teams of the CTIF.

For the main part of its content, the site is available in both French and English.

Today, it can boast over 15,000 connections per week.

The main features of the site

1 - Presentation of the French foundry profession and its constituent companies

• The organization of the foundry profession in France
  The main bodies concerned are listed, most of which are directly accessible by Internet from the CTIF site.
• Key statistical information
  The site gives most of the results achieved by the French foundry profession including overall production, world ranking and distribution of product tonnage by business sector and by market segment etc.
• The French foundries
  A database containing information on all of the French foundries makes it possible to find a company not only through its company name or geographical location but also, for those having included the type of products they manufacture, by the types of alloy produced and/or by any casting processes used.

2 - Finding a supplier for the foundry sector

A database of suppliers of materials and products for foundries makes it possible to find a supplier by entering his company name of the description of one of his products.

3 - Keeping up-to-date with official standards in the foundry industry

The site introduces all of the official standards for the foundry trade (with the exception of hydraulics) including references, fields of application, precedence, and any possible variations with superseded documents.

Moreover, the database makes it possible to carry out a search by the major themes of the applicable standards (for example aluminium alloy, supply and inspection, etc.) The online availability of a "Standards News" service is being looked at. This service would provide information about the work and surveys currently underway.

4 - Introduction to the activities of the CTIF and the services it offers

All of the CTIF’s activities are introduced, including its surveys, training opportunities, design services, laboratory-related activities, strategic planning, certification, in-house diagnosis and advice for companies, as well as quality and environment-related activities. Certain research and development results with transfer possibilities are also available.

5 - A gateway to other "foundry" resources on the Internet

A range of hypertext links enables the surfer to pass directly from the CTIF site to those of the main bodies within the French foundry industry, and also to a certain number of others (selected by the CTIF) on an international level.

6 - Presentation of the basic technical documents distributed by Editions Techniques des Industries de la Fonderie (Foundry Industry Technical Publications)

Visitors will find a database making it possible to order and pay online, and including a presentation of all of the technical documents distributed by the E.T.I.F.

7 - Presentation and downloading of technical software

A range of technical foundry-related software, designed by the CTIF and likely to be useful to companies on a day-to-day basis (including fault diagnosis, item weight calculation, burden optimization, and calculation of feed and runner systems, etc.) is available, and may be downloaded from the CTIF sire to make evaluation easier.

8 - Database of translations of technical documents produced by the CTIF

Using a multi-criteria selection system, it is possible to search the library of translations produced by the CTIF to see if documents exist for a particular theme.

9 - Presentation of various certified reference materials.

The chemical compositions of all of the certified reference materials (produced by the CTIF) likely to be of interest to the foundry profession are to be found here.

10 - Gateway to the documentary library of the CTIF

The creation of a gateway to the documentary library of the CTIF is being looked at. It should make it possible to directly consult the bibliographical database of the CTIF on-line, (this being one of the most extensive to be found in the foundry field).

11 - Additional ways to contact the CTIF

The CTIF website offers additional means to directly contact the CTIF via electronic mail:

For all further information please contact: