1.   Binder said aluminum casting will be a strong growth market in the future as carmakers demand lighter engine components to increase fuel efficiency.

2.   The canopy frame on the JSF, for example, will be made from a single aluminum casting devoid of fasteners.

3.   The company also makes aluminum castings for the automobile industry.

4.   The sale includes Howmet Corp., which makes cast components for gas turbine engines, and the Cercast Group, a producer of aluminum castings.

5.   Turbodyne manufactures aluminum castings for the automobile industry and has developed what it says are pollution-reduction turbochargers for internal-combustion engines.