Intermet Corp. has won an award in the North American Die Casting Assn.'s International Die Casting Competition, for a magnesium component it manufactures for Ford Motor Co.'s F-150 pickup trucks. NADCA presented the award at its annual congress and exposition last month in Indianapolis.

The component is a magnesium key lock housing for the truck's tilt-steering-column assembly, and it earned the top award among "magnesium die castings under one pound." More than 750,000 such castings are manufactured each year at Intermet's Palmyra, MO, plant for Strattec Security Corp., Milwaukee. Strattec builds the lock-housing/bolt subassembly for Delphi Corp., which then completes the steering column structure that Ford installs in the F-150 at several assembly plants.

Jesus M. Bonilla, Intermet vice president, Light Metals, said, "It is an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious industry association. NADCA has been a tireless promoter of the die-casting industry and its many excellent companies. Intermet is proud to be among those manufacturing the highest quality diecastings in the world. This award also reinforces Intermet's position as a leading, technology-driven, full-service supplier of cast-metal components for the automotive industry."

Earlier this year Intermet earned "Best in Class" in the American Foundry Society's casting competition, for an austempered-inductile-iron control arm produced for Ford Mustang Cobra.