The news this week that Indianapolis Casting Corp. will be closing in July is not a big surprise. But, while it seems like a resolution, it actually raises several questions about automotive metalcasting in North America.

Since 2007, when Ford Motor Co. announced plans to close its Cleveland Casting Plant and the next-door engine plant in 2009, it has been easy to conclude that North American automakers’ production of critical automotive castings was ending. (Later, after setting a new contract with the United Auto Workers union, Ford reset the closing for 2010.) Such a possibility becomes a bit greater, seemingly, with Indianapolis Casting set to close, though it’s important to note that General Motors and Honda are still casting their own engine blocks and cylinder heads.

In fact, Ford’s concession to keep its Cleveland foundry and engine plant open for a year beyond the original closing date suggests that the automaker is not entirely resolved on the subject of where its future castings and engines will come from — or even what sort of engines they might be.

Navistar has been a longtime supplier of Ford engines, but their arrangement started unwinding last year in a murky dispute — each side blaming the other for voiding the contract.

The closing of ICC follows a settlement between Navistar International (the parent company) and Ford earlier this month. (Again, the settlement raises new questions: What, for example, is included in “the range of initiatives” on which Ford and Navistar will “continue to collaborate?”)

The great majority of ICC’s production is gray iron V-8 blocks and cylinder heads. Navistar produces diesel engines for Ford pickups at an engine plant nearby ICC, and it too will close.

In the recent past Ford assigned its aluminum blocks/heads business to Nemak, so it could make a similar choice about iron castings. But, it’s not clear what engines Ford wants to install, so it’s hard to know what supplier they might choose. Some believe the automaker intends to convert its diesel engines to a compacted-graphite iron block, but if that were the plan it could have sourced the castings from Indianapolis Casting: ICC reportedly had invested in CGI capability.

Moreover, what foundry operation — gray iron or CGI — has the capacity to fill Ford’s future order? Tupy has a large-volume installation in Brazil capable of producing CGI castings. Can they handle the extra business from Ford? For that matter, does Ford know how many engines it will need?

In the current business climate, it’s impossible for anyone to answer all these questions — even for Ford, which presumably has some sort of a strategy on this matter, though it’s been a mystery for almost two years. Just as a though experiment, try this:

Is it possible Ford is hoping to sell its Cleveland complex to some company —Tupy? Cifunsa? Navistar? —  that will operate it and supply Ford on a long-term basis? The sale might bring some revenue, which would be welcome. The facility is large and convenient to Ford’s assembly plants. Some investment may be required, but it’s conceivable that the plant could produce CGI.

Foreign companies may see an advantage in locating some capacity within the U.S., as a currency hedge and in order to dodge looming protectionism. Any problem with the union workforce at the site should be able to be resolved along with so many greater issues that domestic automakers and the UAW are sorting through now.

In this atmosphere, any and all possibilities are worth considering in the effort to strengthen North America metalcasting and automaking.