Sapa Extrusions-North America has announced the completion of a $10 million project to expand the cast house at its Cressona, Pennsylvania plant. The project will add 100 million pounds of additional annual capacity to Sapa's total casting operations, including Cressona, Spanish Fork (UT), Delhi (LA), Yankton (SD), and Toronto, Canada.
Taking a little over a year to complete, the new cast house at Cressona features casting equipment dedicated to specialty alloys that will allow for a faster, more efficient product changeover. The equipment includes a single melt furnace, a tilting holder, and cast pit.
"The single pit will allow us to develop innovative new chemistries that provide enhanced features for our customers," said Richard A. Worst, General Manager, Cressona Operations. "The new tilting holder and tilting SNIF offer easy cleaning and quick product changeover. By segregating production from our existing double pit equipment, which is used for larger volume alloys, we're able to significantly increase production due to fewer size and alloy changes."
The Cressona plant produces specialty products for a variety of markets, including commercial transportation, automotive, defense, industrial-consumer, thermal management, as well as its network of distribution service center
The expansion of Sapa's casting operations comes at a time where there is an increased demand for aluminum billet. By expanding the Cressona operation's cast house capacity, Sapa aims to insulate its customers from any impacts caused by a tightening aluminum billet market in North America.
Worst adds, "Increasing demand and rising production costs could push billet premiums as high as 13 to 14 cents per pound in 2012. Sapa believes this investment will help minimize the impact to our customers."
According to Sat S. Adusumilli, Director of Technology and Capital at Sapa, "We will continue to make significant investments to improve and expand our casting capacity at a time when demand for billet is increasing. Not only does this help to integrate our 16 extrusion operations in North America, it also ensures our ability to provide our customers with competitively priced products."
Editor's Note: Photos of the new cast house at Cressona are available upon request.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Emily Geesaman, Buchanan Public Relations for Sapa Extrusions – North America(610) 649-9292, geesaman@buchananpr.com