Alcoa, Pittsburgh, reports that Alcoa Power and Propulsion, Whitehall, Mich., will invest $16.7 million in a 7700 sq. ft. building expansion to double coating capacity at its Thermatech Coatings plant in Whitehall. Thermatech specializes in the coating of hot-section components cast in nickel-based alloys via equiax directional solidification. A new electron beam physical vapor deposition machine enables faster production by combining two processes: the bond coat and the top coat.
The combination of advanced coatings and internal cooling schemes makes it possible for investment-cast airfoils to operate in an environment that reaches temperatures much higher than their melting point. In addition to jet engines, the coating process is applied to parts for industrial gas turbines.
The expansion supports Alcoa’s strategy of profitably growing its aerospace business, which achieved revenues totaling $4 billion in 2013. Itis in line with company strategy to build its value-add businesses to capture profitable growth in high-growth industries.
