Arconic Inc., New York, plans to invest $137 million to install a new horizontal heat-treating furnace at its Davenport Works facility in Iowa to heat treat longer and thicker plate than ever before. This includes material for its recently installed Thick Plate Stretcher, which began commercial production this year and is the largest thick plate stretcher in the world. Need for thick aluminum plate is growing, particularly as demand increases for composite wings, made with monolithic thick plate wing ribs.
“This investment will help meet both existing and future customer demand,” says Tim Myers, President, Global Rolled Products and Transportation and Construction Solutions. “With this new capability, we will meet increasing demand for plate used for aircraft wing ribs, skins, and other structural components, particularly in single-aisle builds. It also opens the door to growth in other markets, such as semiconductors for consumer electronics and injection molding for automotive applications.”
Construction is expected to begin late this year with commercial production expected to start in 2019.
