ATI Metals Inc., Pittsburgh, announces that its board of directors has approved an investment to expand its isothermal forging and heat treating capacities to satisfy growing demand from the aerospace jet engine market. This self-funded, multi-year expansion of approximately $95 million represents ATI’s fourth isothermal press which, along with the associated heat treating expansion, will be located at the company’s iso-thermal forging center of excellence in Cudahy, Wisconsin. The investment will take approximately three years to complete and fully qualify for aerospace-related production.
“We continue to invest in our advanced forging capabilities in support of our aerospace customer’s ramp-up of next generation jet engine production. Once completed and fully qualified, this critical growth project will enable us to meet the increasing production requirements for existing long-term agreements with our engine OEM partners,” said Rich Harshman, ATI’s Chairman, President and CEO. “Isothermal is the most technologically advanced forging method available today and ATI’s ongoing leadership in this area is further solidified by this significant investment.”
“This investment, along with our recent nickel-based superalloy powder expansion in Monroe, North Carolina, will enable the High Performance Materials and Components (HPMC) segment to meet its longer-term financial goals by increasing our capacity to produce technologically advanced powder-to-isothermally-forged jet engine components,” said John Sims, Executive Vice President, HPMC Segment.
