Sapa Extrusions announces $10 million cast house expansion

CHICAGO — Sapa Extrusions-North America has announced a $10 million project to expand casting pit operations at its Cressona, Penn., plant. The project will add 100 million pounds of additional annual capacity to Sapa’s total casting operations, which include cast houses in Spanish Fork (UT), Delhi (LA), Yankton (SD), Cressona (PA) and Toronto, Canada.

Construction on the Cressona expansion will commence this month with completion and start-up of the facility scheduled for September 2011. Richard A. Worst, Cressona plant manager, detailed some features of the new casting equipment:

“This single holder, single melter pit will be dedicated to specialty alloys. It will allow us to develop innovative new chemistries that provide enhanced features for our customers,” he said. "The new tilting holder and tilting SNIF offer easy cleaning and quick product changeover. By segregating its production from our existing double pit equipment, which is used for larger volume alloys, we realize significant production gains due to fewer size and alloy changes.”

Sapa announced that it is taking this expansion step to address the tightening market for aluminum billet.

“We will continue to make significant investments to improve and expand our casting capacity at a time when demand for billet is increasing," said Sat S. Adusumillli, director of technology and capital. "Not only does this help to integrate our 16 extrusion operations in North America, it also insures our ability to provide our customers with competitively priced products."

For more information about Sapa Extrusions, please visit www.sapagroup.com.