Alcoa dramatically increases processing capacity for aerospace and automotive markets at Iowa mill with $75 million investment.

DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 1996--Alcoa's Aerospace/Commercial Rolled Products Division today announced plans to dramatically increase its sheet and plate heat-treating capacity to meet current, contractual and future market demands from its aerospace and automotive customers.

According to L. Patrick Hassey, division president, "This expansion gives our customers the most sophisticated, comprehensive, heat treat facilities with the broadest capabilities in the world."

At its Davenport, Iowa facility, Alcoa completed and is commissioning the largest North American vertical heat treat furnace that will process aluminum sheet up to 144 inches wide and 500 inches long. This will triple the plant's capacity for wide width aerospace fuselage sheet for existing and new applications. Successful metallurgical surveys are complete and production metal is being applied to orders.

A new horizontal plate heat treating furnace is under construction that will increase plate heat treating capacity by 50 percent. The new equipment will be completed and operational in eight months for the 1997 aerospace market ramp up expected from customers which are under long term supply contracts from Alcoa.

This month Alcoa opened its new 165,000 square-foot Hutchinson, Kansas facility for fuselage sheet with polishing, finishing and JIT delivery services available to its aerospace customers.

In concert with the major heat treat expansion, Alcoa said that it doubled its stretcher and sheet capacity for airframe products at Davenport Works during 1995. In addition all other thermal, inspection, sawing and aging capabilities have been increased to handle the expected aerospace build rates well ahead of the forecasted need.

The division also has finished the pre-engineering and is accelerating the design and installation of additional continuous heat treating capacity that will meet the increasing needs of automotive customers. This will be achieved in a separate manufacturing flow path from aerospace allowing for new capacity from the current continuous temper line to be dedicated to its aerospace customers.

"All the equipment is ahead of schedule and is being brought into operation under the Division's stringent Total Quality Management guidelines using statistical control," Hassey said. "The new equipment further enhances our unique capabilities and will reduce manufacturing flow times for aerospace sheet and plate applications by as much as 40%," he concluded.

Cost of the modernization was estimated to be approximately $75 million. The aerospace modernization was approved by Alcoa's Board of Directors during a visit to Davenport Works in October 1995.

CONTACT: Alcoa

Editorial contact: Tim Wilkinson, 319/344-3008