Dynacast Expands Tooling Division to Support Growth.

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 1997--Dynacast Inc., a leading supplier of precision aluminum, magnesium and zinc die castings, is expanding its Germantown, WI tooling division to support the expanding North American market. With the 12,000-square-foot Germantown expansion, the Dynacast Tooling Division (DTD) strengthens its core competency of engineering and construction of small, high-precision four-slide die casting and injection molding tools.

The expansion doubles the facility's size to 24,000 square feet while satisfying Dynacast North America's growing demand for small- to-mid-size conventional dies and molds. Production will emphasize short lead times and rapid response to the customer's engineering and tooling needs. The expanded DTD will serve the marketplace by dedicating itself to Dynacast North America's seven die casting plants and, to a greater extent in the future, 13 SPM injection molding plants.

The expansion, with completion scheduled for September, includes a 3,000-square-foot engineering and CNC area with four PRO/Engineer and four CAM seats (PRO/Manufacturing and Master/CAM). The new PRO/E stations will allow DTD to expand die and mold analysis, including flow and thermal analysis. This in turn will help optimize tool design and construction, ensuring efficient manufacturing and extended die or mold life.

With its strengthened concurrent engineering practices, DTD will serve as the North American Training Center for newly-hired design engineers. Standardization and a consolidated network database will enable Dynacast to gain access to accumulated engineering data, further reducing tooling lead times while employing a "best practices" design and construction approach.

"This is the second expansion of the Tooling Division in three years," states Paul D'Aquanni, Director of Technology, Dynacast Technology Systems, "and it demonstrates Dynacast's commitment to tooling and engineering. This latest expansion, which doubles the existing facility, enables us to better handle larger tools as well as create an even stronger focus on engineering."

"Advanced CNC equipment with automatic tool changers gives us 24-hour utilization of key machines in a two-shift environment," explains Helmut Wolf, DTD General Manager. "And, working closely with our sister plant in Anaheim, CA, we will be able to support even larger tooling projects without requiring outside tooling vendors."

In addition, Dynacast International Technology, located in Alcester, England, is currently conducting extensive research and development in conjunction with a local university. Advanced toolmaking R&D efforts include rapid prototyping and high-speed machining, which could potentially compress lead times and enable Dynacast to supply a small number of parts to customers for expeditious "fit and function" testing.

Dynacast, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of precision engineered metal and plastic components as well as assemblies. The Dynacast die casting group along with its SPM plastic injection molding sister company, serve a wide range of industries including the automotive, security hardware, computer, and telecommunications industries. Dynacast is a subsidiary of Coats Viyella Plc, a diversified UK-based company.

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CONTACT: Sheehan Communications

Michael Sheehan, 440/356-6336

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Dynacast Tooling Division

Helmut Wolf, 414/250-0303

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