Lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing firm Arconic Inc. announced last week plans to install a new horizontal heat treat furnace at its Davenport Works facility in Iowa, part of a significant capital investment to extend its processing capacity for aerospace and industrial applications.
This new furnace will enable Arconic to heat treat longer and thicker plate, including material for the company’s recently installed thick plate stretcher which meets a global need for thick aluminum plate, particularly as aerospace demand for composite wings, made with monolithic thick-plate wing ribs, increases.
“This investment will help meet both existing and future customer demand,” said 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 semi-conductors for consumer electronics and injection molding for automotive applications.”
Construction on the project is expected to begin late this year with commercial production expected to start in 2019.
