A global aluminum manufacturer of products for multiple applications, including aerospace, automotive and packaging, recently announced that its Ravenwood, West Virginia, facility has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense for a nearly $9.5 million grant to increase throughput, quality, and performance of cold-rolled aluminum.
The funding was awarded to Constellium SE by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Cornerstone OTA and will be managed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Constellium will use the funds to perform electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic system upgrades to Ravenswood’s 144" cold rolling mill and add state of the art automation and process controls. The mill is critically important for the manufacture of high-performance aluminum plate for ballistic and blast protection of military vehicles. Army and Marine Corps modernization programs will require an increased capacity of the U.S. industrial base to produce cold rolled plate over the next decade. In coordination with Cornerstone and ARL, Constellium will also invest in developing manufacturing processes and armor plate that will optimize the additional capacity and process controls of the upgraded mill.
"This investment by the Department of Defense will enable us to meet the increased demand for cold-rolled plate over the next 5 to 10 years and also significantly improve the performance of armor against constantly evolving threats," commented Buddy Stemple, CEO of Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood. "We are very excited to have this opportunity to help protect our troops."
Photo credit/captions: Image 1: Wikipedia / Bradley Fighting Vehicle; Image 2: Constellium
