Advanced press solidifies Alcoa’s Cleveland Works as a premier
forging producer
CLEVELAND–Alcoa announced today the completion and restart of its redesigned
50,000-ton forging press at the company’s Cleveland Works. A $100
million dollar investment that Alcoa announced in 2009, the new press
strengthens Alcoa’s position as the preeminent supplier of large
aluminum, titanium, nickel and steel forgings to the aerospace, defense,
energy and industrial markets.
“Combining our advanced alloy and manufacturing process technology with
our state-of-the-art 50,000 ton press capabilities, we will be
unmatched,” said Eric Roegner, president, Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions,
at a special celebration shared with federal, state and local
legislators, community and industrial leaders, and employees. “Our
unique press offers the ability for Cleveland Works to double its
capacity to serve our customers in the commercial and defense aerospace
markets as well as industrial and energy markets.”
The multi-million dollar investment involved the complete redesign and
modernization of the 50,000-ton press, a 92-foot structure – with five
stories above and seven below the ground – that began production in 1955.
“As one of only five existing heavy closed die forging presses in the
United States, this national historic engineering landmark is
strategically important to our nation’s defense and Alcoa’s commercial
competitiveness,” said Roegner. The press was originally installed as
part of the Air Force Heavy Press program following World War II and has
been used to build parts for nearly every military aircraft, helicopter,
and tracked and combat vehicles from the 1950s through present day.
“Our iconic press played an integral role in Alcoa’s rich history and
will be an equally key component to our company’s future growth and
success,” Roegner said. “It is vital not only to our business,
customers, and employees, but to the continued growth and stability of
our manufacturing operations in the greater Cleveland community.”
Alcoa’s segmented die technology, advanced alloys, and proprietary
signature stress relief™ technologies allow Alcoa to make parts that are
larger, thicker and more complex than those that can be produced by
competitors on similar-sized forging presses. Alcoa Cleveland Works
manufactures the large aluminum structural die forgings for the F-35
Joint Strike Fighter Program. The forgings include bulk heads – the
primary structural support for the wing and engine that can weigh from
1,800 to 6,000 pounds and range from 10 to 23 feet in length – and wing
box parts which serve as an important component of the skeletal
structure to the wing.
As part of the celebration, Lockheed Martin showcased its F-35 Lightning
II mobile cockpit demonstrator to Alcoa’s guests.
Alcoa’s investment was supported by a package of economic development
incentives from the state of Ohio, city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County,
village of Cuyahoga Heights and city of Independence.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated
aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of
alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry,
Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for 10 consecutive years and approximately 75
percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.