Posted 1-25-2012
Sapa Investing $34 Million at Cressona Facility
The Sapa Group plans to install a new 14-inch indirect press for rod and bar production at its Cressona, Pa., plant. The $34 million investment will result in a major upgrade of Sapa North America's industrial extrusion capabilities and will raise the standard for rod and bar production and distribution industry wide, the company claims.
The addition of a new indirect press will increase production speed per unit by up to 50 percent, improving grain structure and overall quality of product. Sapa will also be able to recover more scrap material than was previously possible at Cressona, resulting in a lower operating cost to produce current rod and bar offerings. Combined, these improvements will create greater efficiency and increased control capabilities for the facility's largest market, company officials say.
"The investment in this new press is indicative of Sapa's commitment to remain at the forefront of technological innovation in the North American rod and bar market," says Patrick Lawlor, president of Sapa Profiles North America. "With the addition of this new piece of manufacturing equipment, we're setting a higher standard for the industry and ultimately a better business model and product to serve our customers."
Along with the new indirect press, Sapa plans to add automatic packing to the process, enabling a fully integrated line for customers that will result in better quality, lower cost and faster delivery than competitors. Currently, the Cressona plant includes a range of direct and indirect presses used to produce a variety of rod, bar and tube products for the commercial transportation, automotive, defense, industrial-consumer, and thermal management markets, as well as its network of distribution service centers.