A fully automated 800-tonne diecasting cell is at the heart of a major investment programme at Alucast.
The £2m investment drive aims to take the aluminium foundry past the £10m sales mark as it looks to make the most of new opportunities.
Alucast Ltd, which has increased its workforce by 20% to more than 120 people at its base in Wednesbury, has also commissioned six CNCs, a HDTD low pressure machine and boosted its ‘new core’ capabilities.
The 800-tonne LK high pressure die casting machine can produce high integrity parts from a fully automated cell, reducing component handling and making the company more competitive overseas.
It has proved a wise decision, with the Black Country business already securing a new export contract worth £1.2m.
John Swift, CEO of Alucast, commented: “We have always taken a long-term strategic view on how we move forward and this, firstly, has helped us negotiate some tough economic challenges and, secondly, is now helping us take advantage of opportunities in automotive, electrification and hydraulic components.
“This is our largest investment drive in nearly a decade and reflects an increase in demand for our high/low pressure, gravity and sand casting expertise, not to mention our expansive machining capabilities.”
He continued: “The latter is proving extremely important as we are offering added value services for a host of blue-chip tier 1s and the vehicle manufacturers directly. We’re offering them the security of supply they are crying out for.”
Martin Haynes, Managing Director of Alucast, added: “There are lot of opportunities out there for UK manufacturing, but many of them will require investment in new technology and people to make them a reality.
“With the level of recent capital investment, we now have capacity in our foundries and will also look to push on with other value added services, including heat treatment, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and casting simulation.”
Alucast is a founding member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), an eight-strong collective of sub-contractors and an engineering design agency.
Photo: Martin Haynes, Managing Director of Alucast, in front of the 800-tonne LK high pressure die casting machine