ELLWOOD TO INVEST IN ALUMINUM TOOLING PLATE PRODUCTION FACILITY

[New Wilmington, PA]   ELLWOOD has announced plans for significant investment in its New Wilmington, Pa, ELLWOOD Specialty Steel (ESS) facility. The investment will give ESS the ability to produce its own Aluminum Tooling Plate (ATP) to better meet its customers’ needs. 

The new ATP facility will comprise a state-of-the-art, fully automated sawing, machining, quality control, lamination, storage and packaging line on the grounds of the current ESS facility. Designed to take full advantage of industry-leading technology, the ATP production line will have the capability of producing “lights-out” with minimal operator intervention. With tight quality control, production reliability, and vertically integrated raw material supply, the line will enable ESS to offer industry-leading lead times and flexible customer service, enabling its customers to reduce uncertainty and inventory levels.

The ELLWOOD Aluminum casthouse, located in Hubbard, OH, will supply the cast aluminum slab input stock to feed the new ATP facility. ELLWOOD Aluminum supplies 2000, 5000, 6000 and 7000-series aluminum cast slab and billet to the most demanding markets and customers, including aerospace and silicon microchip production, with industry-leading cleanliness, consistency, and chemistry control. Its capabilities include casting the world’s largest cross-section slab and lengths unmatched by North American producers.

ELLWOOD is preparing for an initial production capacity of over 10 million pounds, with planned potential to expand production capacity further, and is targeting start-up in 2024. 

ATP is already a successful product in ESS’s distribution portfolio, but ATP production supply is constrained worldwide. “This advanced production facility will unleash the true potential of this important product line,” said Judy Shaffer, President of ELLWOOD Specialty Steel Group. “We expect significant fundamental growth in ATP, driven by diverse markets including auto, medical and semiconductor production. We have been supply constrained to date, but with this integrated ATP production line, we will be fully able to capitalize on that escalating demand.”

Located in New Wilmington, Pa, the ESS Group subsidiary of ELLWOOD is a fully integrated producer of tool steels and aluminum for plastic molds, die cast dies, forging dies and other tooling applications. Its commitment to long-term relationships, attention to customer service, technical expertise and full portfolio of steel and aluminum products make ESS the supplier of choice for the tool, mold and die industries.

ELLWOOD—your partner from melt to distribution.