Alcoa Breaks Ground on New Facility in Indiana

Plant will produce aluminum lithium for the aerospace industry.

Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has broken ground on a greenfield aluminum lithium facility in Lafayette, Ind. The new facility will be built adjacent to Alcoa’s existing facility in Lafayette.

From left to right, Joe Seaman, CEO, Greater Lafayette Commerce; Eric Roegner, President, Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions; Tony Roswarski, Mayor, City of Lafayette; Jacques Vanier, COO, Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions; Jim Robinson, Director, District 7, United Steelworkers.
 

The company is investing $90 million on the 115,000-square-foot expansion that will produce more than 20,000 metric tons of aluminum lithium per year. The plant will be capable of casting round and rectangular ingot for rolled, extruded and forged applications.

The newly patented aluminum lithium alloys, introduced by Alcoa in 2011, will allow airframers to build dramatically lighter and lower-cost airplanes versus composite alternatives, the company says. Alcoa adds that the aluminum lithium product will provide the best strength-to-weight performance in Alcoa's aerospace alloy portfolio, combined with better stiffness and corrosion resistance. The alloys are used in extrusions, forgings and sheet and plate applications across aircraft structures, including airplane wings and fuselage elements.

"Our primary role as aerospace solution providers is to help the OEMs reduce fuel consumption per seat mile," says Eric Roegner, president, Alcoa Forgings and Extrusions. "We have a long history working with aerospace customers to help new aircraft meet demanding new missions and provide optimum solutions for both the engine and airframe structure. Our aluminum lithium supply chain will be the premier operation in the world and this specialty alloy will be flying on the next generation of aircraft."

Production of its first aluminum lithium is planned by the end of 2014.

The project is being supported by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "We are very grateful to our community and state partners for their support in this significant project that will provide continued growth and good jobs now and into the future," says Roegner.