Companies - Chromalloy

Companies
Chromalloy Opens State-of-the-Art
Investment Casting Facility in Tampa, FL
Chromalloy's new investment casting operation in Tampa
FL, which recently celebrated its grand opening, is fully operational and serving turbine engine suppliers around the world.
President Armand F. Lauzon, Jr. noted the new 150,000
square-foot state-of-the-art facility expands the company's prevuous component production capacity in Florida.
“Chromalloy now offers the industry a single source for
engine component design, engineering, tooling, machining, repairs, coatings– and castings," he said.
Chromalloy Castings is one of the company's 52 facilities
and sales offices in 17 countries. Besides the new Tampa location, a second casting center for turbine engine components
and parts is located Carson City, NV. The new facility replaces
Chromalloy's original Tampa casting facility.
"Castings are central to it all," said Tom Trotter, vice president and general manager of Chromalloy Castings. "We are
creating a world-class manufacturing showplace, capable of
casting the entire range of high-value aero-engine and power
generation turbine blades and vanes."
The new Chromalloy Castings center is designed to pour
up to one million pounds of superalloy annually using equiaxed, directionally solidified, and advanced, single crystal casting technologies.
Components and parts are cast for the “hot section” or critical gas path of the engine, for the entire range of jet aircraft en-
gines as well as marine, aero-derivative and heavy frame industrial turbines, including the largest and most complex turbine
blades and vanes for power generation engines (IGT).
Trotter indicated creating a completely new facility offered the opportunity to incorporate lean manufacturing concepts into the design.
"We invested heavily in process control," he said noting
particular emphasis on wax, shellbuilding and casting processes
where casting defects typically originate.
"We culturally embraced continuous improvement," he
added.
A new "hospital neat and clean" standard is in effect at the
new casting facility. Located at various work stations are large
photos displayed with the question, "does it look like this?"
The new foundry is not only clean but also environmentally friendly. Dust collection is portable and can be moved as
needed to different locations as needs change. Most alloys are
already recycled, and management is looking toward zero discharge for water as well as shell material. "We don't re-use shell
material, but we are looking at recycling," Trotter said.
The new $30 million facility expands the company's capability and capacity. In an effort to retain the workforce which
was already in place, the new operation was located within a
20-minute drive of the old facility.
The new Chromalloy Castings center is designed to pour
up to one million pounds of superalloy annually.
A new "hospital neat and clean" standard is in effect at the
new casting facility.
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