Alcan Automotive plant set to expand

Alcan Automotive - a part-fabricating arm of the aluminum producer plans a major expansion at one of its European production facilities. The plant at Gottmadingen, Germany, produces bumper components, side-impact beams, and instrument panel supports.

According to Kurt Wolfensberger, president

The Gottmadingen complex opened in 2000 and this will be the second expansion there. Total investment to date in manufacturing equipment is reported at $19 million. The first expansion was completed earlier this year.

At present, Gottmadingen produce 8,000 bumper beams, 8,000 side-impact beams, and over 6,000 instrument-panel supports. Among the plant's automotive customers are DaimlerChrysler, Opel, MCC, and Audi, with BMW and PSA Citroen set to join the list.

Alcan Automotive's bumper beams are multi-chambered extrusions. The UP supports are "deep-drawn aluminum shells with cast aluminum and forged aluminum nodes," Alcan explained. Sheet components are joined by an electron-beam welding process. The next expansion will increase production totals in all these lines.

"This new production capacity will enable us to satisfy an increasing market demand for innovative, lightweight automotive components and systems," Wolfensberger said. "As part of our strategy, we are aiming to double the annual sales of our Automotive Structures and Design business unit to more than $200 million and this production site will make an important contribution."