Weber Metals has invested in a $180m aerospace metal forging press at its new 2.5-acre facility located southeast of Los Angeles, US.
With the investment in the 60,000t press, the company will double its staff to 800. Weber Metal is a division of German company Otto Fuchs.
The project received $20m in tax credits from the state of California.
Weber Metals will produce the first part for Boeing’s main landing gear beam on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Otto Fuchs managing partner Dr Hinrich Mählmann said: “This innovative technology will literally forge the future for parts made for aircraft and spacecraft.
“This, the world’s largest pull-down forging press, will shape some of the world’s largest monolithic parts from both aluminium and titanium.”
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By GlobalDataWeber Metals president and CEO Doug McIntyre said that the press will address the customer’s demands for larger monolithic titanium and aluminium parts that reduce weight as well as complexity.
This technology will allow aircraft and aerospace companies to reduce their environmental impact.
Otto Fuchs Aerospace Division head Dr Klaus Welschof said: “Green product design reflects the efforts by both of our companies to help reduce carbon footprint for commercial aircraft. It also connects with another of our commitments: improving the mobility of people everywhere through better aircraft design.”
Construction on the new facility started in January last year when the first press piece arrived on site.
