Latrobe Specialty Steel Expanding VAR Capacity

Latrobe Specialty Steel Co. plans to expand its vacuum arc remelting capacity for high-alloy specialty steels, according to the Latrobe, PA, company. "To ensure America's continued ability to produce the aircraft and fighting vehicles our military desperately need, assure our customers of faster deliveries, and support our community, we have broken ground here in Latrobe for a new vacuum remelting facility,” stated president and CEO Hans Sack. "Our aerospace and defense end users look to us for new materials solutions. With this tripling of our vacuum melting capacity, we can broaden our product range of high-performance alloys,” the executive continued. Sack did not identify the cost of the project (independent reports peg the total at $62 million), but he explained that hot metal will begin to be processed in August, and commercial production will begin before the end of this year. Formerly a division of The Timken Co., Latrobe Specialty steel for various customer segments, including airframe and defense systems manufacturers, Latrobe also distributes specialty steels. Among the products manufactured using its materials are jet-engine bearings, landing gears, helicopter rotor shafts, fighting vehicle torsion bars, and spacecraft components. Sack added that Latrobe’s Sandycreek, PA, finishing operations also will be the object of an expansion and equipment update.