Alcoa has struck a deal to buy Tital, a German investment casting foundry, taking another step in its development of high-value aerospace products. Tital is a privately held aluminum and titanium casting producer headquartered in Bestwig, Germany, with a wholly owned aluminum investment casting subsidiary in Nantong, China.
The operations include cold hearth melting and centrifugal and gravity casting. Its engineers and designers work with 3D printing technologies for prototypes. It has approximately 650 employees, mainly at the Bestwig location.
The terms of the purchase have not been announced. The acquisition will establish titanium casting capabilities for Alcoa in Europe, as well as expand its aluminum casting capacity.
“This acquisition is the next step in building a powerful aerospace growth engine,” stated Alcoa chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld. “As a fast-growing innovator, TITAL will increase our share of highly differentiated content on the world’s best-selling jet engines.”
Earlier this year, Alcoa initiated a $100-million expansion program at its Alcoa Howmet investment casting operation in LaPorte, IN, to produce larger-dimension structural engine castings in nickel-based superalloys. That move was followed by a $25-million expansion program at Alcoa Howmet’s Hampton, VA, investment casting foundry to produce a new range of airfoil blades for jet engines.
In addition to these moves, Alcoa has updated its open-die forging operation, eyeing more aircraft structural parts, and it acquired the Firth Rixson Ltd. organization for $2.85 billion, adding more closed-die and seamless ring forging for aerospace products.
Tital casts structural parts in titanium and aluminum for large commercial aircraft engines and airframes, including wide- and narrow-body airplanes. It has ongoing supply relationships with European engine and aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus, SNECMA, and Rolls-Royce.
Tital generated approximately $96 million in revenues in 2013, more than half from its titanium products. According to Alcoa’s statement, Tital’s revenues from titanium products are forecast to rise 70% over the next five years as manufacturers of new jet engine designs adopt lighter components for engine structures. “Titanium can withstand extreme high heat and pressure,” Alcoa detailed, “and is a lighter weight alternative to steel, providing increased energy efficiency and improved performance.”
Alcoa offered that it forecasts 7% compounded annual growth in commercial jet business through 2019, and currently maintains orders in that market at 2013 delivery rates for nine years.
“Alcoa is widely recognized for its innovation and manufacturing expertise, which is fully in line with TITAL’s philosophy,” offered Philipp Schack, CEO of Tital. “We look forward to joining the Alcoa family, and to combining our world-class technologies and processes.”