Accuride Corp., Evansville, Ind., expects to make investments of approximately $75 million in 2012 to increase aluminum wheel production capacity and update Gunite Corp., a ferrous metal casting facility serving the trucking industry.
According to Accuride President and CEO Rick Dauch, the 2012 investments will build on the company's $35 million investment in 2011. The first phase targets new machining lines and related equipment in the wheels business and is already underway. A second phase encompasses the improvements at Gunite.
"We made solid progress in boosting our production capacity last year and are stepping up our investments to extend and accelerate that progress throughout 2012, " Dauch said. "These investment plans further demonstrate our continuing commitment to… meet growing demand. "
Accuride, which supplies various areas of the commercial vehicle industry, plans $20 million of aluminum wheel capacity investments in 2012 that will include facility improvements, new machining lines and equipment, and transfer of equipment among its three aluminum wheel plants in Erie, Pa., Camden, S. C., and Monterrey, Mexico. The investments are expected to double the company's aluminum wheel production capacity at its Monterrey and Camden plants.
The investments in Gunite are intended to address the production issues and capacity constraints the facility experienced in 2011. The resulting manufacturing improvements are expected to boost Gunite's capacity and throughput and improve product quality. The Gunite wheel-end business unit produces spoke wheels, hubs, rotors, full cast brake drums and automatic slack adjusters.
