Japanese aluminum maker UACJ Corporation plans to invest $33mn in new plant and machinery to expand its production of automotive components in the US as demand increases.
The UACJ Group, the parent company of Whitehall Automotive Industries, plans to add a new 9,000mt per year extrusion press to its Ludington, Michigan headquarters as well as new equipment such as lasers and robots at its Flagstaff, Arizona plant to manufacture automotive components and roll cages. The company expects the new assets to be commissioned as early as July 2021.
UACJ noted that the increased demand for aluminum components is largely driven by the electrification of the automotive sector as this segment is looking to reduce weight in as many ways possible and is replacing high-strength steel parts with lightweight aluminum to do so. With this in mind, the Group expects robust demand for parts made by UACJ Whitehall Automotive Industries, its US subsidiary. The Group also owns Tri-Arrows Aluminum, one of the big five aluminum can producers in the US.