ThyssenKrupp expands Mexico facility

ThyssenKrupp Materials de Mexico S.A. de C.V., a unit of ThyssenKrupp Materials NA Inc. (TKMNA), has announced the expansion of its current blanking operations in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. The facility currently offers steel blanking and warehousing services for aluminum and steel products in the automotive and aerospace industries.

The $20 million investment adds nearly 55,000 sq. ft. and a new aluminum and carbon steel blanking line. Completion of the project, which will create 35 full-time positions, is expected in Q4 2015.

“This expansion … positions us as the first Mexico-based facility to offer both aluminum and advanced high-strength steel configured blanking capabilities for our customers,” said Christian Dohr, president and CEO, TKMNA.

The expansion centers on a new Schuler blanking line that will process both aluminum and carbon steel, addressing the automotive industry’s needs in using aluminum in place of other materials for specific automotive applications. Additionally, the line will process carbon steel for exposed and unexposed automotive applications, including high-strength steel up to 1,500 MPa of TS. The new blanking line and expanded facility will increase the processing capacity of the plant by nearly 70 percent, to 270,000 metric tons per year.