ThyssenKrupp Materials NA, Inc. Expands Silao Facility to Become First Mexico-Based Aluminum and Carbon Steel Configured Blanking Facility

thyssenkrupp Materials de Mexico S.A. de C.V, a unit of thyssenkrupp Materials NA, Inc. (tkMNA) today introduced a state-of-the-art blanking line from Schuler inside of a 5,100 square meter (55,000 sq. feet) facility expansion. The total investment of the expansion and blanking line reach nearly $20 million USD and create 35 new jobs at the Silao-based facility.

"This expansion is important to our business as it 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. ""Once complete, it will also benefit the Silao community, adding 35 full-time positions to the facility.”

The expansion centers around a new Schuler blanking line with the ability to 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 Silao plant by nearly 70 percent, to 270,000 metric tons per year.

"Mexico is a key area for investment and opportunity for our business, especially as it relates to the country's growing automotive manufacturing presence,” said Joachim Limberg, Chief Executive Officer, Business Area Material Services of ThyssenKrupp AG. ""The ability to process both aluminum and carbon steel blanks on the same line will allow us to react and provide solutions to the materials and service demands of our customers much more quickly.”

The expansion recently broke ground on a newly-acquired 3.7 acre piece of land adjacent to the existing facility.

"Securing the land provided us with a great opportunity to not only expand our facility and introduce this unique capability to Mexico, but also provides options for future use as we continue to grow and expand our service offerings,”said Olaf Voss, President, ThyssenKrupp Materials de Mexico.

The Silao facility currently offers steel blanking and warehousing services for aluminum and steel products in the automotive and aerospace industries. TKMNA also has warehousing and material processing locations in Saltillo and Puebla, Mexico, totaling more than 380 employees at their three Mexico locations, combined.