SuperAlloy Invests US$46.67 M. to Expand Capacity of Wheels

Taipei, Sept.10, 2012 (CENS)--Taiwan's SuperAlloy Industrial Co. (SAI), a major maker of forged aluminum-alloy wheels, will expand operations from the second half. SAI's president C.T. Shih disclosed that the firm will invested at least NT$1.4 billion (US$46.67 million) to buy new plants and equipment within two years beginning the second half of 2012, to raise annual capacity from one million to 1.4 million units.

With help from the composite technical team from Sanhosun Sporting Goods Co., a Taiwan-based composite maker, SAI will set up an aerospace division to develop aircraft seats, including the “16G aircraft seat” in its first batch to tap markets for long-term and shuttle flights.

SAI has just passed the forging technology test by Honeywell International Inc., an American maker for aerospace engine, to become the second certified maker in Asia, next to Japan's Kobe Steel Ltd., to indirectly supply titanium alloy engine blades for Honeywell.

SAI produced about 600,000 forged aluminum-alloy wheels last year, replacing Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa Inc.) to become the second largest maker of the said product, also planning to invest $1.4 billion (US$46.67 million) to build a new plant in Taiwan's Yunlin Technology Industrial Park to make forged aluminum-alloy wheels and aerospace seats.

Currently SAI generates 90% of revenue from aluminum-alloy wheels, but plans to reduce it to 60%, raise aerospace products from below 1% to 20%, automotive chassis from less than 1% to 15%, with bicycle cranks & golf club heads remaining at 5%.