International Markets Expansion of Light Metal Casting in Slovenia

With an investment of more than 90,000 million euros in a new building in Kechnec, Slovakia, the Handtmann Group is expanding its production capacities. the plant for aluminum die casting and mechanical processing is scheduled to start production as early as 2021.

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At the end of August 2019 the ground-breaking ceremony for the new factory for aluminum die casting and mechanical processing took place. The building, which is about 20 kilometres from the existing Handtmann plant in Košice, is planned for later expansion and will begin a trial period next year.

The first development stage will see the construction of a 210-metre long hall with a floorspace of 18,000 square metres divided into three sections. The casting hall will house six die casting machines, each with a closing force of 3,200 tons. Machines for the mechanical machining of the cast parts will be installed in the second building section. The third section is reserved for logistics and support provisions, such as quality inspection, maintenance and media and energy supply. A great deal of experience gained by internal and external specialists has been tapped into for the design of the modular floor plan.

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The new building was necessitated by a major contract from an international automotive supplier. In the future, the company aims to cast and machine up to 800,000 clutch housings for a new generation of front-wheel drive vehicles in Kechnec. At the request of the customer, the new plant is located in the direct vicinity of their production facility. Handtmann had already bought the plot in 2006 in order to have an appropriate space in reserve.

The project team is working to a tight schedule, which is usually the case with this type of contract. As early as one year after the groundbreaking ceremony, the hall is scheduled to be completed to such an extent that plant installation can begin. The first casting at the new location is also planned for 2020 so that the customer can be supplied with appropriate trial parts at an early stage. Normal production is then set to start in 2021.

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