Magna expands in Alabama with aluminum casting facility

Sep. 17, 2017 – Magna is expanding operations to add aluminum casting capabilities at its Kamtek facility in Birmingham, Ala., in an effort to help automakers address the global demand for decreased carbon dioxide emissions and improved fuel economy through vehicle lightweighting.

The company invested approximately $60 million to add the 150,000-square-foot facility. At full capacity, the expansion has the potential to generate more than 100 jobs, it says.

The new facility will feature a manufacturing process – high-pressure aluminum casting – that further enables Magna to provide vehicle lightweighting and part-reduction solutions for customers, it says, adding that the new capabilities improve upon traditional steel multi-piece welded assemblies, which can take upwards of 12 stampings to produce one structural component. High-pressure aluminum casting allows production of full structures in one piece, reducing vehicle mass without compromising performance, structural integrity or safety, it notes.

“We remain focused on lightweighting to help improve fuel economy while decreasing vehicle emissions over time,” said John Farrell, president of Cosma International, Magna’s body and chassis operating unit. “The Kamtek expansion demonstrates our dedication to meeting these challenges head-on through leading-edge manufacturing processes that streamline vehicle weight reduction for our customers.”

Employing roughly 850 people, the facility produces structural components for various customers including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Nissan.