US-based Allegheny Technologies Inc (ATI) (www.atimetals.com), a manufacturer of advanced specialty materials and complex components, is to invest $95 million to boost its iso-thermal forging and heat-treatment capacities to meet an increasing demand from the aerospace jet-engine market.

The company will build a fourth iso-thermal press and associated heat-treatment centre in Wisconsin, alongside an existing facility. It will take about three years to complete.

Rich Harshman — ATI chairman, president and CEO — said: “We continue to invest in our advanced forging capabilities in support of our aerospace customer’s ramp-up of next-generation jet-engine production.

Iso-thermal is the most technologically advanced forging method available today and ATI’s on-going leadership in this area will be further enhanced by this significant investment.”

High-performance materials and components (HPMC) executive vice-president John Sims said: “This investment, along with our recent nickel-based super-alloy-powder expansion in Monroe, North Carolina, will enable the HPMC segment to meet its longer-term financial goals by increasing our capacity to produce isothermally forged jet-engine components from technologically advanced powders.”