Wescast to Cast More Stainless in China

Dec. 2, 2010
Manifold manufacturer expanding global capabilities to supply rising turbo-charger demand

Ontario-based Wescast Industries Inc., which produces cast manifolds for car and light truck exhaust systems, will be expanding its foundry in China to produce more stainless steel castings, and its plant Hungary to produce castings in stainless and Ni-Resist alloys.

"Market trends of increased turbo charger usage were the impetus for Wescast to plan these investments," chairman and CEO Ed Frackowiak explained. "We are very pleased to have booked more than $100-million in average annualized new and replacement business year-to-date across all of our business units, of which more than 35% is related to turbo chargers."

Wescast has foundries in Wingham, Ont., Oroszlany, Hungary, and Wuhan, China, along with machining centers in Ontario, Michigan, Hungary, and China. It manufactures exhaust manifolds for a range of engine styles, and claims to be the world’s largest supplier of cast exhaust manifolds for passenger cars and light trucks.

The planned expansions will allow the Wuhan foundry to produce stainless steel castings and the Oroszlany plant to produce Ni-Resist and stainless steel castings, in addition to the various alloys that both plants produce already.

Wescast has not indicated the cost or schedule for the expansions.