Alcoa announced the completion and restart of its redesigned 50,000-ton forging press at the company’s Cleveland Works. A $100 million dollar investment that Alcoa announced in 2009, the new press strengthens Alcoa’s position as the top supplier of large aluminum, titanium, nickel and steel forgings to the aerospace, defense, energy and industrial markets. The investment involved the complete redesign and modernization of the 50,000-ton press, a 92-foot structure – with five stories above and seven below the ground – that began production in 1955.           

According to Alcoa, the press offers the ability for Cleveland Works to double its capacity to serve customers in the commercial and defense aerospace markets as well as industrial and energy markets. The press was originally installed as part of the Air Force Heavy Press program following World War II and has been used to build parts for nearly every military aircraft, helicopter, and tracked and combat vehicles from the 1950s through present day. Alcoa Cleveland Works manufactures the large aluminum structural die forgings for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. The forgings include bulkheads and wing-box parts.