Bradken to Expand Tacoma Foundry
$23-million project to add production space, NDT capability
Bradken’s Energy Business, the onetime Atlas Castings and Technology foundry in Tacoma, WA, will be the site of a $23-million expansion aimed at increasing space for producing large-scale castings, and adding capacity for radiographic testing.
The schedule for the expansion has not been detailed.
The Bradken Energy Business operates a foundry in Tacoma and a machine shop in Chehalis, WA. It produces steel castings for customers in energy markets, and is qualified to supply castings for nuclear power applications. Atlas Castings and Technology was purchased by AmeriCast Technologies in 2007, and the latter company was taken over by Bradken Ltd. in 2008.
The expansion will include a dual “energy linear accelerator,” an inspection system that tests components by increasing the velocity of charged subatomic particles by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials. The new unit will double the Tacoma foundry’s radiographic testing capacity, Bradken reported.
The new system will be located in a new 15,000-ft2 finishing bay to be built for inspecting large castings. Also, a new 30,000-ft2 bay will be built, tripling the space available for pouring large castings and freeing space for producing small- to medium-sized castings.
Bradken stated that the expansion would allow the foundry to supply increased demand for high-quality castings, whether or not they require radiographic inspection.
$23-million project to add production space, NDT capability
Bradken’s Energy Business, the onetime Atlas Castings and Technology foundry in Tacoma, WA, will be the site of a $23-million expansion aimed at increasing space for producing large-scale castings, and adding capacity for radiographic testing.
The schedule for the expansion has not been detailed.
The Bradken Energy Business operates a foundry in Tacoma and a machine shop in Chehalis, WA. It produces steel castings for customers in energy markets, and is qualified to supply castings for nuclear power applications. Atlas Castings and Technology was purchased by AmeriCast Technologies in 2007, and the latter company was taken over by Bradken Ltd. in 2008.
The expansion will include a dual “energy linear accelerator,” an inspection system that tests components by increasing the velocity of charged subatomic particles by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials. The new unit will double the Tacoma foundry’s radiographic testing capacity, Bradken reported.
The new system will be located in a new 15,000-ft2 finishing bay to be built for inspecting large castings. Also, a new 30,000-ft2 bay will be built, tripling the space available for pouring large castings and freeing space for producing small- to medium-sized castings.
Bradken stated that the expansion would allow the foundry to supply increased demand for high-quality castings, whether or not they require radiographic inspection.
