Shiloh Opens Aluminum HPDC Plant in China

Ohio-based Shiloh Industries Inc. reported it has started up a new high-pressure diecasting plant in Nantong, China, a 150,000-sq.ft. operation. The plant launched production with a new series of 9-speed transmission carriers and reverse carriers in aluminum, using a "proprietary, high-integrity casting technology."

Shiloh has not indicated the automotive OEM customer for the transmission parts it is producing.

Among the new plant’s future products will be automotive structural castings using the group’s ThinTech^® technology. “We will focus on body structure and specific products for the electric vehicle market,” explained Weibo Weng, managing director, Asia. “In addition, we continue to enhance our research and development center here as well.”

In 2015 Shiloh announced a joint venture in China with Suzhou Sanji Foundry Equipment Co. Ltd. to produce aluminum diecastings, using its own high-pressure diecasting technology and a proprietary squeeze-casting technology. That plan projected as a $30-million investment that included HPDC and squeeze casting capabilities ranging from 500 to 3,000 tons, as well as heating treating and precision machining capabilities.

The Suzhou plant produces ShilohCore^® NVH dash panels for automotive OEMs, and cast magnesium structural parts.

Also in 2015, Shiloh established a technical center in Shanghai.

The new Nantong plant has 60 workers, but Shiloh indicated it would employ about 300 at its design capacity.

“We are excited to manufacture our innovative products in a facility strategically located to serve the growing market in China,” stated David Jaeger, senior vice president and managing director, CastLight^®. (CastLight is a customized diecasting technology developed for aluminum and magnesium parts.)

Shiloh’s lightweight automotive diecastings range include chassis, closure, exhaust system, powertrain, and suspension parts, as well as structural castings.

“We have experienced significant global demand for our lightweighting solutions and continue to invest resources to meet this growing need.”