Columbus, Ohio – Worthington Industries’ tailor welded blanking joint venture, TWB Co. LLC, is opening a new facility in Glasgow, Kentucky. The company plans to sublease 12,000ft2 of space from Fortis Manufacturing. The facility is expected to begin production by the end of the first quarter of 2016.
“This expansion is evidence of the strength of the relationships we have with our customers, as well as the increased demand for our tailor welded products,” says Geoff Gilmore, president of Worthington Industries’ Steel Processing business. “This location will increase efficiencies in the supply chain and will help put stronger, lighter trucks on the road.”
The Kentucky TWB facility will laser weld different types of high strength grade steel to create material used for heavy duty truck rail assemblies that is stronger and lighter with improved crash performance. The material will be stamped and assembled at a Tier 1 supplier before being used in Ford F-250 and F-350 pickup trucks. Ford makes those trucks in Louisville at its Kentucky Truck Plant.
“Our innovative laser welded blank offering continues to expand into new vehicle parts like these heavy gauge, truck rail assemblies,” says Ivan Meltzer, president of TWB Company. “We look to continue this trend as we grow our capabilities and expand the application of our products, helping our customers find ways to reduce the weight of vehicles while increasing strength.”
The use of tailor welded blanks in vehicles has grown in recent years as automakers use light weighting to improve the fuel economy of vehicles in order to meet new targets set by the government. The significantly higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards take effect in 2025. Laser welded blanks are made from welding steel blanks of various thicknesses and grades together to form a tailored blank that is then stamped into automotive parts.
Source: Worthington Industries