Released on August 8, 2011

The C.A. Lawton Co., De Pere, Wis., recently completed the first phase in a planned expansion of its sand delivery system.

The large cast iron component provider added silos and other key components to the system as the first steps in a capacity increase during the company’s recent Fourth of July shutdown. According to a company press release, the expansion is intended to further C.A. Lawton’s reach in alternative energy markets like wind.

“It was important for us to take this first step and address the capacity of our sand system,” said Kelly Coles, the company’s director of operations. “With our growth in the wind industry and the large molds that we are now pouring, we naturally need more sand.”

Coles said increased capacity is not the only benefit to the system. The new delivery method requires lower air pressures to operate, meaning it uses less power and generates less dust, which improves the environment inside the metalcasting facility. The system’s method of delivery also creates less wear on its components, which is expected to translate to less maintenance.

C.A. Lawton has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin State Energy Program to secure supplementary funding for projects that increase manufacturing capacity for alternative energy. The company said in its statement it will continue with a steady schedule of projects to increase overall capacity.

“Increasing our capacity begins with some of the fundamental components in our manufacturing process,” said Patrick Kotowski, C.A. Lawton’s director of business development. “The large molds that are used to produce large wind castings increase our need for sand. Getting behind and participating in the demand that exists in the wind industry will help grow our business.”

C.A. Lawton provides castings to industries such as wind, HVAC, mining, municipal pump and valve, gas turbine and power generation. The company employs 185 between two facilities in De Pere. Its customer base includes Siemens, General Electric, Metso and Trane, among others.