Released on October 22, 2007

Benton Foundry, Benton, Pa., completed a 15,000-sq.-ft. expansion one year ago to make room for the installation of two new molding machines, which it expects to receive in 2008.

The company, which after the expansion occupies 225,000 sq. ft., will take delivery of a 20 x 24-in. Hunter automatic molding machine in the first quarter of 2008 and a first-of-its-kind Disa 28 x 32-in. matchplate molding machine in June 2008. The Hunter will be used for non-automotive jobbing work that requires chills, ram-up cores and exothermic risers; the Disa will increase the metalcasting facility’s maximum gray and ductile iron casting size. Benton currently operates two 20 x 24-in. matchplate machines.

“This will be the first one of that size range that Disa will be delivering,” said Fritz Hall, Benton’s president.

Benton produces parts for a variety of applications, including valves, water-cooled manifolds, electric motors and miscellany such as Amish wagon wheel hubs and weights for Outback Steakhouse. The company does not take on automotive or defense work but otherwise serves any industry, specializing in highly cored, thin-walled castings. According to Hall, the need for expansion has been brought on by the return of casting jobs that went offshore in the past several years, and the growth has been across the board, not industry-specific.

“Fifty percent of our quotes are things that are being done in China,” he said. “We’re picking up things from Europe, as well, because of the value of the dollar. Customers don’t have backup tooling here in the states, so they have all their eggs in one basket.”

Benton currently produces approximately 2,500 tons of castings per month. The new molding machines will increase capacity by at least 5,000 tons/year. To accommodate the new capacity, the company planned ahead, installing new melting, mulling and finishing capacity over the past three years. The metalcaster is now capable of melting 300 tons/day and doubled the size of its sand system with the addition of a second speed muller. Robotic grinding machines were added earlier this year.

“We normally work on a five year plan, so we know where we’re going to be a year or two from now,” Hall said.

Benton is working on revamping its fume and dust collection system and expects to finish the project by late November. And it has moved some of its manual molding machines into the newly expanded manufacturing space to make room for the new matchplate molder.

“There will be a lot going on here over the next 12 months,” Hall said.