Wall Colmonoy plans $2.5M modernisation at its Los Lunas Alloy Products plant
November 4, 2022
Wall Colmonoy, headquartered in Madison Heights, Michigan, USA, has announced a $2.5 million modernisation plan for its Alloy Products plant in Los Lunas, New Mexico. The investment aims to increase capacity, improve processes and add new capabilities, with upgrades to plant infrastructure, alloy furnace equipment and its R&D laboratory.
“This investment is a reflection of our commitment to our customers to provide the very best quality products and to our team members to provide them with safe and advanced working environments,” stated Kurt Boehm, Plant Manager.
State-of-the-art analytical equipment – including a wet/dry sieve vibrator, robotic paste dispenser, hardness tester and vacuum mixer – was purchased for its R&D laboratory in an effort to better characterise products, resolve customer concerns, and develop new products. A modern digital microscope was installed that captures high-resolution images of powders up to 2000x magnification. A new ICP analyser and carbon/sulfur analyser allow for quicker testing, reducing cycle time in the lab; a moisture analyser accurately assesses raw materials before production in an effort to eliminate rework and a new air jet sieve characterises fine powder particles.
In order to improve the health and safety of its nearly 100 employees, further improvements included a reinforced melting deck to improve and secure structural integrity and a central vacuum system (CVS) was installed to improve dust collection, with the dust collector remotely capturing data and allowing for instant monitoring of air quality. Additionally, new fork trucks, racking, lifts, and hoists were purchased in support of its employees.
The 4,800 m2 Los Lunas facility is used to manufacture Colmonoy® nickel-base hardfacing and Nicrobraz® nickel-base brazing products, as well as Fusewelder Torch, Spraywelder System and NicroSpray Systems. Its alloy products support diverse industries, including automotive, aerospace, glass container, oil & gas, rubber & plastic, food & agriculture, steel, nuclear and waste to energy. Products are shipped to customers around the globe, including across all Wall Colmonoy business units. The Los Lunas facility is ISO 9001:2015 with AS9100 Rev D certification.
In 2021, Wall Colmonoy launched a new range of cobalt-chromium powders for Additive Manufacturing dental applications. The company can also additively manufacture components for its customers using Desktop Metal binder jet systems.
