Brembo, a global provider and innovator of brake technology, had a successful first pour at its all-new cast iron foundry in Escobedo, Mexico, yesterday.
The facility will cast iron brake discs for Brembo’s nearby disc machining plant, with a melting capacity of approximately 70,000 tons per year. The cast iron foundry is 269,000 square feet. It is the ninth foundry in Brembo’s worldwide foundry network.
Aluminum calipers have been in production at Escobedo since October 2016, with a $131 million investment between the two Escobedo facilities. Between the two facilities Brembo has created 700 new jobs since November 2016. The second North American foundry operation, in Homer, Michigan, (266,000 square feet) opened in 2015.
The first pour is a preliminary test of the facility that ensures all systems are functioning properly and is the first step in testing the foundry’s full production line in anticipation of the facility’s production ramp-up. During this test, the foundry’s furnaces were charged and the molten raw material from these furnaces was poured into a mold for the first time. All systems in Brembo’s new cast iron foundry performed as expected, the company says. The cast iron foundry now joins Brembo’s adjacent aluminum foundry where the company has been making its trademark lightweight, high-performance, aluminum brake calipers for more than a year.
“The first pour in Mexico is the result of a combination of efforts by our strong existing team in North America, our global foundry experts around the world and the newly hired workforce in Mexico,” said Matteo Tiraboschi, deputy executive chairman, Brembo S.p.A. “We are thankful for the cooperation and partnership that we have with the local and state government in Mexico which has enabled our company to support our customers in Mexico. Getting the Escobedo facility on-line reinforces our dedication to producing the best quality brake components locally for our customers in this region well into the future. With three foundry operations up and running in North America – our fastest-growing market – we are now in the best position to serve our customers in the most efficient way possible.”
“Getting the Mexico foundry up and running is a great example of teamwork from Brembo associates around the globe,” added Dan Sandberg, president and CEO, Brembo North America. “The state of the art design of both new facilities have already made our business in the region more efficient and assures that we are well-positioned to keep providing high-quality and competitive brake components to our OE customers in North America for years to come.”
The production of the Escobedo facilities is dedicated to American, European and Asian original equipment manufacturers (OEM) that are or will be manufacturing vehicles in Mexico.
