Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Expansion

Challenge

To meet growing operational needs, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry (WAF) embarked on a 55,000-square-foot expansion of its Manitowoc, Wisconsin facility, enhancing permanent mold-casting capacity and adding new work cells to streamline the finishing of cast parts. However, before the project could begin, a few significant challenges needed to be addressed. These included a tight timeline requiring expedited environmental permitting to avoid delays, along with carefully planned stormwater flow adjustments and updates to the oil storage and handling system to ensure environmental compliance.

Solution

Building on a successful 20-year collaboration over numerous projects, WAF partnered with SEH to deliver comprehensive environmental services. Having a firm understanding of the processes and equipment at the WAF plant, the SEH team worked directly with regulators to secure expedited air permits for the project, helping to ensure the construction schedule remained on track. This step was essential as a following ambient air quality assessment confirmed that the expansion would not adversely affect air quality, assisting WAF in designing the expansion within state and federal standards.

Addressing the new stormwater flow patterns and improving WAF's oil storage and handling system were also critical to the project. These improvements were essential to accommodate the expanded manufacturing space and ensure continued environmental compliance. The team's intimate understanding of aluminum foundries and the processes at WAF was key to overseeing these aspects effectively.

By maintaining competitiveness and expanding capabilities, the project's successful completion has significantly contributed to the local economy by creating jobs in key markets such as electric vehicles, medical equipment, and consumer products. The new facility now boasts increased casting capacity and enhanced operational efficiency, positioning WAF as a leader in its target markets. This collaborative effort not only met the immediate project needs but also laid a strong foundation for WAF's future growth.