Alcoa Massena Operations
Background
Massena Operations is the longest continually operating aluminum facility in the world. The Pittsburgh Reduction Company (Alcoa’s forerunner) came to Massena In 1902 to take advantage of an abundant hydroelectric energy supply.
Today, Alcoa operates two facilities in Massena; an integrated aluminum smelting/ fabricating facility and smelting/casthouse facility. Electrical power is purchased though a long-term contract with the New York Power Authority.
Processes/Products
Smelting–Massena is home to two smelters. What was once Alcoa’s Massena Smelter and Reynolds Metals St. Lawrence Reduction Plant were organized as one facility when the two companies merged in 2000. They are now operated as the West Plant and the East Plant of Massena’s Smelting Operations.
In the West Smelting Plant, 198 pre-bake cells comprise one of the largest and most automated smelting potlines in the industry. Here, 800,000 pounds of molten aluminum produced daily.
The East Plant has earned international ISO 9002 and QS 9000 quality certification. Here, 500 Soderberg pots produce 125,000 metric tons of high purity aluminum annually which is alloyed and cast into a variety of value-added aluminum starting stocks: billet, T-bar and sow.
Ingot–Molten aluminum from Massena’s West Smelting Plant is mixed with alloying elements and cast into round ingot in Massena’s Ingot Plant. About 60 different alloys are produced for further fabrication into extruded and cold finished rod and bar, and for forging into car and truck wheels at Alcoa’s Cleveland Works.
The Ingot Plant houses a continuous rod casting and rolling facility. This state-of-the-art production unit takes molten aluminum and, in one continuous process, produces coiled rod ready for customer shipment.
Extrusion–Our three extrusion presses force round ingot through dies at elevated temperatures and pressure to produce solid starting stock shapes and sizes for customer shipment or further fabrication into cold finished rod and bar.
Fabricating–Extruded products are further finished through thermo-mechanical processing to obtain smaller diameter cold finished rod and bar, and screw machine stock.
The Ingot, Extrusion and Fabricating processes are part of Alcoa’s Engineered Products Business Unit. Aluminum from Massena Operations is found in everything from automotive and aerospace applications to zippers. We supply customers in the construction, electronics, packaging and transportation industries, shipping millions of pounds of starting stock every month. Alcoa Engineered Products in Massena has also earned ISO 9002 and QS-9000 quality certification.
People
Massena Operations employs approximately 1,400 persons; 1,100 are members of the United Steel Workers of America Locals 420-A and 450-A.
Economic Impact
Active payroll is approximately $100 million annually, and our retiree payroll exceeds $25 million each year. Additionally, Massena Operations purchases $36 million locally, makes health care payment totaling nearly $20 million, and pays $2 million in State and local taxes annually.
;)
;)