Pace Profile: Airo Division

March 24, 2016

Pace Airo Facility in Pennsylvania

We at Pace know our customers are looking for superior service, quick solutions, and low costs. Our team at the Airo Division, located in Loyalhannah, Penn., is committed to continually improving performance to meet customers’ quality, cost and delivery requirements.

Our Airo Division was founded in 1975 for the express purpose of producing aluminum die case compressor blades for the nuclear industry. Since then, we have grown significantly and currently serve a variety of specialized industries, including automotive, motorcycle, recreational vehicles and heatsink technology.

Our custom-designed, 155,400-square-foot manufacturing facility provides the ideal environment for a full range of service capabilities. In addition to the customary services offered by die casters, we provide specialized in-house operations, including the following:

  • Spinner hanger blasting machines
  • Vibratory machines
  • Vacuum pressure impregnating system
  • RoHS compliant chromate conversion line
  • Painting (powder)
  • Automated sanding/polishing cells
  • Automate CNC centers
  • CNC machining centers
  • Custom-built machining centers
  • Assembly
  • Stratasys uPrint SE 3D

With our technical background, experienced staff and management team, we can become a company’s single source for precise aluminum die cast products.

We specialize in full-service supply chain management, providing tooling design and management to customers primarily in the automotive, recreational vehicle and lighting industries. We routinely produce complex parts that are sensitive to specific porosity and cosmetic requirements and provide on-the-ground engineering support to ensure accurate product design and manufacturing.

At Pace, we are committed to forming partnerships with our customers to focus on their needs, wants and expectations. We provide superior service by consistently achieving on-time deliveries, exceptional quality and competitive pricing. It is with a steadfast focus on quality, safety and cost that we are able to provide quality, cost-effective solutions in our Airo Division and throughout the entire Pace organization. We are facing tomorrow’s challenges today and transforming our customers’ concepts into functional, cost-effective die casting solutions.

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Why Aluminum is a Driving Trend

March 17, 2016

We are on the verge of a major shift in the auto industry. The Aluminum Association boasts aluminum as the fastest, safest and most environmentally friendly way to increase performance and fuel economy in vehicles, without compromising safety or durability. It is estimated that automakers will consume nearly 23M metric tons by the year 2020. That’s a 65% increase from today’s usage.

Paving the way for vehicle bodies made out of aluminum, rather than steel, is the Ford F-150 pickup. This is significant because it shows that for the first time, aluminum is being deployed at mass production. This proves aluminum can be a viable substitute for steel.

We’re also seeing Chevrolet tapping into the aluminum-body trend. In 2014, the Chevy Corvette was redesigned to use an aluminum frame – and it doubled sales. They also have plans to begin using aluminum hoods on their mid-sized pickups, the Colorado and GMC Canyon.

General Motors also plans to decide within the year whether to include aluminum on their Silverado and Sierra pickups. When shifting to aluminum-bodied vehicles, repairs and manufacturing costs seem to be the biggest concerns for GM. At a recent technology conference in Detroit, GM Product Chief Mark Reuss, stated, “I read in Automotive News about the tools required to fix an aluminum truck. I saw those costs. We know it’s expensive.”

Addressing customer concerns is something Pace doesn’t take lightly. Whether the concerns are specific to a part or vehicle in question, we are able to work with automakers to find viable and cost-efficient solutions. Through early supplier involvement, we are able to work early on with engineers on design activities, and develop designs that are easier to cast. This reduces time-to-market and lowers the overall production costs.

In addition to aluminum bodies, automakers are turning to aluminum to meet fuel efficiency requirement. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is using various aluminum components to boast their top-selling Ram as having 25 MPG on the highway. This is the highest of any full-size pickup with the gasoline engine.

The aluminum industry continues to make breakthroughs in technology, and automotive manufacturers are showing a willingness to produce stronger, lighter and environmentally sound vehicles.  As more demands are made and better technology is discovered, more and more vehicles will become increasingly aluminum intensive.

We continue to see an upswing in demand for aluminum automotive needs and our recent merger with Port City Division positions Pace at the forefront of this trend. Pace is dedicated to providing our customers with great, cost-saving solutions. Not only are we equipped with the most advanced technology, we understand the need to move nimbly and to quickly alter or adjust plans as needed.

What will be the next wave of aluminum components? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain. As our industry changes, Pace will remain at the forefront to provide the best quality solutions in ways that save our customers money.

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