Newsletter Archive

News Items

August 19, 2010
CUSTOMER APPROVALS PCT's new No. 4 Vacuum Furnace has been approved for most customers, with outstanding approvals, production startup verification, and documents now all underway. We expect the unit to be in full production during the 4Q10.
AS9100 AUDIT We have just completed our yearly surveillance audit. PCT earned 880 points out of a possible 880 pointsa perfect score.
PCT/STOWE COLLABORATION Ladish's PCT and Stowe Machine (Windsor, Connecticut) units have begun collaborating on part production, a working arrangement that will allow us to offer increased value to our customers.
SUPPLIER ACHIEVEMENT PCT has received "Supplier of the Year" awards from two different customers recognizing outstanding delivery and quality.
May 26, 2010
New Furnace The new furnace is fully installed and PCT is now working with customers to complete process qualification and finish the first round of part qualifications.
Improved Flow A key step in our initiative to shorten order-to-ship cycle times—moving out of nearby leased facilities and consolidating operations in our new expanded space—has been completed and product flow has begun to accelerate.
February 17, 2010
Improved Flow To shorten order-to-ship cycle times, PCT has an initiative underway to accelerate product flow. This effort is progressing on schedule and is expected to be completed by April 1.
Final Testing We are working through the final punch-list items related to our new VAR furnace, which will double our melting capacity. We plan to complete final testing this quarter.
Green Initiative PCT has received approval to build a state-of-the-art acid-recovery system. When installed, this system will significantly reduce the environmental impact of our chemical milling operation. We expect installation and operational approval to be completed by year end.
Nadcap Accreditation Our Nadcap Welding Audit went smoothly with no findings. In addition to fusion welding, we received accreditation in filler-metal control and traceability, metallurgical evaluation of welds, welding-operator qualification, and weld-stress relieving. Moreover, we received Nadcap recognition for a highly successful audit.
May 13, 2009
Furnace Report Blast-door installation and other details related to final construction are scheduled for completion at the end of March, at which time we will begin cold tests of all systems. Cold tests include melting metal to determine pour profiles and equipment parameters.
Expansion Occupancy After gaining Temporary Occupancy approval from the City of Albany Building Department last October, PCT began consolidating all of the people and equipment from our satellite facility into our just completed expanded space. We now have moved all Large Engine Products activity into the south cell. Contractors continue the work of finishing the office spaces, parking lot and landscaping. We expect these projects to be completed by the end of this month.
Ladish Recognized by Fortune and Forbes Pacific Cast recently received two plaques honoring Ladish Co., Inc. Ladish received these awards in late 2008 from Fortune magazine and Forbes magazine. Forbes named Ladish one of the 200 “Best Small Companies” and Fortune honored Ladish as one of the “100 Fastest Growing Companies.”
February 11, 2009
Strategy for managing through the economic moment In response to the current economy, which resulted in a decline in orders from major customers, we trimmed our workforce. This reduction will help us manage through the downturn while still providing top-quality products and services to our customers. No deliveries will be affected by this action.
Albany Expansion We are finishing our new addition. Managing through last quarters economic challenges occasioned only a brief delay in construction.We have partially occupied the new space by moving a number of operations into our new manufacturing area.We expect to be using offices and conference rooms shortly and to complete the parking areas and landscaping in May.
Furnace status report Completion of the furnace project has been extended by one quarter.We now expect hot testing by April with production release later in the 2nd quarter.Power systems and major components are now in place.Detailed assembly is underway.
Quality recertifications PCT recently went through a recertification audit of its heat-treat operation.We are happy to report that we passed the NADCAP audit with zero findings.
December 15, 2008

Please note:

PCT will be shut down weeks 52, 1 & 2
(22-26 Dec., 29 Dec.-2 Jan. and 5-9 Jan)

If you have any questions please contact PCT at your earliest convenience.
November 3, 2008
AS 9100 Accreditation Audit PCT received a score of 100% this year. The auditors found nothing that needed corrective action.
Albany Expansion PCT has satisfied municipal expectations and will soon receive approval to start using the manufacturing area in our new 30,000-sq.-ft.-expanded building. We will execute our departmental relocation plan on receipt of the full occupancy permit, currently scheduled to be granted in December. This event will usher in the final stage of our expansion project.
New Furnace The furnaces foundation has been poured and construction of the new mezzanines has been completed.Visible from almost any point in Albany, a gigantic crane dominated the skyline in September as it raised the roof from 31 feet to 51 feetcreating an impressive, new 20-foot tower. This allows clearance for the new furnace and the recently installed 5-ton bridge crane.
Mexican Expansion Site selection is complete and we are working with local and federal Mexican authorities to finalize the agreement.
Shutdowns As a result of the Boeing labor dispute, PCT has announced plans for partial-to-full plant shut downs in week 48 (24-28 Nov.) and weeks 52, 1 & 2 (22-26 Dec., 29 Dec.-2 Jan. and 5-9 Jan).
July 21, 2008
Breaking Ground Today

Today PCT began excavating the foundation for the new vacuum furnace. Manufacturer’s assembly is scheduled for late July. Cold testing will start the second week of September.
Employment Increases 17% As evidence of PCTs growth and success, we can point to a 17% increase in employment compared to year-ago employment levels.
Six Sigma Training We have formed 3 high-impact teams to lead our Six Sigma Green Belt training.Targets: reduction in scrap, labor hours, and recycle/rework in finish operations. When round one is done, these 3 teams will carry this initiative plant-wide to meet our goal of achieving the highest level of Six-Sigma/Lean operation.
Site Expansion Update The building permit from Albany, Ore., is in hand. July: Structural assembly begins. August: Installation of interior equipment and utilities. September: satellite facility moves in.
Mexican Location Decision Our project in Mexico is moving forward. Site selection is contingent on resolving outstanding issues with the Mexican government.We expect production sales to begin in about 2 years.
April 15, 2008
Albany Plant Expansion Site excavation is underway. Foundation construction starts mid-May. The building will be erected in June. Infrastructure will be completed during the summer, with move-in scheduled for early 4th quarter.
Furnace #4 Major furnace components and site engineering will be completed in early May. Foundry layout refinements and preliminary construction are now in progress. Furnace assembly will begin in August, with testing in September and delivery to PCT in October.
NPD Process Overhauled To augment the value of working with us, PCT has integrated Project Engineering into Sales and Marketing. Two goals of the reorganization are lead-time reduction and cost-containment improvement during New Product Development efforts.
Quality Team Reorganization In a forward-looking initiative, we have reorganized our quality staff to better position and prepare team members to support expansion requirements in Oregon and Mexico
Expansion in Mexico We are in final negotiations with the Mexican government to choose the location for our green-field plant.We expect to make the site-selection decision in time for our next e-newsletter.
January 21, 2008
Dynamic change will characterize PCT in 2008 as we respond to your needs--and we want you to be among the first to know what we're doing. So, from time to time, we'll send you very BRIEF messages to alert you to our expanding capabilities and the status of various initiatives. We welcome your queries and comments. Here are a few items about the status of current projects--
Albany Expansion on Schedule Building foot print and design are complete. The permitting process is under way. Equipment releases have begun. Ground breaking is scheduled for March. The new addition will be ready for occupancy early 4th quarter.
New Vacuum Furnace The Furnace engineering is done. Major components are on order. Foundry design and engineering in progress and construction will begin 2nd quarter. Furnace delivery and installation are on schedule for October. Expect production by end of 4th quarter.
Resource Growth PCT estimates that current resource levels will increase by 35%. We expect to hire 40 to 50 people by the time the Albany expansion is complete. This increase is over and above anticipated growth at the plant in Mexico.
PCT Is Tobacco Free Effective January 1, 2008, Pacific Cast Technologies became completely tobacco free. No smoking or tobacco use is allowed anywhere on our property. This includes buildings, walkways, parking lots and access roads. Please advise your employees who plan to visit our facility that tobacco use is no longer allowed. Your support is appreciated.