Copperweld Enters Stainless Market; New Plant to Open in June

Copperweld Corporation (Pittsburgh) has announced that the construction of its new stainless steel tubing plant in Elizabethtown, KY, is nearly complete and the full commercial production is scheduled for June. Start-up of the facility will mark the company's entry into the stainless tubing market.

The multimillion-dollar facility will initially have two tube mills, both equipped for laser welding. One will produce stainless tubing from 1/2" through 2" OD; the other will produce product from 1-1/2" through 4-1/2" OD. Wall thicknesses will range from .028" to .250". Copperweld's stainless product will be marketed as LaserTube tubing.

Production at the new facility will focus initially on tubing manufactured to ASTM Specifications A249 and A269.

Principal end use markets for the LaserTube products will be the heat exchanger, sanitary, chemical and general service sectors of the stainless market.

Copperweld is the largest producer of steel tubing in North America. It has 10 manufacturing facilities strategically located in Ohio, Illinois and Alabama and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.

For more information contact Copperweld Corp., 4 Gateway Ctr., Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Tel: 412-263-3200; Fax: 412-263-6995.