Fort Wayne Metals acquires tantalum equipment
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Fort Wayne Metals announced Tuesday it had acquired equipment to begin its own tantalum wire production from Austria-based manufacturer Plansee SE. Financial terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed, but the company said it plans to add about 12 jobs as a result.
Tantalum is a refractory metal that the company says is well suited for demanding environments because of its overall durability and resistance to heat and corrosion.
Fort Wayne Metals decided to acquire the production equipment after Plansee, a longtime supplier of tantalum wire, decided to terminate its tantalum operations.
The company said having the equipment in-house will allow it to better serve new and existing customers in the capacitor market and medical device industry.
“The strong partnership we have built with Plansee is due to our mutual interest in innovative solutions, product quality, and reliability,” Fort Wayne Metals CEO Scott Glaze said in a news release. “By further bolstering our position as a custom manufacturer of tantalum wire, Fort Wayne Metals will be able to integrate our technical expertise, processing capabilities, and value-added services to better support our customers worldwide.”
Fort Wayne Metals, which employs more than 1,600 people, said staff from Plansee have been instrumental in training the company’s employees on the operation of the equipment both in Austria and Fort Wayne.
The tantalum processing operation is expected to launch by the end of the year.