Magna opens new aluminum casting facility in the U.K.

Automotive parts supplier Magna International Inc. has opened an aluminum casting facility in Telford, England, which will supply structural castings to Jaguar Land Rover, a leading vehicle manufacturer in the U.K. and a long-time Magna customer.

Magna officials were joined by Ian Harnett from Jaguar Land Rover (centre) and members of local government to celebrate the grand opening of Magna’s new aluminum casting facility in Telford, England.

The new facility – which is approximately 225,000 square feet and is expected to employ 300 people – will use Magna’s vacuum die-casting process. The advanced lightweight aluminum castings help maximize strength and stiffness and minimize weight, which improves fuel economy, safety and handling. As electrified and hybrid powertrains become more common in the automotive industry, high-pressure aluminum castings can be a key factor in reducing overall vehicle weight.

Through its Cosma International operating unit, Aurora, Ont.-based Magna supplies a wide range of body, chassis, and engineering solutions. “With this new aluminum casting facility, we have established a world-class center of excellence to bring the most advanced structural casting technologies to the U.K.,” John Farrell, president of Cosma International, said in a statement.

Magna now has nine manufacturing facilities with more than 2,200 employees throughout the U.K.