ITS Bilbao Expands to Meet Rising Demand for Advanced Casting Densification in European Aerospace
densification, ISOSTATIC TOLL SERVICES (ITS) Bilbao initiated its first production cycle on December 19, 2019, with a new MEGA HIP unit in Bizkaia on Spain's northern coast. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic
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struck in March 2020, impacting the aerospace sector significantly. Despite this, demand for ITS Bilbao’s HIP services quickly rebounded, leading to a strategic decision to double capacity in early 2022. A second MEGA HIP unit was installed in the first quarter of 2023, identical to the first. Within less than a year, demand for the second unit outpaced its capacity,
22 ❘ November 2024 ®
stablished to address the Central European aerospace industry's demand for enhanced casting
prompting ITS to plan for a third MEGA HIP unit in early 2024, set to be operational by the first quarter of 2025. This third unit, like its predecessors, is an AIP52 model with a loadable zone of Ø1088 x 2570 mm, offering a total volume of 2.4 cubic meters and an increased maximum operating pressure of up to 138 MPa (20,000 psi).
ITS’s review of its rapid growth highlighted three main factors:
Resilience in the Investment Casting Sector
European foundries are ramping up production, spurred by increasing OEM demand and a drive among manufacturers to localize supply
chains, boosting production on the continent.
Efficient Service Model ITS Bilbao achieves a one-week turnaround time for client parts. The facility's new, redundant systems are built to minimize downtime, ensuring that production remains steady.
Additionally, ITS’s focus on
long-term growth has led to forward- looking investments that align capacity expansion with projected demand.
Growing OEM Endorsements As casting mills see the benefits of ITS’s consistent service, they have endorsed ITS to their OEM partners, leading to new approvals and reinforcing ITS’s
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