Blasch Precision Ceramics recently announced that it has commissioned a new 18,860-square-foot expansion at its Albany, N.Y., headquarters and manufacturing facility.

“Global demand for large ceramic nitride-bonded silicon carbide (NBSiC) components has increased significantly,” said David Bobrek, president and CEO. “We have added capacity to produce some of the largest pre-fired NBSiC shapes in the world to meet that increase in customer demand.”

The addition is part of a $3.5 million capital expansion plan for the new state-of-the-art facility to further accommodate specialized needs for very large NBSiC shapes. Demand for these shapes is rising as a result of the increased installed capacity of new metallurgical refining technology cutting across several mainstream metals, including gold, nickel and other refined, high-purity metals.

Dimensionally, Blasch has produced NBSiC complex shapes exceeding unit part weights of 3500 lbs, with widths/diameters exceeding 4 ft, lengths of 10 ft, and thicknesses approaching 3 ft.

For more information, call (800) 550-5768 or (518) 436-1263), ext. 43, or visit www.blaschceramics.com.