Accuride Wheels Troyes installs its 4200-tonne press at its site in Aube !

Accuride Wheels Troyes, a global player in the manufacturing of demountable steel wheels, welcomed a 4,200-ton press to its La Chapelle-Saint-Luc site in late March 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown! Established in the Troyes urban area since 1957, the site specializes in steel wheels for passenger cars and utility vehicles and is ranked in the top 3 sites of excellence by leading European manufacturers. It currently employs 232 workers in 100,000 square meters of buildings.

It was in May 2019 that Accuride Wheels Troyes stopped its old press dating back to 1958 before dismantling it in June 2019 to make way for the new one. To start on a solid foundation, Accuride demolished the foundations of the old press 6 meters above the ground to build new ones. A colossal project, entrusted exclusively to local service providers, which was completed in December 2019.

In February 2020, the new press arrived in pieces from Germany to its assembly location: La Chapelle Saint-Luc. About fifty convoys transported the different parts of the machine, with some trucks carrying up to 250 tons in a single trip. It was not without difficulties to pass through certain borders that were closed during the lockdown; fortunately, the convoys were able to be unblocked thanks to BSC’s interventions with the Grand Est Region and the Regional Prefecture in coordination with the German authorities. Once arrived at La Chapelle Saint Luc, the press pieces were then assembled with the mobilization of the on-site teams and the first tests finally started in July 2020.

In August 2020, the machine, which stands at a height of 10 meters, is expected to start its production.

For Hugues Dugrés, the General Manager of the La Chapelle-Saint-Luc site, this new press “will ensure a future for the factory.”