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Bole Machinery says it has held the launch ceremony in North America for the first MTX 2,500-ton thixomolding machine on the continent, with its strategic customer Leggera Technologies, and that installation is under way. The unit is built for large magnesium-alloy structural parts for EV and automotive programmes.
The machine is a Bole MTX 2500 (shown in Bole’s posts as MTX2500D Super Thixomolding). Bole frames the ceremony as a milestone for BOLE Intelligent in North America and says more thixomolding capacity for the region is planned. Installation “will kick off shortly” in Bole’s wording; the press is already on site for that step.
This follows Leggera Technologies, LLC breaking ground on a 45,000 sq. ft. addition to its Michigan operations, purpose-built for new thixomolding presses and higher output. Leggera is a U.S. magnesium thixomolding supplier with engineering, extrusions, machining, powder coat and assembly in-house. Named programmes on the company site include Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, Chrysler Pacifica, and the Rivian Amazon EDV, among others.
Leggera Technologies, LLC has also acquired PAWS Workholding and Montague Tooling & Manufacturing, both based in Clio, Michigan.
The three firms stay under one Michigan group spanning Holly, Lake Orion and Clio: Leggera for magnesium thixomolding, finishing and assembly; Montague for production CNC of magnesium, copper, aluminum, titanium and forgings; and PAWS for custom hydraulic workholding fixtures and turnkey CNC cells.
CEO Thomas Kowal and co-founder Nathan Sanko call it an investment in Michigan manufacturing; customers include automotive, defense, aerospace, robotics and automation.
Founded in 2014 by Nathan Sanko and Tom Darnell, Leggera’s path runs through Jeep Wrangler swing-gate work for FCA, a 2018 SPE Automotive Innovation Award (Jeep Wrangler polymer-hybrid spare-tire carrier with FCA, Grammer and DuPont), a DOE LightMAT magnesium-alloy project with FCA the same year, and the March 2019 Orion Township HQ plan (about $17 million and roughly 50 jobs over five years).
The group runs from Orion Township (Leggera Thixo Technologies, LLC) and Holly. The Michigan build-out plus the first North American Bole MTX 2,500-ton install is the next capacity step, from ground broken to a named press on the floor.
Source: Bole Machinery Inc.
Prior Leggera ground-break: https://www.industryarsenal.com/p/weekly-gigacasting-news-64
