Weighs 1.7 million pounds with 2,200 tonnes of force': Massive stamping press arrives in Port Stanley
A massive cargo shipment shut down the harbour in Port Stanley, Ont. for a planned 12 hours Wednesday. A more than 100-foot barge was bringing in a state-of-the-art tool and die stamping press in three sections.
“It’s massive,” said Etienne Borm, the CEO of ETBO Tool and Die in Calton, south of Aylmer.
“It’s 1.7 million pounds to bring in. It can generate a workforce of 4.4 million pounds (2,200 tonnes) and has a cost of $7 million.”
ETBO is a 57-year-old family-owned tool and die manufacturer and auto parts producer. The factory builds tooling to make car parts, then ships them out to various automotive producers. The equipment brings the technology required to support new businesses like PowerCo.
“We're going to use that for large format battery coolers, as well as our foray into hydrogen, the fuel cell market,” said Borm.
The press made its way to Canada from Taiwan on a ship, through the Panama Canal with stops in Asia, New York, Halifax, Montreal, and Hamilton.
“Purchasing it was the easy part from Taiwan, but getting all the parts lined up, I’ve got to take my hat off to the fantastic people making this happen,” said Borm.
Mammoet Transportation, a leader in heavy lifting, was handling the unloading of the cargo.