Allegheny Ludlum Corp., Pittsburgh, PA, also increased prices for some of its products by up to 8 percent in order to improve profitability. The company, a unit of Allegheny Technologies Inc., said it would boost prices for premium nickel-based alloy and superalloy sheet, plate mill plate, continuous mill plate and strip products effective with orders after April 20. G.O. Carlson Inc., Thorndale, Pa., followed these moves, in hiking prices by up to 8 percent on all remelted nickel alloy plate and plate products, effective May 7. Superalloy lead times increase Lead times have stretched to 33 weeks for some titanium-based superalloy products used in the aerospace and power generation industries, and producers continue to work feverishly to supply aircraft builders and the growing demand for energy. Lead times for grade 625 have extended to 29 weeks while lead times for grade 718 are between 32 and 33 weeks, industry sources said.
Demand is just tremendous.
Not only is it being fueled by the resurgence of Boeing and Airbus build schedules over the last year, but also the power generation industry. Costello added that the strength of the market on the aerospace side was dependent on airlines continuing to make money. The last I heard was that out of the major airlines there's only three or four really making any money. We're at the vagaries of the economy and those kinds of things. That aside, based on backlogs on orders placed for aircraft deliveries, we see the market being strong out into the next year or two.