Titanium Shipments for Fasteners on Rise

Jason Sandefur

Second-quarter shipments of titanium products grew 5% for bar, rod, fastener stock and wire, American Metal Market reports. Even stronger gains in inventories signals that producers may have caught up with demand, according to AMM.
Q2 titanium gains included a 7% rise in forging and extrusion billet, as well as a 10% increase in plate, strip and sheet.
“Lead times on some products continue to shrink,” writes AMM”s Frank Haflich, adding that some buyers now receive delivery quotes of six weeks on aircraft alloy round bars that had stood at 22 weeks in recent months. “Lead times on commercially pure sheet for non-aerospace applications, however, have come down significantly from last year.”
“Inventories at the end of the second quarter remained high, suggesting that warehouse stocks continue strong as they catch up with consumer requirements.”
A tight titanium market has contributed to significant supply delays in aerospace production, most notably for Boeing”s 787 Dreamliner, which has seen its delivery date delayed by six months. \ �2007 FastenerNews.com