The Dow Chemical Company, Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. and MAG Industrial Automation Systems (MAG) announced a project that will be a catalyst for the advancement of the wind industry enabled by funding from the state of Michigan.

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URV USA, a subsidiary of a Finnish supplier of cast-iron wind turbine components, will collaborate with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support a foundry in Eaton Rapids to develop a next-generation casting process to produce large, utility-scale wind turbine components. Astraeus Wind Energy has already committed to purchasing a large portion of URV USA’s initial output to fulfill existing and projected orders for machining large, utility-scale hubs and bedplates.

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A Rochester company expects to create 100 clean energy jobs in the next 1 1/2 years in Eaton Rapids. URV USA LLC was awarded a $3.5 million grant and $500,000 loan from federal stimulus funds to create a foundry that would produce castings for wind turbine components. The foundry will be located next to the Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. complex in Eaton Rapids, Schauer said. It will supply Astraeus.

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A local wind energy manufacturer and its partners have received a $6 million state grant to develop advanced wind turbine blade components. Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. was awarded the grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corp.'s Centers of Energy Excellence program.

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The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Manufacturing Engineering magazine featured the award of a $7 million grant to Astraes Wind Energy to develop its revolutionary wind hub machining cell for high-volume manufacturing.

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St. Clair County is taking steps toward its stated goal of pursuing the alternative energy industry,  Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Doug Alexander said. Astraeus Wind Energy  will be awarded a $7 million grant from the state to design, engineer and prototype production of windmill parts. Much of that money could be spent in Port Huron.

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A local wind energy manufacturer has snagged $7 million in federal stimulus funding to help jump-start its business. Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. won the largest grant among five Michigan companies that received a total of $15.5 million Wednesday.

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Michigan may be the first state to use stimulus funds to help small manufacturers diversify into advanced manufacturing of renewable-energy systems and components. Astraeus Wind Energy received a share of the $15.5 million awarded by the state.

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Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. is close to finalizing two major steps needed to bring its pilot program for carbon fiber wind turbine blades to market. The joint venture between Sterling Heights-based MAG Industrial Automation Systems Inc. and Eaton Rapids-based Dowding Machining Inc. is close to finalizing a deal to license a new turbine blade design from a major wind turbine component manufacturer.

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Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. will receive $7 million to manufacture large-scale, advanced-composite wind turbine blades and components.

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Dowding Machining is working with MAG Industrial Automation Systems to improve the manufacturing process for wind turbine components. According to excerpts from the article:

The Lansing, Mich.-based venture, dubbed Astraeus from the Greek mythological "father of the four winds," will use a unique new machine design to dramatically reduce the production times of turbine hubs, the large castings to which the blades are attached, to about four hours — a process that now typically takes 20 to 24 hours on the best production lines.

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A new collaboration between MAG Industrial Automation Systems and Dowding Machining LLC is poised to revolutionize manufacturing of wind turbine components with specially designed CNC modules for the production of hubs and new automated technology for composite wind blade production. The Lansing, Mich.-based venture, dubbed Astraeus from the Greek mythological "father of the four winds," will use a unique new machine design to dramatically reduce the production times of turbine hubs...

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A new partnership is preparing to take the wind energy industry by storm. Dowding Machining LLC of Eaton Rapids, Mich., and MAG Industrial Automation Systems of Sterling Heights, Mich., have formed a partnership to engineer and manufacture advanced alternative energy technologies, beginning with wind turbine components. The partnership, which operates as Astraeus, already is making a global impact, with significant interest from Asian and European countries.

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For the better part of 44 years, Dowding Industries has enjoyed a solid business as a manufacturer of progressive die stampings, metal fabrications and welded assemblies. Founded in 1965 by Skip Dowding, the company has remained in the community of Eaton Rapids and within the Dowding Family.

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