SCRANTON, Pa. — The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant has operated near downtown Scranton for decades and has been run by General Dynamics since 2006.
The plant covers nearly 500,000 square feet. The facility makes large-caliber metal projectiles for the U.S. military. The 155 mm round is the biggest focus of production.
"Currently, General Dynamics is contracted to make 11,000 rounds a month, but the last few months, they've been making more than that contracted quantity," said commander's representative Richard Hansen.
Newswatch 16 cameras got a tour of the facility. Each step in the process of making these projectiles is important—from raw metal to finished round, ensuring the quality of the work meets warfighter requirements.
"Internal dimensions, external dimensions, he's checking those dimensions at several different locations. Once he's satisfied that he's got all the information that he needs, he'll put that back on the conveyor, and it goes onto a cooling line which you see," Hansen explained as we watched workers in the plant.
Robotics play a big part in production, including when it comes to the heat needed to forge the metal into cylinders and cylinders into projectiles.
Hansen says it can take a few days from start to finish to complete each batch of shells. They are currently working to speed up that process.
Earlier this year, the Secretary of the U.S. Army visited the plant, announcing more funding for production upgrades.
"The infusion of money that we've gotten over the last 18 months to modernize this facility is going to go a long way to help us continue to efficiently produce the part well into the future."
Once the shells are complete, they are kept in the facility before being sent to another Iowa plant to be loaded with ammunition.