The international technology company Andritz will provide new furnaces for the largest open die forge in the United Kingdom.
Andritz, which has its headquarters in Austria, has received an order from Sheffield Forgemasters for more than £20 million to supply seven new furnaces for the company’s proposed 13,000-tonne forging line.
Andritz was awarded the contract to supply three forging and four heat-treatment furnaces because no UK companies were able to deliver furnaces of the requisite size within the deadline and a number of significant European suppliers were unable to meet the tender specifications.
Steve Marshall, director of manufacturing transformation at Sheffield Forgemasters, stated, “Finding a company capable of delivering such large furnaces in the timeframe that we are working with has been a significant challenge, as many of Europe’s largest suppliers were unable to bid against our scope and delivery requirements.”
Technology firm secures £20 million deal for heating systems
The furnaces with a capacity of up to 1,000 tonnes will be equipped with rail-mounted ‘car-bottoms’ that can be rolled in and out for the loading of ultra-large components, as well as modern burner technology for maximum efficiency.
Marshall added, “The furnaces will be the backbone of our new heavy forging line, providing both heat-treatment and main forging heating cycles with the most advanced burner technologies for maximum efficiency and heat control.
“Andritz demonstrated the ability to collaborate with us on the scope and delivery of the seven main furnaces, which were essential to the operation of our new forging line.
“New innovations in furnace technology include dual-fuel burners that can convert to hydrogen if the technology to abandon natural gas becomes feasible.
“The largest furnace will measure 18.5m long x 9.4m wide x 8.1m tall, and a separate tender process for smaller, ancillary furnaces for the forging line is underway and will be announced in due course.”
Advanced burners for the primary forging furnaces will reduce primary heating gas consumption by up to 30 percent, provide a more consistent heat to the steel components, and provide precise temperature control.
The forging line will be serviced by seven overhead cranes supplied by Jaso Industrial Cranes, according to a recently disclosed contract between Sheffield Forgemasters and Jaso Industrial Cranes, and demolition of existing structures for the new 137,000 square foot forge facility is currently ongoing.
The largest open die forge in the United Kingdom will supersede the company’s current 10,000 tonne forging press and will complement its smaller 4,000 tonne press in order to serve defence and commercial markets.