To increase aerospace steel production, Tata Steel has invested £6.5 million to install a specialist testing device and two vacuum arc remelting furnaces at its Stocksbridge steelworks located in South Yorkshire, UK.
At present, Tata Steel engineers are performing the final installation work of the new specialist testing equipment to start trials by the end of this year. Both furnaces are anticipated to start full-fledged production in the beginning of 2012.
Vacuum arc remelting furnaces enhance the mechanical and chemical properties of steel in order to fulfill the stringent specifications of the most challenging applications, including aerospace, energy generation and exploration. The investment will increase the production of aerospace steels by 30%.
Tata Steel has recently declared an additional investment worth £4.5 million in its South Yorkshire facility. The investment will increase high-value steel product production, enhance energy efficacy and reliability of the plant, and decrease the emissions of CO2.
Andrew Douglass, who serves as Engineering Director at Tata Steel’s specialty business, stated that the installation of the new equipment will increase the production of the company’s hi-tech and sophisticated products for the aerospace market. The company is now getting in to the testing stage of this major investment program, and will start trials by the end of 2011, he said. Mark Broxholme, Managing Director for Tata Steel’s speciality business, stated that the company has invested over £20 million in its South Yorkshire operations in the last year.
Source: http://www.tatasteeleurope.com