Yorkshire Post
18 August 2006
SHEFFIELD Forgemasters has won two contracts to construct two colossal mill 'housings'
for Indian steel producers.
The contracts – worth £2.9m – will see the company provide housings for the large-scale
plate rolling mills used in the production of steel. Sheffield Forgemasters International
(SFIL) is one of the few companies in the world with the engineering capacity
to produce large mill housings.
Two of the largest Indian steel companies, Jindal Steel and Essar Steel, have made the investment to keep up with the rapidly expanding Chinese market.
Due to their vast size, the mills will be made in sections before being assembled. Jindal Steel and Essar Steel will then be able to produce metal plates up to six metres wide, compared to the more conventional three-metre standard.
Terry Whaley, sales manager at SFIL, said: "There are very few rolling mills of this size in the world. "These contracts will therefore place Indian steel manufacture at the leading edge of global supply.
"The mills will weigh around 540 tons each when fully assembled, and for our part, we will manufacture and supply both the cast sectional housings and the forged back-up rolls."
SFIL specialises in a broad range of heavy forged and cast steel products.
The company has a global network of offices and agents and exports 80 per cent of its products overseas.
Dr Graham Honeyman, chief executive at SFIL, said: "It is good to know that British industry is creating engineering products to help India build on its economic growth "India's development in steel production almost mirrors that of China and the supply of these roller mills will close the gap even further."
