Andritz secures an order worth more than £20m from Sheffield Forgemasters

The international technology group, Andritz, is to supply new furnaces for UK’s largest open die forge.
By Greg Wright
Published 8th Jun 2023, 08:04 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2023, 08:47 BST

Following a tender process, Andritz, which has its headquarters in Austria, has received an order worth more than £20m from Sheffield Forgemasters, to supply seven new furnaces for the company’s proposed 13,000 tonne forging line.

Steve Marshall, Manufacturing Transformation Director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “The challenge of finding a company with the capability of delivering such large furnaces in the timeframe that we are working to has been substantial, with a number of Europe’s largest suppliers unable to tender against our scope and delivery requirements.”

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The furnaces with up to 1,000 tonnes of capacity will feature rail-mounted ‘car-bottoms’ which can roll in and out for the loading of ultra-large components.

(left/right) Roman Mueller-Huenervogt from Andritz Metals and Steve Marshall, Manufacturing Transformation Director at Sheffield Forgemasters, sign the furnaces contract for the UK’s largest open die forging line.(left/right) Roman Mueller-Huenervogt from Andritz Metals and Steve Marshall, Manufacturing Transformation Director at Sheffield Forgemasters, sign the furnaces contract for the UK’s largest open die forging line.
(left/right) Roman Mueller-Huenervogt from Andritz Metals and Steve Marshall, Manufacturing Transformation Director at Sheffield Forgemasters, sign the furnaces contract for the UK’s largest open die forging line.

Mr Marshall added: “The furnaces will be the mainstay of our new heavy forging line, delivering both heat-treatment and main forging heating cycles, using the latest burner technologies for optimum efficiency and heat control.

“Andritz demonstrated an ability to work with us on the scope and delivery of the seven major furnaces, crucial to bringing our new forging line into operation.

"New innovation in furnace technologies includes dual-fuel burners which can switch to hydrogen, if the technology to move away from natural gas becomes viable.”

Related topics:Europe