Forgemasters
Encyclopedia
Sheffield Forgemasters International (commonly called just Forgemasters or Sheffield Forgemasters) is a heavy engineering firm located in Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England. The company specialises in the production of large bespoke steel
castings and forgings, as well as standard rolls
, ingots and bar
.
and British Steel
's River Don Works Forging operations, as a public company.Sheffield Forgemasters International History: 20th century Sheffield Forgemasters International Their buildings now dominate the Brightside
area of East Sheffield. The company can trace its heritage back to the start of the steel industry in Sheffield in the 18th century. The firms of Vickers
, Cammells
, and Armstrong-Whitworth were all Nationalised to form British Steel in the 1960s.
The company has had a chequered history due to the cyclical demand for specialist forgings and castings. In 2005 it was the subject of a management buy out.
On 16 June 2010, a worker was killed at Forgemasters in an industrial accident.
The company has the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
N-stamp accreditation for critical nuclear components, having produced major components for the Astute class submarine
s and the civil nuclear industry, including Sizewell B, the UK's only pressurised water reactor.
Sheffield Forgemasters currently has the capacity for pouring the largest single ingot (570 tonnes) in Europe. The two forging presses in use can exert a pressure of 2,500 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes on a billet of steel. The 2,500 ton press dates back to 1897 and was originally steam powered, and after several upgrades is now hydraulically operated.
On 17 March 2010, Lord Mandelson announced that the UK Government
would loan the company £80 million at a low 3.5% interest rate towards the design and building of a new 15,000 ton forging press (together with other investors). The press, intended to give Forgemasters the ability to manufacture ultra-large forgings for the nuclear power industry, would allow the UK to use home-manufactured components during the building of proposed new nuclear power plants in the country. According to The Engineer
, as of 2010, there was only one other manufacturer in the world, Japan Steel Works
, with the adequate presses and certification able to manufacture all the required ultra-large forgings.
Following the United Kingdom general election, 2010, held on 6 May, the new Government announced a Treasury
review of all Government decisions on funding since 1 January, aimed at reducing the country's budget deficit in response to the preceding financial crisis and concerns over sovereign debt
, which led to a period of uncertainty about the expansion's future. On 17 June 2010 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Danny Alexander
announced the cancellation of 12 projects totalling £2 billion agreed to by the previous Labour government, including the £80 million loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable explained the reason was that the project required very large loans and promised extraordinary rates of return with little risk investment by Sheffield Forgemasters, and given the financial situation the government could not support this.
In an interview with BBC Radio Sheffield
, Deputy Prime Minister
Nick Clegg
said the Government may reconsider loaning the company money for expansion. However in 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
, the company decided to no longer try to finance a 15,000 ton forging press due to uncertainty about the future of nuclear energy.
On Monday 31 October 2011, the Government announced new lending of up to £36m to the firm, as part of £950m of investment nationwide from the Regional Growth Fund for a variety equipment in areas like the melt shop, forge and the machine shops.
seized parts of what were believed to be parts of a massive 'supergun
' on a ship bound for Iraq
. It was revealed that parts of the gun had been manufactured by Forgemasters who stated that they had been told that the pipes were to be used in a petrochemical project.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England. The company specialises in the production of large bespoke steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
castings and forgings, as well as standard rolls
Rolling (metalworking)
In metalworking, rolling is a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through a pair of rolls. Rolling is classified according to the temperature of the metal rolled. If the temperature of the metal is above its recrystallization temperature, then the process is termed as hot rolling...
, ingots and bar
Bar stock
Bar stock, also colloquially known as billet, is a common form of raw purified metal, used by industry to manufacture metal parts and products....
.
History
The company was established in 1983 from the merger of Firth BrownFirth Brown Steels
Firth Brown Steels was initially formed in 1902, when Sheffield steelmakers John Brown and Company exchanged shares and came to a working agreement with neighbouring company Thomas Firth & Sons...
and British Steel
British Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
's River Don Works Forging operations, as a public company.Sheffield Forgemasters International History: 20th century Sheffield Forgemasters International Their buildings now dominate the Brightside
Brightside
Brightside can refer to:Places:*Brightside, South Yorkshire, district of Sheffield*Shiregreen and Brightside, ward in Sheffield*Sheffield Brightside *Brightside, California, in Alameda County...
area of East Sheffield. The company can trace its heritage back to the start of the steel industry in Sheffield in the 18th century. The firms of Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
, Cammells
Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
, and Armstrong-Whitworth were all Nationalised to form British Steel in the 1960s.
The company has had a chequered history due to the cyclical demand for specialist forgings and castings. In 2005 it was the subject of a management buy out.
On 16 June 2010, a worker was killed at Forgemasters in an industrial accident.
Capabilities
The company specialises in forged and cast parts for suppliers to the engineering, nuclear, oil, petrochemical, and process industries worldwide.The company has the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
N-stamp accreditation for critical nuclear components, having produced major components for the Astute class submarine
Astute class submarine
The Astute-class is the latest class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy. The class sets a new standard for the Royal Navy in terms of weapons load, communication facilities and stealth. The boats are being constructed by BAE Systems Submarine Solutions at...
s and the civil nuclear industry, including Sizewell B, the UK's only pressurised water reactor.
Sheffield Forgemasters currently has the capacity for pouring the largest single ingot (570 tonnes) in Europe. The two forging presses in use can exert a pressure of 2,500 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes on a billet of steel. The 2,500 ton press dates back to 1897 and was originally steam powered, and after several upgrades is now hydraulically operated.
2007 Sheffield floods
The company was severely affected by the 2007 Sheffield floods, when the nearby River Don flooded the works with several feet of water. But, after a clean up effort, Forgemasters back in action, within weeks of the devastation.2010 expansion
Due to increasing demand for their specialist services, in 2010 the firm commissioned a new 4,000 ton forging press, with plans to increase the range of forgings they can supply.On 17 March 2010, Lord Mandelson announced that the UK Government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
would loan the company £80 million at a low 3.5% interest rate towards the design and building of a new 15,000 ton forging press (together with other investors). The press, intended to give Forgemasters the ability to manufacture ultra-large forgings for the nuclear power industry, would allow the UK to use home-manufactured components during the building of proposed new nuclear power plants in the country. According to The Engineer
The Engineer (magazine)
The Engineer is a London-based fortnightly magazine covering the latest developments and business news in engineering and technology in the UK and internationally...
, as of 2010, there was only one other manufacturer in the world, Japan Steel Works
Japan Steel Works
is a steel manufacturer founded in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan in 1907.-History:Japan Steel Works was set up with investment from British firms Vickers and Armstrong Whitworth. During World War II, they manufactured what was then the world's largest gun barrel to be fitted on the battleship Yamato...
, with the adequate presses and certification able to manufacture all the required ultra-large forgings.
Following the United Kingdom general election, 2010, held on 6 May, the new Government announced a Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
review of all Government decisions on funding since 1 January, aimed at reducing the country's budget deficit in response to the preceding financial crisis and concerns over sovereign debt
2010 European sovereign debt crisis
From late 2009, fears of a sovereign debt crisis developed among investors concerning some European states, intensifying in early 2010 and thereafter.....
, which led to a period of uncertainty about the expansion's future. On 17 June 2010 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the third most senior ministerial position in HM Treasury, after the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer . In recent years, the office holder has usually been given a junior position in the British Cabinet...
Danny Alexander
Danny Alexander
Daniel Grian Alexander is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Chief Secretary to the Treasury since 2010. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency since 2005....
announced the cancellation of 12 projects totalling £2 billion agreed to by the previous Labour government, including the £80 million loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable explained the reason was that the project required very large loans and promised extraordinary rates of return with little risk investment by Sheffield Forgemasters, and given the financial situation the government could not support this.
In an interview with BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Sheffield is the BBC Local Radio service for English metropolitan county of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. This includes the city of Sheffield, plus Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield and surrounding areas. It was the BBC local radio station, beginning on 15 November 1967...
, Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
said the Government may reconsider loaning the company money for expansion. However in 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
, the company decided to no longer try to finance a 15,000 ton forging press due to uncertainty about the future of nuclear energy.
On Monday 31 October 2011, the Government announced new lending of up to £36m to the firm, as part of £950m of investment nationwide from the Regional Growth Fund for a variety equipment in areas like the melt shop, forge and the machine shops.
Role in Iraqi supergun scandal
On 11 April 1990, customs in MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
seized parts of what were believed to be parts of a massive 'supergun
Supergun
A supergun is an extraordinarily large artillery piece. This size may be due to a large bore, barrel length or a combination of the two. While early examples tended to have a fairly short range more recent examples sometimes had an extremely high muzzle velocity resulting in a very long...
' on a ship bound for Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It was revealed that parts of the gun had been manufactured by Forgemasters who stated that they had been told that the pipes were to be used in a petrochemical project.