SFIL pours 600 tonnes of molten steel
Posted on 26 Feb 2015 and read 3059 times
Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd (
www.sheffieldforgemasters.com) has begun pouring a series of ultra-large components destined to be some of the largest castings ever made.
The first one will have a finished weight of more than 320 tonnes but required 600 tonnes of molten steel — poured continuously — to fill the vast subterranean mould and create the component. Another 11 similar castings will be produced over the next two years to fulfil a landmark contract — worth $19 million — for German company SMS Meer.
SFIL has the largest foundry facilities in Europe and is one of the few companies in the world that can make ultra-large castings weighing more than 150 tonnes. Its track record of casting ‘firsts’ includes the largest ever cast nodes for offshore use, created for the Aasta Hansteen Spar platform in 2013.
Sales director Steve Price says: “This is not the first time we have produced castings of this size, but the process is highly complex, with precise time-scales for each element of the pour — from melting the steel and transporting such large volumes of molten steel across the site to scheduling the continuous pour.
“SFIL has a long working relationship with the SMS group, creating ultra-large castings for a global portfolio of projects. This renewal of the relationship comes at a good time for us, as we continue to work our way out of the effects of the wider global recession and late-cycle orders.”