Photo courtesy of Sheffield ForgemastersSheffield Forgemasters, owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), has seen its recapitalisation plan increased from £900 million to £1.3 billion to increase UK manufacturing capacity for defence manufacture. Under the Government’s announced increase in defence spending, the infrastructure at Sheffield Forgemasters has been challenged to meet additional demand for its unique output, with greater resilience, faster production, and reduced lead times. The company supports the UK sovereign production of nuclear submarine and warhead programmes through BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd, Babcock International and the UK’s Atomic Weapons Establishment.
Gary Nutter, Sheffield Forgemasters CEO, said: “When the company was acquired by the MoD in 2021, the recapitalisation programme was in its infancy as we looked to upgrade our capability from legacy assets installed in the 1960s and 1970s. We originally aimed to use existing buildings to house new machinery, but as we explored increasing defence output, space became paramount, so we purchased an additional 21 acres of predominantly brownfield land to build a dedicated, new machining facility.
“The number of machines required to meet targets for the UK submarine programme has also grown to include 15 of the world’s most advanced, large vertical turning lathes, and associated equipment. Our new Forging Line has also been reconfigured, with increased capacity for furnaces, quench tanks and cranes so that defence critical submarine components can be delivered to an increased drumbeat.”
Operational excellenceHe added: “This has seen our workforce grow from 600 to more than 720, intake of apprentices averaging 25 to 30 per year, construction work on-site now employs more than 900 people and more than 35% of the spend has been made in Yorkshire. Recapitalisation is driving a broader business transformation, delivering operational excellence and significant productivity improvements. This underpins our priority requirement to deliver excellent products, on time, to our key customers.”
Sheffield Forgemasters’ new Forge and Machine Shop are set to be operational by the end of the decade, dramatically increasing the company’s efficiency and accuracy for some of the world’s most complex cast and forged products.
Mr Nutter added: “The volume of investment is an incredible story not just for Sheffield, but for the UK, with these facilities protecting hundreds of highly skilled engineering jobs for decades to come. We are well underway with the new Forging Line, with foundations almost completed and steelwork due to go up at the end of the year, and our New Machine Shop site has been prepared for piling work to begin. What is being created here is an incredible legacy for the UK and for our allies and will play a fundamental role in the defence of our realm.”