Sheffield Forgemasters has begun steelwork assembly on the UK’s largest open die forging line.
The company is building a new 13,000-tonne forging line at Brightside Lane, with steelwork for the building projecting to 45m high, more than ten metres taller than surrounding structures.
With steelwork for its 30,000m² new machine shop on nearby Weedon Street at an advanced stage, the construction works are transforming the traditional manufacturing heartland of the city, dwarfing the adjacent Meadowhall shopping centre and Ikea superstore.
Gareth Barker, chief operating officer, said: “We are now at an exciting phase of our £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme, where the physical reality of what we are delivering for the city starts to manifest.
“With the new machine shop and forge programmes on schedule, we can expect to see framework for both buildings completed by the end of the year, with external cladding underway ahead of the Winter.
“The new Forge will bring a dramatic increase in capacity and capability for the manufacture of highly complex, large-scale forged components required for UK defence programmes and for civil nuclear developments.
“With a secure future, we are in a position to deliver new levels of nuclear-grade manufacturing as we train our employees and apprentices to adopt the latest technologies and expand the parameters of what can be achieved with state-of-the-art equipment.”
Sheffield Forgemasters still operates from the River Don Works site and is expanding onto the former William Jessop & Sons’ Brightside Steel Works at Weedon Street, where the new machine shop will be located, housing 24 new machines including some of the world’s largest vertical turning lathes.
The 13,000-tonne press building is under construction on the North side of Brightside Lane, adjacent to the Midland Mainline railway, with both projects forming the backbone of a £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme to underpin UK defence programmes.