News: Bird Stainless acquires AKM Steels

Rotherham-based steel stockholders. AKM Steels, has been acquired by Barnsley firm Bird Stainless.

Based at Penistone, Bird Stainless is a privately-owned, independent company specialising in the supply of precision-ground stainless steel bar to both UK and overseas markets.

AKM Steels is based on the edge of Rotherham town centre and has built a reputation as steel stockholders with a particular specialism in high quality tool steel for the engineering industry.

Bird Stainless supplies a wide cross section of industry sectors from oil and gas, through to marine and engineering and has seen organic international growth over the last few years, notably in the marine sector. Bird Stainless offers not only an extensive stockholding, but also comprehensive on-site processing facilities: cutting, precision grinding, straightening and polishing.

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The acquisition is seen a strategic move by Bird Stainless to expand their range of grades and products, making them even better placed to serve the engineering and tool making sector.

Nigel Bird, MD of Bird Stainless said: "I am excited to bring AKM Steels into our fold. Like us they are a longstanding Sheffield family business offering quality product, fast delivery times and excellent technical support. It will give us a much wider product offering benefitting the customers of both companies."

Wyelands Bank is providing Bird Stainless with the funding it needs to grow.

Bird Stainless website
AKM Steels website

Images: Bird Stainless

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News: Macalloy strengthens position as world leader

Super strength stainless steel bars manufactured by Macalloy in Rotherham are being used in the Izmit Bay Bridge, set to be one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.

Dinnington-based Macalloy are world leaders in design, manufacture and supply of threaded bar and cable systems to engineering and construction projects across the globe. Approximately 80% of the company's turnover is from export.

The suspension bridge over Izmit Bay in Turkey is an extremely complex project with a free span of 1,550 metres between its pylons and a total length of about three kilometres. The pylons will be made of steel and have a height of 250 metres. It has been designed by Danish architects, Dissing+Weitling.

At a total project cost of €800m, the overall construction will require some 85,000 tonnes of steel and about 125,000 cubic metres of concrete. It is being constructed by Japanese contractor IHI, with COWI serving as consultant, and is scheduled to be completed in only three years.

The bridge is being built in one of most seismically active areas in the world, which places additional demands on the bridge's design. It will be made earthquake-resistant by building its pylons on a concrete foundation that rests on a large gravel bed the pylons can slide on in the event of a major earthquake.

Fully threaded 40mm and 50mm Stainless Macalloy Bar will be used to hold down the bridge's towers in the sea.

Macalloy was the first company in the world to develop a post tensioning bar system in the 1940's and the product has evolved to include a unique fatigue resistant thread form that provides low lock off losses on stressing. Macalloy's system is used in holding down bolts, ground anchors, external post-tensioning, hangers, lifting rods, pile testing and stressed connections. Macalloy S1030 is a martensitic nickel-chrome alloy steel, hardened during manufacture to attain the specified properties.


Macalloy systems are already used in the impressive Millau Viaduct in France and the Navia River Viaduct in Spain.

When completed in 2017, the Izmit Bay Bridge will be the fourth largest suspension bridge in the world just pipping the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Macalloy website

Images: Dissing+Weitling

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News: Rotherham's Hempel Wire acquired

Rotherham-based Hempel Wire, one of the world's leading round and shaped wire manufacturers, has been acquired by Canadian firm, Central Wire Industries.

Founded in Rotherham in 1983 and with the support of the Hempel family, H.A.Watson quickly established itself as a quality producer of stainless steel round wires. With purpose built premises off Greasborough Road, the firm specialises in very high quality stainless steel and nickel alloy wires used in demanding applications by many major companies involved in oil & gas, petrochemical, chemical, pulp & paper and water filtration.

Central Wire Industries (CWI), founded in 1955 and headquartered in Ontario, Canada, manufactures and distributes stainless steel, nickel alloy, and copper and brass wire products throughout the world. It has six manufacturing facilities in North America and around 360 employees.

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The Rotherham business was purchased for an undisclosed sum from Hempel Special Metals Holding GmbH, an international distributor of speciality metals, part of the F.W. Hempel & Co Group of companies, headquartered in Oberhausen, Germany.

The acquisition comes after Hempel Wire's recent purchase of certain trademarks, trade names, and intellectual property from historic Sheffield firm, Fox Wire. Hempel Wire had reported sales of £9m last year and has approximately 45 employees.

As a result of the transaction, Hempel Wire plans to change its name to Central Wire Industries UK with managing director James Roper set to continue in the role.

Paul From, President and CEO of Central Wire Industries said: "This acquisition significantly broadens the product offerings of CWI, expands our reach in existing markets, and enables new market opportunities.

"We are truly pleased to make this announcement and are delighted to welcome James Roper and the Hempel Wire team and business into the CWI Group."

André Hempel, managing director of Hempel Special Metals, added: "The sale of Hempel Wire to Central Wire Industries allows us to focus on and further develop our core specialism of international distribution of corrosion and heat resistant high performance materials and components.

"We wish the team at Hempel Wire all the very best for the future and we are sure that the benefits of past cooperation will be transferred to the new organization."

Alex Kilgour, Lara Vos Smith, and Gary Smith of Dentons acted as Canadian and UK legal advisers to Central Wire Industries, and KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. provided deal advisory services.

Hempel Special Metals was advised by Jim Whittaker and Alan Metcalfe of Baker Tilly Corporate Finance and David Strachan, Karen Crutchley, and Lucy Holroyd of Schofield Sweeney.

Hempel Wire website

Images: Hempel Wire

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News: Atkins help bring The Kelpies to life

Recently opened to the public, The Kelpies, two 300 tonne, 30-metre-high stainless steel-plated horse sculptures in Scotland are ultimate examples of art meeting engineering, and key to the project becoming reality is the Rotherham-based team at Atkins.

Atkins, one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, acquired MG Bennett & Associates Ltd in 2008. With a team of around 30 people, MG Bennett was formed in 1984 and is based at Whiston in Rotherham. The company specialises in mechanical and structural engineering and has a strong track record in delivering solutions to the nuclear industry.

The Atkins team has been working on The Kelpies with Scottish artist, Andy Scott, from when the idea was first conceived in 2008. Part of the new 350 hectare Helix Park regeneration project in Falkirk, they are the biggest art installation in the country and the largest equine sculptures in the world. Forming a dramatic entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal which crosses central Scotland, the impressive sculptures are hoped to draw 350,000 visitors to the area each year. Visitors are able to follow guided tours and walk inside the sculptures to examine the complex internal structure.

It is the second time that the Rotherham team has worked on a significant project on the canal with M G Bennett & Associates designing the mechanical and electrical equipment for the impressive Falkirk Wheel Boatlift.

With The Keplies, Atkins began with the initial feasibility study for Scottish Canals and worked closely with the artist to develop an engineering solution without impacting on the his vision for the sculpture.

The Kelpies were based on mythological water horses which inhabit lochs and rivers in Scottish legend and it was originally intended for them to move as part of the lock displacement system on the canal.

Atkins was tasked with working out how the finished pieces could be constructed and how best to achieve the horse skin appearance that Scott envisaged.

Working from Scott's three metre maquettes at 1:10 of the finished installation, the design engineers developed all engineering aspects of the structure for the manufacturing tender and had to devise design and manufacturing processes for the Kelpie "skin" plates: grouping the original panels, creating the flattened profiles for the plates to be profiled and assessing the individual support locations for connection to the underlying structure.

The structure was completed by Yorkshire-based SH Structures with Outokumpu in Sheffield supplying 990 outer skin panels from nearly 200 tonnes of laser cut stainless steel.

John Bullock, principal engineer at Atkins, said: "The engineering of the Kelpies was extremely technical and involved a number of challenges. For example, the idea that visitors would be allowed inside the horse heads meant that we couldn't engineer normal central support columns to counteract the force of wind that the Kelpies would be exposed to on an open site. Because of this we had to place vertical supports at the front and back of the horse heads close to the horse's "skin" so the visual of the internal structure for visitors wasn't compromised."

Felicity Starr, senior engineer on The Kelpies project for Atkins, added: "I think The Kelpies showcase what can be achieved with lots of imagination and teamwork as well as ingenious manufacturing techniques. It has been incredible being part of something so unique and innovative."

The Kelpies website
Atkins website

Images: The Helix

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News: Pedder installed as new Master Cutler

Tony Pedder, a prominent figure in the region's manufacturing industry, has been installed as the new Master Cutler, for the year 2013-2014.

The company dates back to 1624 and the Master Cutler role is seen as an ambassador representing the industries of the Sheffield region, both nationally and internationally.

Pedder takes over from Neil MacDonald, the current group finance director of award-winning Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL.

Tony Pedder has spent most of his working life in manufacturing industry. After leaving university, he joined British Steel Corporation in 1972 at the London Head Office. He joined the Group's Executive Committee in 1984 with responsibility for purchasing, shipping and transport, before coming to Sheffield in 1986 as chief executive of British Steel's Stainless Division (now Outokumpu).

British Steel Corporation was privatised in 1988 and following moves which saw him running other divisions of the company, he joined the British Steel plc main board in 1992. He was appointed an Ambassador for British Business, by the then government in 1997. 

In 1999 British Steel merged with Dutch steelmaker Hoogovens, creating Corus plc, of which he became group chief executive in 2001 and went on to pick up the unfortunate nickname of "Dr Death" due to his close association with bad news. Since leaving Corus in 2003, he has taken on a number of non-executive roles, staying involved with manufacturing and steel including as chairman of Sheffield Forgemasters, as a director of Indian steel company JSW and as a director of EEF Ltd.

He spent some time in local regeneration and job creation with Renaissance South Yorkshire and subsequently, Business Link Yorkshire. He has also moved into sectors other than manufacturing and is today chair of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and a pro-chancellor and Chair of the Council of Sheffield University. He is also chair of the board of the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Rotherham.

Pedder was awarded an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours List in recognition of his work in the city's manufacturing, health, education and voluntary sectors.

Voluntary work includes the chairmanship of Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, a charity which gives children in Sheffield the educational experience of a 130-acre working farm and being a trustee at Sheffield Theatres and a deputy lieutenant for South Yorkshire.

The installation of the Master and Company took place in the Cutlers' Hall this week with David Grey MBE, group managing director of OSL Group Holdings, taking the role of senior warden and Craig McKay, general manager of Rotherham stainless steel processor, Evenort, becoming the junior warden.

Company of Cutlers website

Images: The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire

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News: Harry Brearley recognised at AMRC

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing's (AMRC) Diamond Jubilee Knowledge Transfer Centre (KTC) has officially named the conference suite after the inventor of stainless steel, Harry Brearley.

The AMRC is a world-class centre for innovative research and focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. All research is led by industrial partners, ensuring that work provides lasting value.

Marking the final day of the Harry Brearley Stainless Steel Centenary Conference & Exhibition organised by the British Stainless Steel Association (BSSA), delegates were given company tours of the state of the art premises on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.

Opened in early 2012, the KTC provides dedicated meeting, conference and training space to help the AMRC engage businesses along the manufacturing supply chain. The eye-catching building is based around a large training workshop, and also offers highly flexible meeting and teaching rooms. The KTC is equipped with the latest presentation and networking technology, and can host conferences of up to 300 people.

The recent conference included a range of highly successful events marking and celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Harry Brearley's discovery in Sheffield.

Harry Brearley made his name as a metallurgist when he discovered stainless steel in 1913. Whilst working at Firth Brown's research laboratory, he made the discovery that adding chromium to molten iron produced a metal that did not rust. This gave new life to the steel industry in Sheffield.

Warren Brearley, a direct descendant of Harry Brearley, flew from Australia to unveil the plaque along with his wife Barbara. He said: "The connection between Harry and trades people was very close so I think it is very fitting for this facility, which has a similar ethos regarding its work, be named after him. I'm very happy to formally name this facility."

Alan McLelland, NAMTEC CEO and interim operations director at the Nuclear AMRC, added: "Comparisons can be drawn between Harry and the AMRC. Harry had to fight to get people to realise the benefits of stainless steel and recognise its revolutionary potential in the engineering world. Similarly, here at the AMRC we do things that challenge the perceived status quo and traditional manufacturing operations. One example is ultra-high speed machining which is completely outside the normal concepts of how one machines metals."

AMRC website

Images: AMRC

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News: ELG acquires ABS Group

The ABS Group, the metals processing and supply firm and one of Rotherham's most profitable companies, has been acquired by ELG Utica, part of Germany's ELG Haniel Group, and is set for global expansion.

ABS is an international specialist in the sourcing, processing and supply of primary and secondary alloys and metals and ELG Utica is the Superalloys Division of the ELG Haniel Group.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, sees ELG Utica acquire 100% of the shares in ABS Industrial Resources Limited with ABS continuing to operate independently under its current management team. As part of the deal, current directors, Mark Ridgeway, Andrew Jones and Richard Hannam will be joined on the board by Dimitrij Orlov, head of ELG's Superalloys Division, and Mark Johnson, head of ELG Utica's UK branch.

A spokesperson for the ELG Haniel Group said that: "The management teams of both ABS and ELG Utica will continue to provide high quality service to customers while strengthening the development and expansion of the business worldwide."

The ABS Group was founded in 1988 and has successfully grown into market a leading business. It employs more than 150 employees, has an annual turnover in excess of £100m, and has facilities located in South Africa, USA, Germany, France and China. In 2011 it acquired a new 83,712 sq ft high-specification industrial unit to create a state-of-the-art global headquarters at Adwick Park in Manvers, Rotherham. The move is part of an expansion program that sees 40 people employed in Manvers plus the retention of its Kilnhurst facility.

With headquarters in Duisburg, ELG Haniel Group is a global market leading company for the trading and processing of raw materials for the stainless steel industry. It has a turnover in excess of 27 billion euros and is one of the largest privately owned companies in Germany. ELG acquired the US-based Utica Alloys, Inc. in 2008.

ABS Group website
ELG Utica website

Images: absgroup.co.uk

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News: Macalloy helps to raise Cutty Sark

Rotherham construction experts, Macalloy, has supported the extensive conservation project of Cutty Sark, the world's last surviving tea clipper and one of Britain's greatest maritime treasures.

Cutty Sark, in Greenwich, recently welcomed its 100,000th visitor since being officially re-opened by the Queen in the spring.

Based in Dinnington, Macalloy are world leaders in design, manufacture and supply of threaded bar and cable systems to engineering and construction projects across the globe.

One of the most complex conservation projects ever undertaken on a historic ship took over six years and was supported by £25m of public money raised through the National Lottery.

Despite criticism by some architects for the design, the project included a brilliant feat of engineering, with Cutty Sark raised 11 feet (3.3 meters) into the air, relieving the keel of the weight of the ship and preserving her unique shape.

The clipper weighing over 900 tons, was then tied back to the dry dock using a combination of Macalloy tension bars and circular hollow sections.

Richard Doughty, director of Cutty Sark, said: "Lifting Cutty Sark over three metres into the air was one of the most challenging aspects of the project and it is incredibly rewarding to see the reactions of visitors walking underneath the 980-ton ship for the first time – it's a spectacular experience and allows you to see the elegant lines of her hull which enabled her to make record-breaking voyages. We are immensely proud of what we've achieved here."

Inside the hull, Macalloy tension bars are used to provide further structural support and maintain its original shape following the fire damage that Cutty Sark suffered in 2007.

Macalloy tension bars are also used to suspend the steel bridge that leads visitors around the vessel. There is a glass and steel structure containing a stairwell that is braced using Macalloy tension bars and features a Macalloy connection disk.

Also within the hull a large display screen shows the history of Cutty Sark's famous journeys around the world and Macalloy tension bars are used to suspend a seated viewing area from a steel joist.

Macalloy systems support impressive projects around the world including the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, Dubai International Airport, the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai and close to home, Clifton Park in Rotherham.

The company moved to Rotherham in 2006 where they provide employment to 80 people and enjoy a turnover of £12m.

Macalloy website

Images: Macalloy / National Maritime Museum

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News: Eldon's commitment to Rotherham is a positive sign for the local economy

Eldon, a leading manufacturer of enclosure systems, has taken a new ten year lease on their premises at Hellaby in Rotherham.

The 90,500 sq ft property at Rother Way is leased from Chancerygate Asset Management at an initial rent of £270,000per annum with fixed annual uplifts.

Eldon were represented by Colliers International and Chancerygate Asset Management were represented by GVA.

Rob Oliver at GVA said: "Eldon Electric's existing lease was due to expire in April 2012. Both parties wanted longer term certainty of occupancy, and the deal agreed works well for them both.

"Eldon manufacture electrical and telecommunications cabinets, and can now invest in the site for the medium term. We are seeing improving levels of interest from manufacturers for premises in this area, which is a positive sign for the local economy."

Eddie Cook, managing director of Chancerygate Asset Management, added: "We are delighted to have completed a new long term letting of this unit. We work closely with our tenants, and try to understand their specific business needs and circumstances.

"We are delighted to conclude this new lease with Eldon in a challenging occupational market."

Opened by the Swedish firm in 1985, the Rotherham plant is devoted to the extensive range of stainless steel enclosures were small teams working in dedicated cells make production both flexible and reactive. They specialise in enclosure systems and control cabinet, server cabinet and electrical cabinet systems. The facility uses the latest 3D CADCAM technology to produce one of the largest range of standard sized enclosures in the market.

Eldon website

Images: Chancerygate Asset Managemen

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News: Dormer open doors of Rotherham facility

Dormer Tools are hosting an open house event at their state-of-the-art facility in Rotherham.

The firm is part of Sweden's Sandvik Group and has developed from a traditional cutting tool manufacturer to one of the world's largest producers of solid carbide and high speed steel cutting tools. Their tools are used in cutting edge industries including the tooling designed specifically for cutting composite material in the aerospace sector.

The purpose-built facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park incorporates a state-of-the-art training suite and a major research and development facility - one of only four such facilities worldwide. Both areas have played a significant role in providing customers across the UK with the right cutting tools for their applications.

The open house event on July 5 & 6, will cover CAD/CAM Solutions, Tooling, Work Holding Automation, Machining, Measuring and Inspection.

The research and development centre of excellence is tasked with identifying, devising and delivering new products and machining solutions. Products are only created if there is a market need.

The centre uses the latest machinery and a recent addition is the Heller FT 4000 five-axis machining centre, one of the most powerful machines of its type. Dormer experts will showcase their latest milling technology by performing product demonstrations at the event.

John O'Donoghue, general manager at Dormer Tools, said: "The two open days will provide a perfect opportunity for people from across the country to view our new-look productivity centre.

"Visitors will be able to witness the capabilities of our latest cuttings tools, as well as the performance of some of the world's best machines – a partnership which we feel will offer significant benefits to a host of sectors."

Dormer believes its decision to place greater emphasis on training staff and customers on their products is leading to an upturn in the amount of tools being sold to blue chip organisations as well as small and medium sized enterprises.

Following the move to the AMP in Rotherham, the firm saw a significant increase in sales of more than 20 per cent for 2010, reaching the pre-recession levels of two years ago.

Dormer Tools website

Images: Dormer Tools

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News: NAMTEC goes global

Rotherham-based NAMTEC (the National Metals Technology Centre) is looking to attract an international audience to its stand at the Stainless Steel World Conference and Exhibition 2009, to be held in Maastricht in the Netherlands later this month.

Visitors to the event will be able to find out more about the services offered by the Special Metals Forum (SMF) and the Titanium Information Group (TIG), including the benefits of membership of both organisations.

The SMF is an international organisation specifically for companies involved in the manufacturing, processing and use of metals such as stainless steel, carbon steels, nickel and titanium.

TIG is an organisation of suppliers, design engineers and fabricators to the titanium industry, which provides valuable support and information on material cost, availability, as well as fabrication techniques and the usage of titanium and its alloys.

NAMTEC leads on delivering research and technology development, knowledge transfer, and training to companies in the engineering and manufacturing industries.

Alistair Lang from NAMTEC, explains: "We are looking to attract a truly international audience, visitors to our stand can learn more about how the services we offer – through NAMTEC, as well as how SMF and TIG can have a huge impact on their businesses.

"There are major opportunities within the metals sector at the moment on a global scale and our aim is to enable as many international companies as possible to benefit."

NAMTEC website
Rotherham

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News: TWI at the cutting edge of technology

On Rotherham's Advanced Manufacturing Park, The Yorkshire Technology Centre of The Welding Institute (TWI) has made use of an innovative new technique to produce a traditional Sheffield long knife for the Lord Mayor of Sheffield. Working with Stuart Mitchell, a third generation Sheffield cutler, the blade features a friction stir processed cutting edge, a technology developed at TWI that enhances the atomic structure of a metal to create an edge that is both hard and durable - without the need for any complex and costly heat treatment. This is the first friction stir processed stainless steel knife to be made in the area made famous by stainless steel. The blade shape is a traditional Sheffield style named after its inventor, Lord Wharncliffe, who commissioned the cutlers Joseph Rodgers and Sons to manufacture a knife for him in 1832. The friction stir processing offers the potential for not only of harder, tougher wear resistant blades, but the manufacturing process offers additional benefits in terms of reduced energy input, greater controllability and the elimination of the dirty, occasionally hazardous and certainly environmentally unwelcome processes in their manufacture.
TWI website
AMP article
Rotherham

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News: Rotherham stainless steel distributor bought by Outokumpu

Finnish international stainless steel company, Outokumpu has acquired the SoGePar Group, an Italian distributor of stainless steel, and with it the Rotherham service centre formerly known as Metalfin UK. Outokumpu will pay EUR 195m in cash and take on debt in the company in the amount of EUR 140m to buy SeGePar from its current owners, the Borromeo family. The SoGePar operations will eventually be integrated with Outokumpu's service centre network. The current SoGePar operational management will continue in their posts. Due to this acquisition Outokumpu's Stock & Processing capacity in Italy and the UK will be in excess of 240,000 tons. In total, with the SoGePar acquisition and the service centre investments announced recently, Outokumpu's global annual stock and processing capacity will increase from the current 300,000 tons to in excess of 740,000 tons by 2010. Metalfin UK was the largest independent stainless steel stockholder in UK and the Rotherham site is thought to employ around 100 people.

SeGePar website

Outokumpu website

Rotherham

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