On July 26, Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel, Ltd. announced that it has completed the construction of a 10,000 mt forging press line at its Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan. A completion ceremony was held this morning attended by approximately 120 people.
Kobe Steel invested about JPY22 billion ($253.2 million) to enlarge the Forging Section's South Plant to house an entire production line. The new line is in addition to existing 13,000 mt and 4,000 mt press lines.
In addition to the new press, a manipulator, heating furnace, heat treatment furnace, crane and other equipment were installed. Construction of the press, which aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the company's Steel Casting and Forging Division, began in April 2008.
The new press is designed to produce large and long steel forgings at some of the world's highest speeds and with high precision, such as forging for large ship parts, increasing the quality of the production.