On June 16, German industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp AG announced that Italian steel forge Societá delle Fucine, Italian subsidiary of stainless steel producer ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni and as such part of the Duisburg-based ThyssenKrupp Stainless group, received a new order from Germany-based energy company Siemens Energy which produces turbine and generator shafts for modern power plants.
Under the order from Siemens Energy, the forge has now started production of shafts for a combined-cycle power plant in Belgium which is scheduled to come on stream in 2011.
Recently, an ingot weighing 500 metric mt, the biggest in Europe, was produced over a 15-hour period at the melt shop in Terni. It was then forged by Societá delle Fucine. The finished part is for a Russian rolling mill and will weigh some 230 mt.
Apart from one other competitor in Japan, Societá delle Fucine is the leading players in the global forging market. Societá delle Fucine currently employs around 220 people. Shipments in the fiscal year 2007-08 were roughly 14,000 mt.
ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni recently implemented a variety of measures to further strengthen its forging operation. Thanks to the construction of the 250-ton capacity manipulator and an innovative VOD (Vacuum Oxygen Decarburization) plant in the melt shop to produce special high-strength steel grades, Societá delle Fucine not only achieved significant improvements in efficiency and quality but also extended its product portfolio into highly profitable segments.
Italian forgings are shipped not only to other countries in Europe but also to Asia, the Middle East and America.