Canton, Ohio-based The Timken Company announced Wednesday the completion of three previously announced capital investment projects totaling $85 million. The Steel business investments include an open-die in-line forge press at the Faircrest Steel Plant in Canton, and an intermediate finishing line and a second induction thermal treatment line at the Gambrinus Steel Plant, also in Canton.
Timken said that the 3,300-ton forge press offers the company and its customers sound-center engineered steel bars that can unlock new market opportunities and operating efficiencies. The forge press uses an innovative large-bar forged-rolled process, which Timken developed and installed to enhance center soundness of a larger cross-section of Timken® special bar quality steel.
The new intermediate finishing line increases operational efficiencies by incorporating the latest technologies and employing lean processes, significantly eliminating product touches and material movements. The line advances testing quality, reduces processing times and incorporates an environmentally friendly water jet de-scaling spray system that replaces the former pickling process, according to Timken.
The second induction thermal treatment line introduces about 40,000 tons of normalized thermal-treat capacity for customers annually. Used in conjunction with current thermal-treat assets, the line helps increase quench and temper capacity by 20,000 tons per year.
Construction continues on schedule at the Faircrest Steel Plant for two other significant investment projects. A second ladle refining station will begin production in the second quarter of 2013 and a vertical jumbo bloom continuous caster is slated to be operational the second half of 2014.