A South Yorkshire engineering firm is set to boost its production with a new installation.<\/p>\n
Sheffield Forgemasters has appointed Swiss specialist Presstrade Technologies GmbH to install the UK\u2019s largest open-die forging press at its Brightside Lane site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 13,000-tonne press and 450mt manipulator, built by Mitsubishi Nagasaki Machinery, will be housed in a new Forge Building.<\/p>\n
Presstrade will manage engineering, logistics and installation, including a tool-change manipulator to automate operations.<\/p>\n
The press is part of Sheffield Forgemasters\u2019 \u00a31.3 billion recapitalisation programme supporting UK and Allied defence manufacturing<\/a>, alongside a new 30,000m\u00b2 machining hall<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Craig Fisher, programmes director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: \u201cThere are very few forge engineering specialists with the experience to install a press of this size, so we are delighted that Presstrade has secured the contract to build our new Heavy Forging Press.<\/p>\n \u201cThe project will require Presstrade to move more than 8,500 tonnes of components from a secure storage facility and manage the whole assembly of the press, prior to it being commissioned by MNM.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Bierhalter, owner and managing director of Presstrade, added: \u201cSheffield Forgemasters is installing a highly capable 13,000 tonne forging press, which is a complex construction.<\/p>\n \u201cPresstrade has more than 30 years of experience in the installation of similar forging equipment and we look forward to delivering on this key project.\u201d<\/p>\n Installation is due to start in July 2027 and is expected to take 12 months.<\/p>\n