COMPANY FEATURE
AN ENVIABLE HISTORY Operating on its current site since 1870, and several name changes later including some famous ones such as Armstrong Whitworth, Kvaerner and Davy, the business has survived and prospered with a current annual output capacity of 20,000 tonnes.
Since 1970, the business has concentrated exclusively on the production of cast rolls for the steel and non-ferrous industry and has built a reputation as a world leader in roll technology, becoming a key supplier to and technical partner of many of the world’s leading rolling mills.
WIND INDUSTRY INVESTMENT With the planned offshore investment in wind power in the UK Sector in the North Sea becoming a reality, UESUK has recognised the potential for supply of large wind turbine castings and has initiated a product diversification team to prepare a feasibility study of the investment in manufacturing plant and technology needed for successful entry to the market.
LOCATION AND CAPABILITY The manufacturing plant is located in Gateshead in the North East of England and consists of a large foundry and a state of the art heat treatment facility as well as a fully integrated machining facility capable of producing finished iron and steel rolls of up to 60 tonnes in weight.
CAPACITY In 2009 three new melting furnaces, with a combined capacity of 75 tonnes, were installed giving the foundry a total melting capacity in excess of 100 tonnes.
The diversification project aims to attract casting business to capitalise on the additional melting capacity available from these new furnaces and whilst not concentrating solely on the wind power market, recognises that this is the major market sector of interest.
New designs of offshore turbine are currently being developed with outputs in the 5 to 10MW range and these turbines require large castings typically in the 40 to 60 tonnes weight range - an ideal weight range for the existing melting and casting facilities.
The foundry currently produces large iron castings for internal use and has considerable expertise in iron production and casting technology. A move into the large casting market will involve substantial investment including the building of a new casting and processing facility adjacent to the present foundry together with shot blasting, fettling and machining equipment.
RESEARCH AND FINANCIAL BACKING Discussions with governing bodies, trade associations and leading wind turbine producers have confirmed the shortfall in UK foundry capacity able to produce the type of large castings that will be required for the new breed of turbines.
With the financial backing of their parent company, UESUK believe that they can fill a void in the supply chain that will be both beneficial to the turbine producers as well as the UK economy.
MOVING FORWARD The team are engaged in positive discussions with some of the key players in the Wind Energy market and invite any other organisations seeking a potential supplier of large Iron or SG Iron castings to make contact.
Union Electric Steel
www.uniones.com
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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