£9m Russian rolls contract for Sheffield engineer
SHEFFIELD Forgemasters has secured contracts for forged steel rolls with Russia worth more than £9m.
The orders, for deliveries in 2015, are from Russian steel producing giants, Severstal and Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and the rolls will be used in the production of steel for the Automotive industry.
Securing the orders comes in succession to a German castings order of £12m awarded to Sheffield Forgemasters in September 2014 and builds on decades of trade between the South Yorkshire engineering specialist and Russia.
Dr Steve Price, sales director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “Winning these contracts is a great coup for Sheffield Forgemasters and comes after several years of difficult trading conditions in the global forgings and castings industry, which is still having a negative effect for many businesses.
“We are the world’s largest supplier of steel rolls into Russia and it is a great testament to our sales team here, our Russian agent, Brightwell, and the strength of our manufacturing excellence that both Severstal and MMK continue to place high value orders here in the UK.”
Work rolls form the direct surface contact within a cold rolling mill, reducing previously hot rolled steel band to create a broad range of steel sheet to be used primarily in the automotive industry.
The larger back-up rolls will work within the same rolling mills and apply the required pressure to the work rolls.
Dr Price added: “We will be supplying more than 170 rolls in total and the contracts will provide a healthy amount of work for our heavy forge, machine shops and work rolls departments which are all based at Brightside Lane in Sheffield.
“Following on from our recent £12m contract wins with the German SMS group to provide some of the largest castings that we have ever been asked to manufacture, the Russian rolls orders positions us well for the 2014/2015 financial year but it would be too early to say whether this is indicative of any upturn in the global economic slump.”
Sheffield Forgemasters is a world leader in the supply of steel rolls and the only UK company capable of forging large back-up rolls, which weigh more than 200 tonnes.
