A. Finkl & Sons celebrated the first heat of a new steel-forging furnace in over 100 years on Chicago's south side.

A. Finkl & Sons, with the help of Great Lakes Mechanical Services of Crete, Ill., and SMS Siemag, celebrated the first heat of a new steel-forging furnace in over 100 years on Chicago's south side. Designed by SMS, the 90-ton electric arc furnace was assembled over the course of 16 months by Great Lakes Mechanical's staff in conjunction with Finkl technicians. Building the new furnace meant assembly from the ground up, including the hydraulic system and the furnace casing itself. Located within Finkl's new facility in Chicago and creating a high-quality steel product used in forging dies, plastic molds, die casting tools, custom open-dies and other applications, the furnace now runs seven days a week, 10 hours a day.