On April 10, Timken treated FORGE to a tour of its Faircrest Steel Plant in Canton, Ohio. On the same day, the company announced 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 in Canton. The 3,300-ton forge press offers 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 SBQ steel. Please clickhereif you’d like to see a gallery containing photos of equipment from the facility.                              

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 is on schedule for two additional investment projects at the Faircrest Steel Plant. 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.