At the FIERF 32^nd Technical Conference held last September in Long Beach, Calif., Weber Metals’ Justin Owen made a presentation about the process by which OTTO FUCHS (OF)/Weber Metals made the decision to invest $180 million in what they say is North America’s largest forging press. This became the largest single investment decision in company history.

Long Beach, Calif., is perhaps best known as the retirement home of the legendary cruise ship Queen Mary, which is permanently moored there and is currently an operating hotel and museum. But on Sept. 11-12, Long Beach hosted some of the forging industry’s best and brightest technical people, industry professionals, suppliers and educators at what was FIERF’s 32^nd Technical Conference.

Weber Metals of Paramount, Calif., and parent company Otto Fuchs Group (Germany) unveiled its new 60,000-ton forging press. The press was designed and built by Germany's SMS group and represents a $180 million investment. According to Weber Metals, the huge press is the world’s largest private investment in aerospace metal forging. As a result, the company will double its employment to 800 jobs. 

Weldbend Corp., a manufacturer of carbon steel fittings and flanges, started installation on what it says is the largest cold-form Tee-Press in the Americas and Western Europe at its manufacturing facility in Argo, Ill. The new press, which weighs 1.2 million pounds and contains 5 miles of wire, will significantly expand Weldbend’s forging capabilities. It will be able to forge up to a 20-inch XS Tee with material grades including Y70. The company can currently cold forge a 6-inch Tee. Weldbend’s products are used in mechanical systems and oil-and-gas pipelines.

thyssenkrupp announced it is integrating forging activities within its components business area to form one of the world’s largest forging organizations with sites in North and South America, Europe, India and China.

Schuler, based in Göppingen, Germany, received a major order from a U.S. automotive supplier to supply a total of 15 presses, including automation, to plants in the U.S. and Mexico.

SMS group received an order from Zhejiang Wanliyang Transmission Co. Ltd., a gear manufacturer from Hangzhou, China, for a fully automatic, closed-die forging press.

Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products (KAAP), a U.S. joint venture, plans to further expand its production facilities to meet the rising demand in North America for aluminum forged suspension products.