The BMW Group opened its new Additive Manufacturing Campus in Germany. The facility brings together production of prototype and series parts under one roof, in addition to research into 3D-printing technologies and training for the global rollout of toolless production. It will allow the BMW Group, which produced about 300,000 parts by additive manufacturing last year, to develop its position as technology leader in the utilization of additive manufacturing in the automotive industry. The campus, which was an investment of approximately $16.8 million, operates around 50 industrial systems that work with metals and plastics.

SMS group put a 31.5/34-MN open-die forging press into operation at Gustav Grimm Edelstahlwerk (GGE), a forge based in Remscheid, Germany. GGE specializes in the manufacture of high-alloy forgings. Because of the built-in hydraulic and control systems, GGE’s new high-speed forging press achieves time savings of about 10% compared to the old press. For the first time, SMS group has installed an additively manufactured machine component in an open-die forging press. The 3D-printed hydraulic manifold block is lighter, more compact and has a flow-optimized design. Designed by SMS group and made of an aluminum alloy, it weighs just one-tenth of the conventional steel component. The manifold block is used to distribute hydraulic oil for operating and venting the cylinders.

According to a report, Spain’s Alcorta Forging Group will open its first U.S. manufacturing operations and regional headquarters in Marysville, Ohio. The 100-year-old company, which develops and manufactures automotive components, will invest $15 million and create 50 new jobs. The 150,000-square-foot forging and manufacturing facility will be completed in three phases and include state-of-the-art machinery and equipment. Under the current uncertain circumstances, Alcorta will move forward with its pre-construction activities while remaining on hold for the construction launch.

Olympic Steel Inc. opened a 120,000-square-foot metal-processing facility in Buford, Ga. The location expands the company’s southeastern region footprint, which also includes facilities in Locust, North Carolina; Winder, Ga.; and Hanceville, Ala. The Buford facility will act as the region’s primary flat-rolled fabrication hub, with metal processing anchored in the Winder facility; metal distribution in both the Winder and Hanceville locations; and pipe and tube laser fabrication and bending and welding at the company’s Chicago Tube & Iron location in Locust, N.C.

Germany’s ZF Friedrichshafen AG successfully completed the acquisition of commercial-vehicle technology supplier WABCO of Switzerland. WABCO’s integration into ZF unites two industry leaders behind a shared vision to create a customer-focused powerhouse to advance commercial-vehicle technology. The combined product portfolio now encompasses conventional and electric drive and chassis components; a comprehensive suite of sensors; and fully integrated, advanced braking, steering and driver-assistance systems for OEMs seeking technological differentiation for their new vehicle platforms.

According to a local report, the Lawrence County Planning Commission accepted a land-development plan for an addition to Ellwood Specialty Steel’s production facility in New Castle, Pa. The plan calls for a 10,800-square-foot addition and a 7,560-square-foot lean-to structure, both at the back of the existing building. The purpose of the expansion is to increase capacity for a product the company distributes, sales of which have been growing, according to a company spokesperson. Ellwood Specialty Steel is a fully integrated producer of tool steels for forging dies, die-cast dies and other tooling applications. The company utilizes primary melting, refining and degassing equipment, along with ESR and VAR processes, to manufacture premium steel ingots.

India’s Bharat Forge announced that it will partially resume manufacturing operations at its Mundhwa, Chakan and Satara plants pursuant to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bharat Forge is commencing operations in a gradual manner pending the completion of mandatory safety checks and training personnel on physical distancing, health and hygiene per guidelines stipulated by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs. The training for employees includes: mandatory self-declaration of good health before joining; the wearing of face masks; regular sanitization of personal items and work stations; maintaining social distancing; and thorough sanitization of all workplaces, buses and other official vehicles after each trip.

Italy’s Danieli Group (Danieli Breda) recently commissioned a new integrated forging complex at the Zlatoust Metallurgical Plant (ZMZ) in Chelyabinsk region, Russia. The plant consists of a 25-MN open-die forging press and two integrated manipulators operating in conjunction with Danieli’s proprietary DanForge automation system. The open-die press has 80-spm frequency, a daylight span of nearly 11.5 feet, automatic top-die clamping and an automatic tool-changing device. The manipulators can lift ingots weighing 20 tons with a load moment of 60 t/m.

The Executive Committee of the Forging Industry Association’s (FIA) Board of Directors has decided to cancel the International Forging Congress (IFC) 2020 scheduled for September 19-21 at the Marriott Magnificent Mile Downtown in Chicago, Ill. This step has been taken because of the safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. FIA could not be assured that the configurations in the venues where IFC 2020 activities were scheduled to be held could be arranged in a manner to provide sufficient protection for delegates and exhibitors against the transmission of COVID-19. Delegates who have registered and paid to attend IFC 2020 will be reimbursed 100% of their registration fees. Those companies that have reserved and paid for a booth or tabletop at IFC 2020 will be reimbursed 100% of their registration fees. Emails will be sent to both groups explaining the reimbursement process.

Fortin Ironworks, a third-generation, family-owned and operated ornamental iron and metal-fabrication company, is creating new products driven by a surge in consumer safety. These American-made products are destined to be an integral part of the “new normal.” The Columbus, Ohio-based company has manufacturing products designed to keep people safe, such as fencing and gates, for nearly 75 years. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, however, Fortin Ironworks is getting requests for new ways of doing things.