Indiana Wheel Corp. (IWC), a manufacturing company specializing in the production and distribution of steel wheels, plans to establish operations in Plymouth, Ind., and create up to 117 new jobs over the next few years. The company, which is a joint venture led by China’s Jingu Company Ltd., will invest approximately $23 million to purchase, renovate and equip a 300,000-square-foot production facility in Plymouth. The plant will include more than $14.5 million of specially designed equipment to support IWC’s manufacturing operations for the trailer and RV industries. Upgrades will begin this summer with production expected to start later this year.

Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) agreed to sell two non-core forging facilities to Chicago-based Wynnchurch Capital LLC for $37 million. The transaction will close during the second quarter of 2019. The facilities, located in Portland, Ind., and Lebanon, Ky., are part of ATI’s High Performance Materials & Components (HPMC) segment. They use primarily traditional forging methods to produce carbon-steel forged products for use in the oil and gas, transportation, construction and mining industries. Their capabilities include comprehensive forging processes complemented by in-house design and engineering, product machining and heat-treating services.

The HBE-321A high-performance automatic enclosed bandsaw, part of the HBE Dynamic series, was designed to be an everyday saw due to its affordability, versatility and efficiency.

We have noticed an uptick in the number of blacksmithing stories over the past few years. Here’s an opportunity to find out what the buzz is all about.

Forgital, a producer of large forged and machined components for the aerospace and other industries, will be acquired by global investment firm The Carlyle Group. The transaction values Forgital at approximately $1.1 billion and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2019. Established in 1873 with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy, Forgital is a specialist in the manufacture of machine-finished forged and laminated rolled rings made from different materials, including steel, aluminum, titanium and nickel-based alloys. In addition to aerospace applications, Forgital also serves the oil-and-gas, construction, mining and power-generation industries. The company employs over 1,100 people across nine facilities in Italy, France and the United States and through its global salesforce.

This third article in a series about Germany’s Lightweight Forging Initiative (begun April 2016) focuses on potential weight savings through innovative material selection and forging part and process design. In this segment, potential weight savings on a hybrid vehicle and heavy-duty truck are considered.

Surprise! Today your boss instructed you to attend Forge Fair 2019 this coming May in Cleveland, Ohio!

China’s Shandong Iraeta Heavy Industry Co. recently rolled off a huge seamless stainless steel forged ring, which it claims is the world’s largest. The ring, which weighs 150 tons and measures 51 feet (15.6 meters) in diameter, was manufactured as the key part of a nuclear power unit. The product was developed by the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and ordered by the China National Nuclear Corporation. It is expected to play the supporting function in a nuclear reactor vessel to withstand pressure of up to 7,000 tons. The giant steel structure was produced by welding segmented sections into an assembly.

Ellwood Group Inc. of Ellwood City, Pa., will acquire McInnes Rolled Rings, a manufacturer of seamless carbon, alloy and stainless steel rolled rings. The deal is scheduled to close on March 31, and Ellwood expects to run Erie, Pa.-based McInnes independently as a wholly owned subsidiary. Operations at both companies are expected to continue seamlessly throughout the acquisition process. The deal fits Ellwood’s strategy to provide quality metals and custom-engineered components for critical applications around the world.

The forging industry will meet in Cleveland for the third consecutive time at Forge Fair 2019. The new Huntington Convention Center will host the biennial event May 21-23, 2019.