wiredinUSA August 2018

Wire rod being manufactured at British Steel in Scunthorpe

Major new investment in rod

British Steel has announced a significant investment to improve thequality and range of wire rod produced at the company’s headquarters in Scunthorpe, England. Said to cost $65.5million, the new facility will allow for a wider range of sizes up to 28mm, with tighter tolerances, and with improvements in surface condition and microstructural properties. British Steel’s expenditure comes eight months after it bought FNsteel, a premium wire rod manufacturer in The Netherlands. Paul Martin, British Steel deputy CEO, said: “This is a major investment in the future of our business, underpinning our commitment to providing customers with higher technical specifications of steel and a diverse, premium product range.

“Not only will this increase our ability to serve the domestic market, it will allow us to become a more competitive exporter, and accelerate the growth of British Steel in line with our company strategy.” The investment will see a new wire rod line designed and installed in the current mill by Primetals. Work is scheduled to start this summer and the newoperation is set to be commissioned in autumn 2019. New laboratories have been opened, ensuring the mill has world- class testing facilities. The existing wire rod business, which employs 300 people, will operate as normal throughout the installation.

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wiredInUSA - August 2018