NISCO invests in billet-casting machine

The National Iranian Steel Company (NISCO), which belongs to the state-owned Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO), has ordered a six-strand billet casting machine from SMS Concast AG, a company of SMS Group. The plant will be part of a newly built EAF-based meltshop and designed for an annual capacity of more than 800,000 tons of billets.

The new steel complex built in Miyaneh is expected to serve as a basis for the industrial development of the province. NISCO’s new six-strand Concast Convex CCS casting machine will produce billets of low-, medium- and high-carbon steels, among others, for rebar production. Capability includes a casting radius of 9 m and the production of billets of 130, 150 and 200 mm square in lengths ranging between 6 and 12 m. Depending on the steel grades and casting mode (open or submerged), casting speed will vary between 4.5 and 1.5 m/min.
For further information www.sms-group.com

Composites technology centre inaugurated

A key milestone was marked recently at a Yorkshire manufacturing centre, which from 2019 will start producing carbon-fibre tubs for McLaren Automotive, the British creator of luxury sports cars and supercars. The £50m McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) is nearing completion at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and is the result of an ongoing partnership between McLaren Autotmotive and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

After a launch at the AMRC’s Factory 2050, McLaren Automotive chief executive Mike Flewitt was on-hand to illuminate the famous marque’s sign in the new manufacturing centre. The recently unveiled McLaren Senna road car then performed a series of expertly choreographed ‘doughnuts’ to leave a trail of fresh Pirelli tyre rubber on the new centre’s floor to ‘christen’ it – McLaren style.
For further information www.cars.mclaren.com

Momentum builds for Gulf Industry Fair

Gulf Industry Fair 2018, the GCC’s annual industrial exhibition, is returning next month with a series of events and initiatives promoting Bahrain’s industrial sector. This annual event is scheduled to take place on 6-8 February under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The show provides a one-stop shop for elements of industrial development across the aluminium, energy and environmental protection, industrial metals, industrial processes and manufacturing, logistics and industrial facilities, security and safety, and training segments. This year’s exhibition will also focus on promoting the wider theme of eco-industrial development (EID).
For further information www.gulfindustryfair.com

Double-column machines extend range

Broadbent Stanley has extended its range with large-capacity double-column machining centres from Taiwan-based Starvision. The machines are available with X-axis travels up to 36 m and 5.7 m in the Y axis, as well as five-face or full five-axis capability. The range covers boxway machines, linear-guide machines, moving-beam, moving-column and five-axis variants, which can be equipped with a range of milling heads.

“The addition of the Starvision range complements our existing range of bridge mills and will open up significant opportunities across the sectors that we serve,” explains managing director Graham Thomas. “We have probably had 10 enquiries in the past 12 months for machines of this size, so the market appetite is there. A quote has already been raised for the first Starvision machine and we are hopeful of a successful outcome soon.”
For further information www.broadbentstanley.co.uk

Industry awaits SteelFab 2018

SteelFab 2018 gets underway next week (15-18 January) at the Expo Centre in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. As the region’s most prominent business event specialising in steel fabrication, SteelFab 2018 will boast a large number of steel industry professionals and decision-makers among its exhibitors and visitors, as well as an interesting seminar programme.

The 14th edition of the show will present modern technologies in steel forming, metal-cutting, finishing, milling and heavy machinery, as well as other related engineering applications. SteelFab attracts worldwide attendance and participation both from national companies and hundreds of foreign firms and leading international brands in the field. XYZ Machine Tools and Chester Machine Tools will be among the 54 UK exhibitors at this year’s event. Around 8000 visitors attended the 2017 show from 83 different countries.
For further information www.steelfabme.com