Tata Steel announced it is investing approximately $10 million in new high-tech equipment at its Stocksbridge plant, South Yorkshire (U.K.), to increase production of aerospace steels. The company will install two vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnaces and specialized testing equipment to allow it to make more specialty steels for the aerospace industry. The new equipment will boost Tata Steel’s output of these steels by 30%. It will also lead to about 10 new jobs. The two new VAR furnaces will be installed alongside seven existing VAR furnaces and two electroslag remelting (ESR) furnaces at the Stocksbridge plant.

The new furnaces will be operational by the end of 2011. Additional ultrasonic and mechanical testing equipment will also be installed in Stocksbridge over the coming months to ensure exacting quality standards continue to be met. The steel is manufactured at the company’s Rotherham site before undergoing further refining at the Stocksbridge plant to improve the quality.