Germany’s SMS group acquired Italian companies Hydromec S.R.L. and OMAV S.p.A. to further expand its product range in the forging-press and extrusion-plant markets. Hydromec manufactures forging presses and ring-rolling mills, and OMAV supplies aluminum extrusion lines. With its extended product portfolio, SMS group is now able to supply complete extrusion lines and forging plants with all upstream and downstream equipment and process technology from a single source.

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.

If you are interested in this question, you will want to read this article. How AM will disrupt forging is different from how it is affecting casting. Authors suggest that directed energy deposition (DED) is the area to watch.

Wynnchurch Capital acquired the assets of Western Forge & Flange Co. Based in Cleveland, Texas, Western manufactures high-quality, specialty forgings and flanges used in petrochemical, nuclear, military and other industrial infrastructure applications. Founded in 1944, the company has the ability to provide high-quality products and solutions with quick turnaround times on orders ranging from standard to highly custom. Western will unite under one platform with Pennsylvania Machine Works (Penn Machine), a Wynnchurch portfolio company. According to Wynnchurch, the acquisition creates one of the largest domestic, vertically integrated manufacturers of fittings and flanges.

Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) announced a realignment of its business segments to further enhance its position as a leading specialty materials manufacturer and to accelerate sustainable long-term profitable growth. Starting with first-quarter 2020 financial results, ATI will report in two business segments: a streamlined High Performance Materials & Components (HPMC) segment and the new Advanced Alloys & Solutions (AA&S) segment.

L&L Special Furnace Co. Inc. shipped a floor-standing forging furnace and a floor-standing tempering furnace to a manufacturer of medical implant components located in the northeastern U.S. The forging furnace has working dimensions of 48 inches wide x 24 inches high x 24 inches deep and a maximum operating temperature of 1800°F (982°C). The parts that are blanks are heated in the furnace. Once at temperature, they are moved to the hot-forming press and formed into the required shape. The electrical heating system provides a clean atmosphere with no products of combustion that could affect the workload.

Premier Forge Group, a portfolio company of Wynnchurch Capital, acquired California Amforge Corp. Located in Azusa, Calif., Amforge manufactures closed-die, upset and rolled-ring forgings for the aerospace, defense and oil-and-gas industries. The company supplies critical components for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft and engines in military and civil applications. Located in Portland, Ind., and Lebanon, Ky., Premier Forge provides high-value, complex forgings for OEMs in a range of markets. The company’s capabilities include comprehensive forging processes complemented by in-house design and engineering, product machining and heat-treating services.

Blue Point Capital Partners acquired Mattco Forge Inc., a manufacturer of forged-metal products primarily for the aerospace and defense sectors. Paramount, Calif.-based Mattco offers a wide range of products and customized product configurations in various metal alloys that are critical to high-performance parts. According to Blue Point, Mattco has strategically positioned itself as a key supplier of forged-metal products in the aerospace and defense industries. Blue Point hopes to expand the company's production capabilities, improve its supply-chain management and enhance its business infrastructure.

China’s AVIC Shaanxi Hongyuan Aviation Forging Co. Ltd. put what it says is the world's largest clutch-operated screw press into operation at its site in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. The SPKA-type clutch-operated screw press, which was supplied by SMS group, has a screw diameter of 1,330 millimeters (52 inches), a blow force of 365 MN, a gross power of 27,000 kJ and a weight of 2,900 tons. It offers flexibility when it comes to optimizing the forging process and requires far less stroke to achieve the preset ram speed than a conventional slipping-wheel screw press. This type of press is particularly suited for high-energy forging typically used for turbine blades or structural aircraft components.