Keywords
Citation
(1998), "Aurora Metals", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 50 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.1998.01850fab.016
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited
Aurora Metals
Aurora Metals
Keyword: Aurora
Two metal forming companies in Yorkshire and one in France have joined together in what could be Europe's only metals business offering hot rolling, hot extrusion and cold drawing expertise.
Aurora Metals-Rot Rolled Products (formerly Spencer Clark) in Rotherham, Osborn Steel Extrusions in Bradford and Aurora Metals S.A.(formerly Bujon) in Paris all part of the Sheffield-based ANI Aurora Group have increased capacity, become more efficient, improved profitability and found new markets by teaming up together.
At Aurora Metals Hot Rolled Products, where metal forming tradition goes back to 1749, hot rolling mills produce both simple and complex shapes in materials as diverse as carbon steel and titanium.
Four bar mills are complemented by a specialist sheet mill, with additional features for heat treatment and finishing, to produce profiles which go to make products as varied as engine rings for the aerospace industry or chisels and bolts.
Osborn Steel Extrusions have been constantly developing the art of hot extrusion since 1953, producing thinner and ever more complex shapes in today's high technology materials.
Computer aided design facilities mean rapid response times for producing intricate shaped sections for use in everything from armoured tanks to power station boilers.
The French connection Aurora Metals S.A. at Meaux on the eastern outskirts of Paris adds expertise in cold drawing, producing highly complex shapes in a wide variety of steels and non-ferrous metals, for parts for industrial machinery to components for light arms manufacture.
Together, the three firms can find a cost-effective solution to any complex requirement.
Around 40 per cent of joint production goes to the aerospace markets. Half of the £22m turnover on joint long sections comes from sales in the UK and another 25 per cent from the American markets.
Work on improving Aurora Metals' Rotherham works is currently under way with a new £120,000 heat treatment facility installed and a further £180,000 going on upgrading the rolling mill. The site already has NAMAS accredited testing facilities.
Meanwhile, Osborn Steel Extrusions is in the final stages of a two year £1m improvement programme which will see a new descaling facility on the Bradford site, part of improvements which will enable them to increase capacity by 50 per cent to 2,400 tonnes a year and will help create new jobs.
Together, the three businesses in the Metals Group employ over 400 people.