The former National Forge meltshop, which was acquired by Ellwood Group, Inc. in 2003, is now in production as Ellwood National Steel (ENS). The facility adds some 50,000 annual tons of capacity to the forging ingot marketplace.

Ellwood Group invested $12 million in construction and equipment for the facility, which is now producing electric furnace, vacuum degassed, bottom-poured carbon and low-alloy steel ingots in 45-ton heat lots. Ingot sizes include 16-, 21-, 24-, 31-, and 39-inch diameters. To date, product quality, chemistry control and hydrogen removal have been excellent.

After collecting the emissions data necessary to secure the appropriate Pennsylvania DEP permits, ENS will submit an application to raise its annual capacity to 150,000 tons. If the permit process goes as planned, a state-of-the-art Ladle Furnace will go into operation at ENS in the second quarter of 2006. Orders have already been placed for major long lead-time components such as the substation step-down transformer, ladle furnace transformer, and ladle induction stirrer.

Ellwood Group says the new equipment will allow ENS to produce steel in world-class fashion, and the increased production should solve any forging ingot supply problems in North America for the foreseeable future.