OREANDA-NEWS. October 27, 2011. Trials are  due to begin on new equipment at Tata Steel’s Stocksbridge steelworks in South  Yorkshire in the UK following a6.5 million investment programme to increase  production of aerospace steels.

Tata Steel  has invested in two vacuum arc remelting furnaces and specialist testing  equipment to allow the company to produce more steel for the aerospace  industry.

Engineers  are currently carrying out the final installation work on the new equipment to  enable trials to begin by the end of 2011. Both furnaces are expected to be in  full production in early 2012.

Engineering  Director for Tata Steel's speciality business, Andrew Douglass, praised the  team of employees implementing this major investment work: "A team of  specialist engineers from Tata Steel have worked incredibly hard on the  challenging project to install this new equipment, which will help us to  increase our production of highly technical and demanding products for the aerospace industry."

"We are now  entering the testing phase of this major investment programme, and will begin trials later this year. This process will ensure the new equipment is capable  of producing the technically demanding and safety-critical steels our aerospace  customers require.'

Vacuum arc  remelting furnaces improve the chemical and mechanical properties of steel so  it meets the exacting standards of the world’s most demanding applications,  such as energy exploration and generation, as well as aerospace.

The 6.5-million  investment in aerospace steel production will boost output of these steels by  30% and has led to the creation of eight new jobs.

Last week Tata  Steel announced a further4.5-million investment in its South Yorkshire  operations. The 4.5 million scheme will improve plant reliability and energy  efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions and boost production of high-value  steel products.

Managing Director of Tata Steel’s speciality business,  Mark Broxholme, said: “In the last year, Tata Steel has invested more than20  million in South Yorkshire.

"We have demonstrated our expertise in the delivery of this major aerospace project in  Stocksbridge, and this has given the company the confidence to further invest  in steelmaking in South Yorkshire with these latest projects to improve energy  efficiency and reliability, reduce emissions and further boost production of  our high-value products."