OREANDA-NEWS. Tata Steel has today opened UK's largest profiling centre for steel plate in the West Midlands, increasing its plate processing capacity in the region by up to 50 percent.

The new profiling centre, at Steelpark in Wednesfield, transforms steel plate into a multitude of shaped and machined components, from high-volume production runs for off-road vehicle wheels and booms for earth-moving equipment, to large one-off components for construction projects and specialist engineering applications.

The ?3.1 million facility provides a step change in Tata Steel's capability to supply plate that has been cut and finished to exact size, shape and quality specifications. Steelpark's profiling capacity will be increased to 47,000 tonnes per annum.

Paul Steele, managing director, Tata Steel Distribution UK and Ireland, said: “This investment is one of a series of developments that is strengthening Steelpark's position as one of the key foundations for UK manufacturing. We are transforming UK's largest steel service centre into an operation that is entirely focused on meeting customer requirements and supporting their success.”

The development amalgamates Tata Steel's plate-cutting and machining capability into a single facility able to offer a comprehensive suite of tailored processing services to meet customers' specific requirements.

The investment will shorten order and delivery times, enabling Tata Steel to offer a range of benefits to customers in the lifting, excavating and construction sectors, including greater consistency of quality and a single point of contact for the purchasing process.

Mr Steele added: “We have a unique ability to support our customers because of our Tata Steel ownership, which makes us the only steel distribution group to have both its mill and processing operations in the UK and Ireland. This means, not only that we know our products and services inside out, but we can offer customers consistent quality and repeatability. We can work together from the outset to advise customers on specifications for their particular product application and, by tailoring our products and services in this way, we are best placed to meet their needs with a personal and professional service.”

As well as bringing together existing technology from other Tata Steel sites into one place at Steelpark, the company has invested in two, new, high-definition plasma profiling machines, which will reduce lead times and increase responsiveness. The new facility will house:

• Five high-definition plasma profiling machines (two new).

• Two laser profiling machines.

• Two gas profiling machines.

• Five machining centres (two new).

• Three flattening presses.