Sheffield Forgemasters joins National Skills Academy Nuclear Manufacturing (NSAN)
Sheffield Forgemasters has joined the National Skills Academy Nuclear Manufacturing (NSAN) to help ensure its 800-strong workforce maintain and develop skills and competences for nuclear.
Sheffield Forgemasters already occupies an important strategic position in the global nuclear supply chain as one of only a handful of companies capable of manufacturing highly technical large-scale forgings and castings for the civil nuclear power industry.
Its pioneering technical developments into civil nuclear manufacture have not been achieved anywhere else in the world, and it sees training and development an essential part of maintaining its position.
Dr Graham Honeyman, chief executive of Sheffield Forgemasters International, said: “We have invested significant time and money into pushing the boundaries of technology for the nuclear power sector at Sheffield Forgemasters to create high integrity and efficient components for the latest generation of nuclear power plants.
“The philosophy of this company has long been that we can only succeed in our chosen markets by excelling and delivering the highest quality and most technically innovative products and training available.
“It is my belief that the skills and resources required for the UK to lead the world in civil nuclear are right here, but we need to be better than any other nation to succeed. We look forward to working with NSAN to ensure we continue to train our skilled workforce to deal with our existing and future civil nuclear power contracts."
Dawn Vinall “I am delighted that Forgemasters has chosen to provide further support for their nuclear related workforce. Forgemasters is a major employer in Sheffield and is an exemplary employer of apprentices. One of the first things we are able to do for the business is provide member-only grants and bursaries to help the business take on and train more apprentices and give them the specific skills and knowledge they will need to support nuclear projects in the future.”
One of Forgemasters' unique processes for nuclear has involved forging integral nozzles into safety critical domed forgings to create greater manufacturing efficiencies and to deliver high integrity components with reduced machining, welding and inspection requirements.
The company also uses highly complex methods of computer simulation to create forged tubesheets, another component for use in civil nuclear power generation, meeting stringent ASME international nuclear standards at the first attempt.
Forgemasters’ work is also addressing other elements of worldwide nuclear manufacture such as ingot design, microstructure of steels, steel refining and metallurgy and materials development, and new castings which are specific to this market.
Pictured: Dawn Vinall of NSAN and Dr Graham Honeyman of Sheffield Forgemasters.