The first custom-built steel foundry to be commissioned in the UK since the early 1980's has been unveiled at AMRC Castings, part of the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing.

The new advanced steels casting facility consists of two Inductotherm air melting induction furnaces, with a combined 2.8 tonne melt capacity, able to produce cast parts with a finished weight of up to 1300kg.

The £600,000 investment into the new foundry by the AMRC will allow the AMRC Castings group to conduct innovative research and product development projects in collaboration with its industrial partners for the benefit of industry sectors in which castings are, or could be used in the future.

The organisation develops new castings technologies and provides design and manufacturing consultancy services for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

The opening of the new facility is a significant event for the UK foundry sector, said AMRC Castings' Ryan Longden: "Keeping the UK at the forefront of steel castings technology is the only way to ensure the capability survives. It's our aim to support steel foundries at home in the UK and around the world and castings users wanting to push the boundaries of current castings processes."

The new advanced steels casting facility is fully operational and being used to contribute to a collaborative project for the energy sector.

"Using the new facility alongside our MEGAshell