Worcester-based Primetals Technologies announced last week that it shipped a car part manufacturing machine to a Chinese steel producer, in the first modernization of that Asian facility’s operations in nearly 20 years.
The high speed wire rod mill will help the undisclosed Chinese company manufacture automotive parts, such as pistons, springs, gears and bolts. This is the first time the Chinese company has updated this equipment since the late 1990s when Primetals’ predecessor Morgan Construction supplied the mill machine, said Michael Hagauer, director of commercial sales for Primetal.
The purchase price was not disclosed, and the installation of the machine should be complete this fall. The typical lifespan of the machine is 20-25 years, Hagauer said.
Primetals was formed in January 2015 as a joint venture between Toyko-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Germany-based Siemens AG. The Worcester location serves as Primetals’ leading supplier of mill equipment for the global long products industry.
The company employs around 7,000 worldwide.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is headquartered in South Korea. The company is headquartered in Toyko, Japan.
