August 2023 Volume 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

hammer represents an $18.5 million investment that will increase our largest forging weight from 3,000 lbs. to 5,000 lbs. It will allow us to better serve our customers in the aerospace, missiles and oil and gas markets, while helping us make larger components for off highway equipment producers. We expect our sales to increase by 20 percent as a result of this investment.” There was some financial support from jobsohio.com in the form of an economic development grant from the state. Among the dignitaries present were Park Ohio CEO Matt Crawford and his father, the Honorable Ed Crawford, ambassador to Ireland during the Trump administration. Ambassador Crawford said a few remarks focusing on the commitment PKOH and the Crawfords have to CDF, its customers, employees and the community as well as the forging industry.

Attendees await the start of their plant tours.

Dignitaries present at CDF’s Open House included (l. to r.) Ernie Lauber - Group President, Engineered Products, Park Ohio; Brad Ahbe – President, Canton Drop Forge; Edward Crawford - Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and former Chairman and CEO, Park Ohio; Matt Crawford - Chairman & CEO, Park Ohio; and Clark King – President, Ajax/CECO/Erie Press. what was to become an $18.5 million investment leading to the recent installation of the Erie hammer at CDF’s facilities, which began production in April. But first, lots of engineering, excavation, concrete pouring, equipment reconditioning, rigging, transportation and other work had to be done to bring this project to fruition. CDF hired The Thrasher Group and Beaver Excavating, both of Canton, Ohio, to do the engineering and excavating, respectively, for the project. In April 2022, ground was broken in Plant B to excavate a foundation for the hammer that was 60 ft. in depth – approximately the same as the hammer’s height. A foundation was also built for a 2,000 lb. trim press that is being installed following the hammer installation. Before any of this could happen, the existing equipment and foundations had to be removed to make way for the new foundation. The foundation for the hammer consists of 2,400 cubic yards of concrete, 103 tons of reinforcing steel, plus additional surrounding concrete and steel floor replacement. For the hammer itself, the task of dismantling it and refurbishing it commenced at the Kropp facility in Cicero. Another Park Ohio company, Ajax/CECO/Erie Press, was tasked with supplying

Lots of kids appreciated the bouncy houses.

sub-bases, columns, and the cylinder to the steam hammer and to oversee its general refurbishment of the system. Additionally, last September another anvil was ordered and received from an overseas source. CDF called on Canton Erectors Inc. and Lansing-based Reid Machinery to do the rigging when it was time to start loading the equipment on rail cars and trucks for the journey to Canton. Most of everything worked out well and after the installation of the vibration damping system from Vibro/Dynamics and the new anvil, the rest of the steam hammer was smoothly installed. As it turned out, some of the new forging cell’s spare components were on the ill fated train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February. These parts were recovered undamaged after some delay, but production was not detained, as these were spares for the new forging cell. The newly operational steam hammer will increase CDF’s operational capacity from a maximum forging weight of 3,500 lb. to 5,000 lb. This will permit CDF grow its sales volume and to better serve its major industrial clients, which include Boeing, Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Caterpillar, Safran Group, and others.

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2023 43