“GKN Driveline Trier has developed with this project an innovative system concept, the first of this kind in the world. This system shall involve a significant advance in safety, a fully-automated process, an energy saving over 15%, allowing us to be more responsive to our customers”, said Dr. Roland Seidel, managing director of GKN Driveline Trier plant.

The following people were joined to the opening: by GKN Driveline’s chief executive Andrew Reynolds and Helmuth Rohregger, managing director GKN Driveline North Europe as well as political and industry representatives. By Fagor, Juan Etxebarria, Automotive Marketing Manager, Toni Azpiazu, Managing Director of the plant of Fagor Arrasate in Markina, where the forging products are manufactured and Javier Torres, Sales Manager of Forging Division in Fagor Arrasate.

The total investment amounts up to 20M€, and it is the largest ever made in the GKN Driveline Trier plant. The main machines of the line are an automatic vertical forging press and two cold-forming transfer presses Fagor of 500 Ton. The line is capable of forging up to 60 pieces/minute of maximum 5Kg each one.

With the opening of this plant, a series of orders placed by the multinational GKN Driveline to Fagor in the last year have been completed, for its plants in: GKN Driveline Celaya (Mexico) made up of a warm forging transfer press of 1600 Ton. and a cold-forging transfer press of 500 Ton. the opening of which was held in the last June, an automatic forming press for the GKN Thailand plant delivered in the last April, the first precision forging line in India of GKN Driveline, consisting of a bar shear of 400 Ton., a warm forging transfer press of 1600 Ton. and a cold-forging transfer press of 500 Ton., and finally, other cold-forging transfer press of 500 Ton. for the GKN Driveline Legazpia plant.

Fagor Arrasate S.Coop., Tel +34 943 719999 – Fax +34 943 799677 - fagorarrasate@fagorarrasate.com – www.fagorarrasate.com