March 20, 2007 — Cudahy Forging, a Ladish Co. Inc. operation, reports that a six-week modernization effort has been completed on its No. 85 hammer, and that the machinery will be back in operation this week. Ladish president and CEO Kerry Woody stated: "We had an obligation to customers who depend on this resource to resume production as fast as possible, because the capabilities of this hammer are unmatched in the forging industry."
Both the top and bottom rams of the 48-year-old, five-story high, counterblow hammer were replaced and reinstalled. Each one weighs about 375,000 lb, according to Ladish.
Gene Bunge, Ladish Co. v.p. of Engineering said, "It's been 15 years since we've replaced both rams during the same maintenance event. This was a major undertaking. It takes considerable time to disassemble a hammer of this size and properly put it back together."
Bunge detailed that the hammer's operating characteristics were measured and verified during reassembly, and that the group is "confident in affirming not only the original baseline rating of 125,000 mkg, but also the nominal operating energy of 150,000 mkg. It's great to have this one-of-a-kind hammer producing parts again."