Timken Closing Tryon Peak Ring Mill Operation(pic)

The Timken Company (USA) will be closing down its Tryon Peak profile ring mill operation by the end of 2004 or early 2005. The Tryon Peak plant is located in Columbus, North Carolina. Timken spokesman Jason Saragian told eBearing only the profile ring mill operation is involved; the Tryon Peak facility itself remains open with business strong at the second operation, a precision saw warehouse. A ring mill is a hot-forming operation, producing near-net parts needing only minor deburring and other secondary operations. A profile ring mill adds a shape or profile to the outer surface -- the raceway, for example -- as it is being formed. Timken literature said, "hot-forming technology combines the benefits of tube manufacturing and high-speed hot forming into a single component manufacturing process that improves your efficiency and reduces cost. Our profile ring mill is a specialized, proprietary hot-forming process that produces near-net shape annular components with the ability to customize the steel grade, size, design and finishing." "Ideal for high volume automotive, bearing and industrial applications, the process requires no inside diameter taper, generates no I.D. waste material and can produce complex outside diameter contours." Essentially, this describes a process for making bearing inner races or cones, but not cups. When Timken launched the prototype facility at Tryon Peak in 1998, it was believed to be a key future technology for producing cones efficiently and inexpensively from tubing. However, Timken had a parallel projects to move away from making bearings out of 52100 tube and toward forged slugs. In addition, the company since adopted a reorganization plan which, as Mr. Saragian points out, is, "designed to focus our plants to be competitive in the products each manufactures." In particular, what came along was Timken's Advanced Green Components operation in Winchester, Kentucky. Formed in June 2002 as a joint venture with Sanyo Specialty Steel, AGC produces hot forged, cold forged and machined rings. At 117,000 square feet and employing over 120 people, it has become the primary U.S. source for inners and outers. Costs also hurt the Tryon Peak ring mill. Mr. Saragian confirmed to eBearing that, after careful study, Timken determined the hot-formed ring mill technology simply was no longer, "competitive with other types of manufacturing processes in the U.S. used for comparable products." Implementing Timken's manufacturing rationalization strategy meant the Tryon Peak ring mill had to be closed down. The operation never reached operating capacity, although it was used for production volume sourcing for both internal and external customers.