The Timken Company, Canton, OH, has opened its $60 million small-bar steel rolling mill, expanding its portfolio of steel products. The new mill enables the company to produce steel bars down to 1 inch in diameter for use in power transmission and friction management applications. 
 
The company expects this steel to meet the needs of customers in the bearing, industrial, energy, distribution and automotive market sectors, including transplant automakers.
 
Our new small-bar mill is part of a strategic focus on driving differentiation in our steel products and expanding into new market sectors where we can grow profitably,”said Salvatore J. Miraglia, Jr., president of Timken’s Steel Group.
 
Timken collaborated on the design and construction of the mill with Daido Steel Co. Ltd, a Japanese producer with experience manufacturing special quality small-bar steel and serving customers such as Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corp.
 
The new mill, originally announced in January 2007, has 76,000 square feet to house expanded rolling, finishing and inspection capabilities and is part of Timken’s Harrison Steel Plant in Canton, OH. Timken added 30 new positions to operate the small-bar mill.
 
The Timken Company had sales of $5.2 billion in 2007.