Cast for Quality

In 1851, when Jacob Mayer of the Ruhr's Bochumer Verein steelworks discovered a way to pour white-hot liquid steel into molds and cast the world's first steel bell, other foundrymen could not believe it. At the Paris Exposition of 1855 they launched an investigation, ran chemical tests, were persuaded that the bells were not cast-iron fakeries only after sledge hammers failed to crack them. Last week Bochumer Verein fuer Gusstahlfabrikation, A.G.,* once again amazed steelmen. Out of its mill came the largest piece of cast steel ever made--a rolling mill foundation block (housing) weighing 257 tons, 6 ft. thick, standing 35 ft. high (see cut).

With that hunk of metal, on display at the International Foundry Fair in Dusseldorf this month, German steelmen aim to impress the world with the rise of their industry. Since 1950, German steel production has increased 76%. In 1954 it surpassed the previous 1938 peak. Last year Germany nosed out Great Britain, became the world's third largest steel producer (after the U.S. and Russia).

Priority Target. Bochumer Verein has never claimed that it is the largest, or even among the largest of German steel companies. It ranks No. 9. What it does claim is "mass quality" and inventive ingenuity, for B.V. engineers have found ingenious ways to compound 350 kinds of steel alloys, mass-produce delicate spring steel for watches, wafer-thin sheet steel for razor blades, high-quality steel for turbines and locomotive wheels.

Because of its quality production, Bochumer Verein was a top priority target in World War II when thousands of bombs and incendiaries exploded on its roofs, cutting productive capacity by 60% and its payroll from 24,000 to 4,280 workers. At the end of the war, recovery was slow, did not really get started until 1951, when Allied dismantling was halted and an investment of $3.6 million in Marshall Plan money attracted $10 million of German capital.

Priority on Ingenuity. Appointed technical director of the reviving steel mill was Arthur Tix, 58, an engineer who had been with B.V. since 1922, had a two-year stint as a bricklayer after the war. Tix bought back some of the company's old equipment that had been dismantled and shipped out of the country. He built a modern rolling mill, increased the work force to 16,000, geared production up to 100,000 tons a month. Last year Tix developed a new vacuum process, which takes gaseous impurities out of cast steel, guaranteeing elimination of flaws, cutting production time in half. B.V. has licensed steel companies in France and Belgium, is now negotiating processing rights with companies in ten other countries, including the U.S.

Two months ago, Tix announced that another new steelmaking process had been developed--"electric-resistance heating," whereby an ingot can be heated to 1,000DEG C. in 60 seconds. The main advantage: quick, even heating prevents air from damaging surface, speeds up production.

Even though Bochumer Verein is caught up in the rush of German steel expansion, and plans to increase production 30% by 1957, Technical Director Tix refuses to go overboard for mass production. As he proudly displayed his massive casting last week, he maintained his position that "mass quality" is best for Bochumer Verein and Germany.

* The Bochum Co. for the Manufacture of Cast Steel, Inc.

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