Brooks Forgings Ltd, a leading UK manufacturer of forged, machined, and fabricated components, has announced a major £170,000 capital investment to install a state-of-the-art 75,000 Nm high-torque geared-drive pre-stressing and scragging system at its West Midlands manufacturing facility.
As the only high-capacity machine of its kind in the UK and Western Europe, this installation successfully restores a vital lost sovereign capability.
The investment marks a significant milestone for the company’s heavy engineering division, expanding its in-house manufacturing infrastructure. By bringing this specialised mechanical process on-site, Brooks Forgings streamlines its production routes, offering commercial and industrial clients a complete, integrated manufacturing solution for high-stress components.
The new state-of-the-art 75,000Nm torsion testing and pre-setting machine at Brooks Forgings Ltd.
The Missing Link in Heavy Component Production
Heavy-duty torsion bars and rotating shafts are subjected to extreme operational fatigue. To prevent immediate sagging and catastrophic failure in service, these components must undergo "scragging", a highly technical process where a machine twists the forged, spline-ground steel past its elastic limit to trap permanent residual stress inside the metal.
Live readouts display critical information, such as current twist angle and applied load.
Live line charts detail the applied torque and angle for each session cycle, a visual indication of how the bar is reacting as it nears the elastic limit and final pre-set condition.
Inside the machine: Torsion Bar at starting position. White line for visiual purposes only.
Inside the machine: Torsion Bar in 'twist and hold' cycle at 90 degrees. White line for visiual purposes only.
The new £170,000 machine enables Brooks Forgings to execute this final, vital phase of production in-house. When combined with the company’s existing upset forging capability, precision CNC machining, and secure partners for advanced heat treatment, spline grinding, shot peening, and non-destructive testing (NDT), Brooks Forgings can offer a complete controlled solution for heavy torsion bars up to 80mm in diameter and up to 3 metres in length.
Precision Automation and Full Traceability
To ensure absolute quality control, the new system is fully programmable to execute multiple test phases, varying twist angles and velocities, and complete duty cycle sessions. Furthermore, operational data for every individual torsion bar is automatically recorded into dedicated spreadsheet files, directly corresponding to the unique identification marking stamped onto each component produced.
Every torsion bar produced at Brooks Forgings Ltd is fully marked for full traceability.
Digitally controlled micro-percussion marking system.
Streamlining the Supply Chain
With global supply chains facing ongoing logistical challenges, the ability to secure critical heavy engineering components through an integrated, domestic route has become a major priority for industrial sectors.
"For too long, heavy engineering projects have had to rely on fragmented supply chains to source fully processed, high-strength torsion bars," said Richard Lee, Marketing Manager, Brooks Forgings.
"This £170,000 investment changes the landscape completely. We have closed the loop. From the initial raw material forging right through to the final pre-set, we are providing a highly resilient, faster, and fully traceable manufacturing alternative. We aren't just scaling up our capacity; we are expanding our technical capabilities to meet the most demanding industrial requirements."
As a company committed to high standards of quality and manufacturing excellence, Brooks Forgings is fully aligned with modern industrial strategies, focusing on security of supply, component quality, and localised precision engineering.
For technical inquiries regarding torsion bar production, custom pre-stressing, or custom component manufacturing, please visit www.brooksforgings.co.uk or contact the engineering team directly.
