OREANDA-NEWS. On September 21, the production of stabilized strand commenced at a new equipment recently installed at the Cherepovets plant of Severstal-metiz, the Severstal-metiz press-service reported. This new equipment provides the Cherepovets plant with a capacity of up to 24 thousand tonnes per year of strand from 6mm to 18mm by diameter. The strand meets the Russian State Standard (GOST) 13840, the UK standard BS5896 and the proposed Euronorm prEN10138, as well as the current standards of other European countries.

The equipment is located at an 110 sq m area within the existing wire rope facility and consists of stranding machines, an induction heating furnace, a coiling unit and a packaging machine. In addition to the strand equipment, a new wire drawing machine will also commenced production the same day, which will provide the wire for the manufacture of the strand. A second machine is currently being installed and will begin production at the beginning of October.

The equipment has the most modern state-of the-art computer controls measuring a variety of technical parameters of the manufacturing process.

This investment in the production of stabilized strand is part of the development of Severstal-metiz activities in its high-carbon product range. The project has taken one year to complete from approval to start-up. The cost of the investment is 150 million roubles.

Stabilized strand is used in the manufacture of pre-stressed concrete elements and also for post-tensioning applications where the strand is installed in the concrete structure at the building location. It has advantages over traditional reinforcement with its low relaxation properties providing longer structural stability in shopping centres, car parks, bridges and other large concrete structures.