OREANDA-NEWS. March 4, 2008. Novosibirsk metallurgical plant named after Kuzmin is completing installation of a new “10-20” electric-welding pipe mill. The mill is designed to weld tubes for water and gas conveyance with nominal inside diameter from 15 to 32 mm and electric-welded shaped tubes of 20x20 to 40x20 mm and 1.0 to 3.5 mm wall depth. “10-50” mill was delivered by OTO MILLS Italian firm and equipped with packing line by MAIR firm (Italy), butt-welding machine by IDEAL (Germany), high-frequency welding unit by THERMATOOL (UK). Maximum speed of welding at the mill is 150 m per min. With cost-effective technology, production of every ton of tunes and pipes will cost RR1,000 cheaper.

The line of more than 80 m comprising advanced automated devices provide only a glimpse of the scale of the project which is drawing near its completion.

According to Valery Naumov, an expert at the department of investments, “10-50” mill provides the best price/performance ratio. The plant had a chance to see it when conducting a tender for purchase of the equipment. The terms offered by the Italian producer were more favourable than those by other foreign and Russian companies.

Installation of the mill is in progress now and supervised by Italian experts. Upon its completion in late April, it will take a month to conduct equipment checkout and another month – to do acceptance tests. Total construction costs for “10-50” mill are estimated at RR186.3 mn, with payback period set at about 3 years.

Whenever technological characteristics had the mill for production of sheet and tube products, its installation is only a part of the plan. To be more exact, this is a part of the technical upgrade programme elaborated by ESTAR Group metallurgical holding (to which plant named after Kuzmin is a part) in 2005.

Under the programme, a new cutting line for strips for tube welding pipes (particularly for “10-50” mill) by Czech firm was installed. The line has been operating for a year now. Technical upgrade undertaken at “120-114” mill in recent years enabled the plant to broaden its tube assortment towards increasing of the diameter from 114mm to 159mm. The same holds true for the upgrade at “810” hot-rolling mill.

Implementation of each of the above mentioned initiatives enabled the plant to raise tube output which are in demand in the market today, as well as reduce costs of operating.

Obviously, technical upgrade projects will be continued at the plant upon completion of the above said ones. According to NP, the plant’s management submitted new proposals concerning strategic development of NMP for consideration by regional authorities.

Main grade assortment of the plant named after Kuzmin:

— carbon, alloy and high-alloy steel.

Main products:

— flat products, cold-rolled strip, hot-rolled bands;
— general purpose pipes, electric-welded tubes for water and gas conveyance, electric-welded cold-worked tubes of improved and precise accuracy;
— electric-welded cold-worked tubes for drive shafts;
— electric-welded shaped (square, rectangular) tubes;
— steel molded section.