OREANDA-NEWS. May 18, 2009. Azovstal Steel Plant operating under umbrella of Metinvest Group won the Ukrainian national contest "Invention - 2008" in category "The Best Mining & Metals Invention - 2008" for the invention "Method of rolled metal production" and in the category "The Best Invention in Donetsk Region" for a utility model "Crystallizer for continuous casting", reported the press-centre of Azovstal.

Azovstal specialists constantly improve and optimize production and seek to raise efficiency of the plant's operations. "Method of rolled metal production" has been adopted in the plant's steel plate shop in strip production. The innovation lies in a special chemical composition of steel and methods of its processing. It improves the quality of rolled products after treatment, in particular their strength, plasticity and cold resistance. Pipes produced by Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant with this technology are used in the project "Central Asia - China" and others. 

The utility model "Crystallizer for continuous casting" helps improve the quality of metal products by minimizing the surface imperfections of concast billets. Originality and creativity of this solution lies in the knurling method of crystallizer walls, which reduces flat products rejection by 1.3%. The model has been successfully tested in Azovstal converter shop.

Both invention bids have been developed by Azovstal specialists, from senior managers to workers, with participation of employees from Bardin Central R&D Institute.

"Our business will improve its competitive position with help of innovations and development of new products that satisfy the highest requirements of customers.  It is especially important at the time of the global drop in demand for metal products", said Jack MacLachlan, Director of Steel and Rolled Metal Division of METINVEST HOLDING.