OREANDA-NEWS. On 01 September 2009 was announced, that Severstal-metiz: Welding Consumables, the downstream business of Severstal-metiz, became the holder of certificates of some of the most authoritative organisations.

Seven types of electrodes and six types of flux-cored welding wire have received the approval of the Powder Metallurgy Institute (Minsk, Belarus). Nine types of electrodes (ANO-36, MR-3A, ANO-4, ANO-21, ANO-TM, MR-3, UONI 13/45, UONI 13/55, UONI 13/45A) have got the certificate of the Scientific-Technical Center of Quality assurance and Certification SEPROZ of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The National Agency of Non-Destructive Testing and Welding (NAKS) is the most respected organisation for the control of the quality of welding equipment and consumables in Russia and the CIS. ,It has issued approval certificates for the most marketable types of electrodes UONI 13/55, MR-3, MR-3A and for welding wire for large-diameter pipes.

The auditors visited the Cherepovets and Orel sites of the business, reviewed the production process, examined the Quality Management System, studied standard and technical documentation, selected samples and tested them on-site (testing the factory laboratories concurrently). All the expert organisations confirmed that the products of the Russian business comply with the essential technical requirements.

In fact, Severstal-metiz has previously received some of these certificates. But in 2009 the welding consumables production was transformed into an independent business unit, so the documents needed to be reissued for the new corporate entity.

Currently the welding consumables are undergoing certification of conformity with the steelwork and steel bridge structural standards. These standards are mandatory in the use of the consumables in bridge, buildings, and space structural construction. They also indicate exceptional reliability of the products.