OREANDA-NEWS. October 29, 2009. MMK received a visit from a Renault-Nissan delegation whose purpose was to evaluate MMK's preparedness to produce steel sheet for the automaker.

The delegation led by Patrice Gervois, the company's Supplier Project Manager, comprised experts of Renault-Nissan and OJSC Avtoframos, a Moscow-based company producing cars under the Renault brand. The delegates made a tour of practically the entire auto sheet production chain, from the BOF Shop to Rolling Shops ## 10 and 5 to the Coating Shop. Besides, the guests visited OJSC MMK's rolled steel mechanical and chemical tests laboratory.

At the final meeting the delegates stated that Renault-Nissan is ready to work with MMK as regards supplies of certain steel grades which can be used in the production of the Logan brand cars (such as DD13, DC04 and DC05), and in future brands which are currently under development. The delegates showed an interest in MMK's project for the construction of a new, 2,000 mm cold rolling mill (Rolling Shop 11) which will be able to supply automakers with a premium quality cold rolled and galvanized sheet, including sheet from high strength grades.

The next stages of MMK auto sheet's acceptance by Renault-Nissan will be the completion of tests on samples previously sent to Renault-Nissan's Central Department of Materials Engineering in Paris, France, the provision of new requested samples for approval, and the finalization of contractual and pricing matters. The automaker's delegates were confident that as early as next year MMK's steel would already be used in the production of Logan cars.

MMK has a long and successful record of supplying auto sheet to Russia's largest automakers, such as Avtovaz, Gaz, Kamaz, Sollers, Izhavto and others. Last year MMK shipped about 550,000 tons of auto sheet to the automotive sector. MMK's steel is also gaining recognition from the global automakers Volkswagen, General Motors, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Hyundai-Kia, and the auto components manufacturers Benteler Automobiltechnik, Hayes Lemmerz, Valeo, DiPOS, PALAD.