OREANDA-NEWS. Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol of Metinvest Group actively works over competitive ability improvement, diversifies product range and increases metal quality while reducing cost. In 2013 the company mastered five new metal product types.

Over the last year the company organized rolled plate production from Steel Grades SS540, Grade 60 type 1 and Grade 65 type 3. Electric Welded Pipe Shop (EWPS) started output of round electric welded pipes having diameter of 57 mm.

Ilyich Iron and Steel carries on work on certificates extensions (prolongations) and receiving new international quality certificates. Thus, in 2013 TUV SUD technical supervision took place for product mix of Cold Rolling Shop, sheet and plate rolling shops “3000“ and “1700” and EWPS. Quality certificates were extended for ship building rolled production in accordance with Lloyd Register Rules (LR), Italian shipping register (RINA), Germanischer Lloyd (GL). Conformity Declarations were developed and approved to confirm the company's metal products meeting the requirements of European standards.

Production practices were revised and quality control was intensified in a series of the company's shops with the purpose of product rejection reduction and defect minimization. Implementation of new combined casting train assembly patterns for Open Hearth Shop allowed to improve ingot surface quality, and high carbon steel grades manufacturing practice with low hydrogen content introduced in BOF Shop allowed to reduce the hazard of metal breakouts. Generally for 2014 about 150 measures are scheduled aimed at output quality improvement.

In addition, the company's process engineers reduce expenses. Thus, a practice was introduced at Blast Furnace 2 on casting yard main chutes lining with refractory concretes which optimized repair process. Fuel oil and natural gas consumption was reduced during production of open hearth steel due to hot metal flow rate increase.

“We revised and approved target quality values for each production department. High quality steel and rolled products certified according to international standards at competitive price are our image and guarantee new sales markets for our company”, stated Yuriy Zinchenko, Director General of “Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol”, PJSC.