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NEWS 1.

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NEWS 2.

Bahrain-based Foulath plans to build 4 iron plants across the region in an attempt to become the main supplier of raw materials to the growing steel industry. Foulath's proposed plants in Egypt, Bahrain and Oman would source iron ore from mines in Brazil and refine it into more than 30 million tonnes of iron pellets suitable for direct reduction. Two plants to be built in Alexandria and Suez in Egypt and one in Salalah, Oman will each produce 7 million tonnes of iron pellets annually. Engineering, procurement and construction contracts for the Salalah plant and one of the Egyptian plants would be awarded by the Q4 of this year, with a contract for the second plant in Egypt expected late next year. Foulath is also looking at getting involved directly in the mining business through buying stakes in mines in Brazil, Australia and Europe. The firm will target initial production of 20 million tonnes of ore per year.

NEWS 3.

Richco Inc. has announced the release of its new stainless steel cable ties, the MT series. The MT series provides a strong and durable method for fastening. They offer a tensile strength up to 250lbs and are suitable for all indoor and outdoor applications. The series is able to withstand extreme temperatures up to 1000F. They are radiation, vibration, flame, and corrosion resistant. The series is RoHS compliant.

NEWS 4.

A feature of Kemppi\'s three-phase Mastertig MLS 3000 and 3003 AC/DC welding systems is the Microtack function, available on the optional ACX control panel. This function has been specifically developed to tack weld carbon, stainless steel and titanium thin sheet components up to around 4mm thickness. Microtack welding resembles spot welding in that it uses a high current pulse to create a low heat input to weld thin sheet materials and thin sheet to thicker sheet materials. This method of TIG welding is made possible by the control technology used in the Kemppi power source, which creates a tailored current pulse that is efficient and fast, a matter of a few dozen milliseconds to create the low heat input. The result is a clean, small tack weld, which is similar to a laser weld in appearance and characteristics, resulting in lower risks in burn.

NEWS 5.

Fischer has added the FMP Series to its product line, including the Feritscope FMP30 for the measurement of ferrite content in austentic and duplex steel. Other new instruments in the FMP series include the Deltascope FMP10, Isoscope FMP10, Dualscope FMP20, Deltascope FMP30, Isoscope FMP30, Dualscope FMP40, and Dualscope FMP100 coating thickness gauges. These instruments offer a large and bright graphic display with a durable shock resistant casing. A large selection of probes are interchangeable for the new FMP Series yielding accuracy and a wide measurement range.

NEWS 6.

Höganäs AB has launched a new brazing filler metal BrazeLet™ F300, for high temperature brazing of stainless steel applications used in extreme environments. The iron chromium-based product is the first in a new generation of brazing filler metals. The brazing filler metal offers flow properties that are conducive to optimally filled joints and leak free results. BrazeLet™ F300 is suitable for use in applications for extreme environments. In addition, the brazed joint\'s composition is similar to that of stainless steel, enabling a more homogenous application.

NEWS 7.

Ursa Major Minerals of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is shipping 10,000tns of stockpiled nickel-copper ore from its Shakespeare mine to Xstrata Nickel\'s Strathcona mill in Sudbury, Ontario. The sample will be evaluated for its suitability for blending with Xstrata\'s own ore. Delivery is to be completed by the end of June 2009.

NEWS 8.

Toledo Mining Corp. has announced that in its Berong Nickel Mine project, no laterite nickel ore was mined or hauled during the quarter ended March 31 and the operation remained on Care and Maintenance. 0.297 million tonnes of ore remained stockpiled at the coast at the end of March awaiting shipment. Of the stockpiled ore, 0.15 million tonnes meets the BHP Billiton quality specifications, the remainder being lower in nickel and iron grade. Shipments to BHP Billiton\'s Yabulu refinery in Australia are expected to recommence towards the end of April. The Yabulu plant returned to operation in late March after a lengthy shutdown due to excessive rainfall.

NEWS 9.

Outokumpu is providing a short webinar about the fabrication of duplex stainless steel grades. Learn more about the situations where duplex grades provide clear and cost-efficient alternatives to traditional austenitic grades and how the whole range of duplex stainless steel shows good fabricability. Presenting this topic will be Erik Schedin, Manager - Product Development & Design Outokumpu Avesta Research Center, who will speak about fabrication in duplex stainless steel, focusing on two applications: storage tanks, and pressure vessels/domestic water heaters. \"Fabrication in duplex stainless steel\" will be presented on 22 April 2009.

NEWS 10.

Sumitomo Corp. has announced that it has acquired a 70% stake in the project company which owns and operates the Kwinana power plant in Australia. The Kwinana power plant is a 320MW natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant which is located nearby Perth and has been in good operation since its commissioning in November 2008. Power produced in the Kwinana power plant is sold to Synergy based on a long-term off take agreement. The project company stake was originally owned 70% by Babcock & Brown Power Ltd and 30% by ERM Power. Sumitomo acquired the 70% stake, which was originally owned by BBP through Summit Southern Cross Power Pty Ltd, which is the holding company totally owned by Sumitomo.

NEWS 11.

CS Unitec\'s new Eco Brazing (EB) diamond grinding discs reduce sparking to 1% of that produced by resinoid wheels, making these discs suitable for use in hazardous environments such as nuclear plants, and oil and gas industries. Reduced sparking decreases the fire hazard from sparks and also increases the visibility of the workpiece, allowing more accurate grinding. The EB diamond grinding discs are suitable for grinding steel, stainless steel and other materials. Available in grits from 30 to 80 on disc sizes 4in, 4-1/2in, 5in and 7in in diameter, the disc\'s light weight allows for high-rotation grinding on portable angle grinders. Additionally, its high-yield steel backing plate is elastic, helping to ensure that operators do no grind the material by over removal. The EB diamond wheel wears approximately 1% as much as a resinoid wheel, therefore increasing the tool life and significantly reducing the amount of abrasive dust emitted.

NEWS 12.

Baosteel has successfully developed nickel alloy oil casing in early 2008 and has realized the potential to develop bulk production. The manufacturing technology for the product has been dominated by foreign producers for many years. The product finds wide applications in China National Petroleum Corp.\'s natural gas field in Sichuan Longgang and applied 8 patents in craft and technology. Baosteel now has successfully developed 2 specs and several grades of nickel alloy oil casing.

NEWS 13.

Goldman Sachs has published its commodities outlook for 2009, which predicted the nickel market to be in surplus throughout its forecast period. It states that, despite a brutal de-stocking in the second half of 2007 and throughout 2008, the prospects for nickel demand remain sluggish. Nickel prices dropped more than 50% in 2008 and LME warehouse stocks fell 108tns to 78,804tns, but are still close to their highest level since July 1995. Despite a small rally in the past week, there had not been any turnaround from stainless steel manufacturers. Mincor Resources, Australia\'s third-largest nickel producer, has shut its Miitel mine. Mining giant Xstrata has cut its nickel production, Consolidated Minerals has axed staff at its Kambalda nickel mine and Minara Resources laid off 200 workers at its Murrin Murrin mine in July, shelving a USD 300 million expansion. Norilsk Nickel has put its Waterloo and Silver Swan nickel mines in Western Australia into care and maintenance. Its Cawse nickel laterite operation in the same region was suspended indefinitely in October 2008 after being shut in June.

NEWS 14.

RathGibson has appointed Michael Schwartz to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr Schwartz joined RathGibson in April 2008 as the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). He assumed the position of interim CEO in August 2008. Before joining RathGibson, Mr Schwartz served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Airoom Inc. In addition, he brings over 15 years of progressively responsible experience with companies within Lennox International Inc., including President and COO for Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration, Lennox North American Distributed Products, and Armstrong Air; Vice-President for Heatcraft Commercial Products; and Sales and Marketing Director for the Heatcraft Heat Transfer Group.

NEWS 15.

Rolled Alloys Inc. has elected Mr Paul K Whitcraft director of quality, safety and engineering as the chairman of the 2009 ASTM International board of directors. Mr Whitcraft since 1975 has been active in several ASTM committees: A01 on steel, stainless steel and related alloys; B02 on nonferrous metals and alloys; E01 on analytical chemistry for metals, ores and related materials; F04 on medical and surgical materials and devices; and G01 on corrosion of metals. Mr Whitcraft currently chairs B02.07 on refined nickel and cobalt and their alloys, and he is the secretary for ISO TC155 subcommittee 2 on wrought and cast nickel and nickel alloys, for which B02.92 is the US Technical Advisory Group.

NEWS 16.

Titanium Industries Inc. has announced the hiring of Gary Martin to lead its High Performance Metal Division. Mr Martin will assume the position of Director. In this newly created position Mr Martin will be responsible for the business of all non-titanium metal products on a global basis. He comes to HPM from ATI Allvac where he was most recently involved in product management for all steel, nickel shapes and rectangles and nickel shafts. Gary Martin will be located in Harrisburg, North Carolina and will report to Jeff Wise, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

NEWS 17.

According to London-based research company CRU, stainless-steel production will fall for a third year in 2009 as steel mills use up stockpiles and demand weakens. Production will fall less than 1% after last year\'s 7% plunge, the biggest drop in at least 20 years, Vanessa Davidson, managing consultant for the nickel and chrome group at CRU, said in an interview by phone on 12 January. Prices of nickel, used to make stainless steel, have dropped 65% in the past two years as stainless steel output declined from a peak in 2006. Macquarie Group Ltd\'s forecast for 2009 stainless-steel production has been cut by 24% from an estimate made a year ago, the most of six commodities including copper, aluminum and carbon steel. Its nickel production estimate is down 19%. Output of stainless steel dropped to 26.6 million metric tons last year, with producers from China, the largest supplier, to Japan, the US and Taiwan cutting back, CRU\'s Ms Davidson said. ThyssenKrupp AG said in November it would cut stainless steel output by 25% in the first half of this year as weakening demand from carmakers and builders hits sales. Finland-based Outokumpu Oyj last month cut its fourth-quarter profit target in December. Stainless-steel production worldwide fell 0.3% in 2007 after climbing almost 15% in 2006, according to CRU. Stainless steel makes up about 65% of demand for nickel.

NEWS 18.

LEFON Machining and Engineering Group has released its SquareDevil3.0, the portable tube squaring machine designed to flatten thin wall tube end, making it burr-free, and perfect perpendicular to the axis of the tube. After squaring, the tube would be ready for orbital welding or other tube fabrication, suitable for high purity / high sanitary industry use, such as beverage, dairy, pharmaceutics, water treatment, food, semi-conductor industry, etc. The SquareDevil3.0 is suitable for most metals including stainless steel, nickel and carbon steels. A wide range of stainless steel collets (clamp) are available, to work on tubes with OD from 1/4in to 3in. The unit can face tube wall thicknesses of up to 3mm and comes with a 120/220 V powerful Metabo electrical motor. A full range of drill bits are available.

NEWS 19.

Hypertherm has announced the acquisition of the core assets of MTC Software, a developer of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software used by the sheet and plate processing industry. MTC\'s software product helps companies in the metal cutting industry optimize their cuts so that cut quality and productivity are improved while producing less scrap. The CAM software is used in conjunction with CNC systems for oxy-fuel, plasma, waterjet, laser and other cutting processes. Hypertherm does not plan any significant changes to MTC\'s operations as a result of this purchase. MTC headquarters will remain in Lockport, New York and its 40 associates will continue to work at their current locations. MTC has offices and distribution partners throughout the world.

NEWS 20.

The European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) will celebrate 20-years of service to its Member Organisations, Companies and Individual Members in 2009. Originally formed in 1989, the EPMA\'s main purpose and mission remains the promotion of using the Powder Metallurgy manufacturing process over other competing manufacturing processes. Since its conception, the EPMA has worked to promote the interests of EPMA Members and the entire European Powder Metal Industry to an international audience. Now in its 20th year the EPMA plans to celebrate this milestone with a special EPMA Newsletter, a retrospective view of the last 20 years of the EPMA. As part of the year-long celebration a special Anniversary Dinner is planned to coincide with the EPMA\'s Annual Meeting, April 2009. A 20th birthday party is also planned to take place at the Euro PM2009 Congress & Exhibition to thank its members for their support during the period. As a starting point for the 20th Anniversary celebrations a special EPMA logo has been created to help promote this special occasion and will be available in January 2009. Details on the further anniversary activities will be posted on the EPMA website, www.epma.com in the near future or via Email News/EPMA Newsletter.

NEWS 21.

India\'s Prime Minster Mr Prasada said in front of Parliament that India intends to start antidumping investigation on CR stainless sheet and HR steel import from China and other countries. At the same time, the representatives of other State authorities of India noticed that any antidumping actions are very difficult in the conditions of import slump. Import duties introduced recently for steel are already protecting domestic market from cheap Chinese products. However, the Prime Minister mentioned in his written reply to the Parlament\'s inquiry that domestic steel prices were averagely lower than the prices in foreign markets. That is why the government is going to check if import pries are lower than domestic. From April to November 2008 India imported 4.06 million ton of steel. To compare: in the same period of 2007 import made 4.75 million ton. Correspondent figures for China are 1.09 million ton and 1.33 million ton.

NEWS 22.

Australian-based Mincor Resources will shut one of its main mines in December 2008 to cut expenses as prices continue at pre-boom lows. Miitel, which had significant capital requirements, will be closed for up to six months, with the decision to re-open depending on the price of nickel. The company has stated that there are no plans to close further mines.

NEWS 23.

In November of this year The Shredder Co. signed an agreement with the China-based firm Tisco. Under the deal, The Shredder Co. will supply a 10,000hp 124 SXS shredding plant to the company. The shredding plant is capable of producing 700,000tn of product a year. The material generated will include shredded steel scrap, shredded stainless steel sheet, cooling scrap for carbon steel and cooling scrap for stainless steel. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of next year. Total investment in the plans is more than USD 15 million.

NEWS 24.

Xinxin Mining Industry Co., China\'s second-largest producer of nickel, will buy three nickel-copper mines in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for USD 79 million to add reserves. The Xinjiang-based firm has sealed two framework deals with Alexis Investments Ltd for the acquisition.

NEWS 25.

Acinox Tunas, a Cuba-based stainless steel production plant, has exceeded the production of stainless steel destined for public works. The program has been developed by the Cuban state to benefit the country\'s economy and population. The plant has plans to produce 118,000tns of billets and 44,000tns of corrugated bars in 2009.

NEWS 26.

Roll-Kraft has implemented a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to coordinate the information, resources, and activities within the company. This system uses a modular format to maintain data and allow easy access by various departments to the basic functions of the business.

NEWS 27.

Siemens Ltd has appointed Mr Sunil Mathur executive director of Siemens Ltd as its CFO effective 1 December 2008. He has taken over the responsibilities from Mr Patrick de Royer who has completed his tenure of three years as a CFO.

NEWS 28.

The Kazakhstan-based titanium and magnesium manufacturer UKTMP has ordered a compacting press for titanium sponge from Siempelkamp. UKTMP will use the new press to compact titanium sponge. With the help of a press, the titanium sponge is formed into compacts which are assembled to an electrode welded under a protective gas atmosphere. The electrode is remelted at least twice inside a vacuum arc furnace. The new press works in two directions, and has a press capacity is 2 x 80 MN and thus a specific forming pressure is obtained which is new to the forming of titanium sponge in large compacts. This leads to a higher firmness of the compacts which ultimately results in improved processability of vacuum arc re-melting. The Siempelkamp order includes the engineering, manufacture and delivery of the press, the hydraulic system, an automatic tooling system with various press tools as well as the complete system control with visualization. The scope of supply also includes the supervision of the installation as well as the startup and adjustment processes of the press. The press is scheduled to be delivered in June 2009, and the press tools in September of 2009.

NEWS 29.

A consortium of investors, two of whom have extensive experience in the Steel Industry, has bought Atlas Specialty Metals (ASM). Mr Peter Smaller of Southern Steel and a past director of Atlas will now chair the board and Mr Steven Annear formally of Smorgon Steel will assume the role of MD. Atlas will retain its name and brand identity but will now operate as a private company. The purchase of Atlas was based on the following fundamentals: the strength of Atlas\'s people; the strength of the Atlas brand; and its market position and ongoing opportunities for the company.

NEWS 30.

Taigang Stainless Steel Co. is planning to launch an overhaul for its number 5 rolling plant in early November, which mainly produces HR medium plate. The mill has not yet said how production will be affected by the overhaul and it remains unclear whether it will affect its medium plate supply in the coming month.

NEWS 31.
Jiangsu Changying Stainless Steel Pipe Co. Ltd has announced that it has put its stainless steel pipeline into production. The production line has been financed with a total investment of CNY 50 million. The line, designed with an annual capacity of 5000tns, will mainly produce stainless steel pipe with diameters of 6mm to 530mm and thickness of 1mm to 40mm. The products will be exported to overseas market.
NEWS 32.
Atlas Iron Ltd has received final environmental approval from the Western Australian Minister for Environment for the Pardoo DSO Project. The Pardoo Iron Ore Project is located 75km by road from the port of Port Hedland, in the Pilbara of Western Australia. Upgrade of the Pardoo Project to 3 million tonnes per annum and the approval for the Abydos project to operate at 3 million tonnes per annum are expected late this year.
NEWS 33.
KTE2000CS submersible OEM pressure sensors are new sensors from Sensortechnics that offer precision hydrostatic low-level measurement from only 50mbar Full Scale. The KTE2000CS series consists of highly accurate capacitive ceramic pressure cells in a stainless steel construction. The series is compatible with many corrosive and aggressive liquids. The KTE2000CS transmitters are calibrated and temperature compensated from -20...+70C and provide a 4...20mA output signal. A special cable with an integrated vent tube allows a true reference pressure to the sensor element and eliminates errors due to atmospheric pressure changes. The sensor is protected against environmental conditions to the IP68 standard and withstands overpressures of up to 10 times the rated pressure. Sensortechnics' submersible KTE2000CS transmitters can be used for a wide range of OEM level control applications. Typical examples include industrial level measurement in tanks and liquid containers as well as water level measurement.
NEWS 34.
Crane ChemPharma Flow Solutions has released the Stratus(TM) PTFE-lined silicone hose, the first hybrid hose of its type created for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical applications. Designed to ensure zero entrapment potential, the new hose maintains maximum purity for the delivery of product. The hose's construction eliminates potential contamination in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical processing, utilities and cleaning applications. The hybrid hose's natural smooth bore Teflon® PTFE liner is flared through a platinum-cured stainless steel wire and fabric reinforced silicone shell. The Teflon® PTFE liner increases the hose's ability to endure intense cleaning temperatures or corrosive properties of detergents and solvents. Effectively eliminating the hose as a potential contributor to contamination, the hose's design ensures zero entrapment potential by replacing the crimped end of standard silicone hoses with the flare, which provides uninterrupted product contact surface. The construction of the hose also provides maximum drainability and minimal absorption of product. The Stratus (TM) hose, is available in sizes ranging from 0.5 to 2in in diameter.
NEWS 35.
Voith Turbo has released a completely revised product catalog describing its line of universal joint shafts. The catalog contains technical data on universal joint shafts, as well as presents complementing products and services. The operating principle of a universal joint shaft is explained and selection aids assist with choosing the correct shaft from the catalog. Voith universal joint shafts are not simple pieces of machinery, but rather high-tech mechanical products that can transmit torques far in excess of 10,000kNm – this is about 40,000 times the torque generated by the engine in a mid-sized automobile. The largest shafts sometimes weigh more than 50mt and have a diameter of 1.30m. Such high-performance universal joint shafts are used primarily in rolling mills in the steel industry. Universal joint shafts from Voith are also found in paper machines, locomotives, marine propulsion applications and test stands.
NEWS 36.
Valgro Engineers Private Ltd has increased the production capacity of the biggest brush producer in the world and has earned the title of the world's largest roller brush producer. The brush size is 600mm OD x 2150mm length, the largest brush for stainless steel and coil finishing with a variety of grit for various finishes. Valgro Fynex brushes are suitable for flat surfaces and present uniform hairline satin matt finishing on ferrous and non-ferrous metal surfaces.
NEWS 37.
Lincoln Electric's Power Wave® family has expanded with the C300, a portable, multi-process power source specifically designed with high-end functionality for a wide variety of materials and applications. It is suitable for applications and materials where arc performance is critical - including aluminum, stainless steel and nickel. The Power Wave C300 provides one machine for nearly every weld job imaginable including production welding, construction, aerospace, automotive repair, general fabrication or a training environment. The C300 features Lincoln's new patent-pending PowerConnect(TM) Technology, which allows you to automatically switch from 200-600 volts, 50 or 60hz and single- or three-phase welding with no manual reconnect. This technology provides a constant welding output with an incredible input line voltage compensation range of up to +43% and down to -60% when used on 460 VAC input. The C300 also utilizes the latest patent pending Tribrid(TM) Power Module that offers an 88% efficiency at 250 amps and a power factor of 0.97. Included with the C300 is the new Production Monitoring(TM) 2 software as a standard feature that enables weld data to be monitored and stored. It's Waveform Control Technology® provides arc performance focused on high quality and increased productivity and allows users to choose from RapidArc®, Power Mode® and future applications that can be downloaded free of charge from www.powerwavesoftware.com.
NEWS 38.
The European Commission is expected to oppose new duties on stainless steel products imported from China, South Korea and Taiwan. The case is one of several closely watched trade disputes between the EU and China. European steel producers have been particularly concerned about low-cost Chinese imports, asking the commission to investigate trade in at least three steel products over the past year. The commission presented its decision at a meeting of the EU's antidumping committee, officials said. The majority of European countries supported it, but a few, such as Italy, had reservations, officials said. The decision isn't final. The commission, the EU's executive arm, must make a definitive proposal within six months, which then is voted on by EU countries. The commission in its investigation found the European steel industry has suffered, one of the criteria for imposing antidumping duties, but didn't see evidence that steel imports from China, South Korea or Taiwan were the cause. The decision applies to stainless steel cold rolled flat products, which are used in automobiles, household appliances and a range of other products. The commission is also considering antidumping duties on wire rod and hot dipped steel from China.
NEWS 39.
Lincoln Electric's Power Wave® family has expanded with the C300, a portable, multi-process power source specifically designed with high-end functionality for a wide variety of materials and applications. It is suitable for applications and materials where arc performance is critical - including aluminum, stainless steel and nickel. The Power Wave C300 provides one machine for nearly every weld job imaginable including production welding, construction, aerospace, automotive repair, general fabrication or a training environment. The C300 features Lincoln's new patent-pending PowerConnect(TM) Technology, which allows you to automatically switch from 200-600 volts, 50 or 60hz and single- or three-phase welding with no manual reconnect. This technology provides a constant welding output with an incredible input line voltage compensation range of up to +43% and down to -60% when used on 460 VAC input. The C300 also utilizes the latest patent pending Tribrid(TM) Power Module that offers an 88% efficiency at 250 amps and a power factor of 0.97. Included with the C300 is the new Production Monitoring(TM) 2 software as a standard feature that enables weld data to be monitored and stored. It's Waveform Control Technology® provides arc performance focused on high quality and increased productivity and allows users to choose from RapidArc®, Power Mode® and future applications that can be downloaded free of charge from www.powerwavesoftware.com.
NEWS 40.
The European Commission is expected to oppose new duties on stainless steel products imported from China, South Korea and Taiwan. The case is one of several closely watched trade disputes between the EU and China. European steel producers have been particularly concerned about low-cost Chinese imports, asking the commission to investigate trade in at least three steel products over the past year. The commission presented its decision at a meeting of the EU's antidumping committee, officials said. The majority of European countries supported it, but a few, such as Italy, had reservations, officials said. The decision isn't final. The commission, the EU's executive arm, must make a definitive proposal within six months, which then is voted on by EU countries. The commission in its investigation found the European steel industry has suffered, one of the criteria for imposing antidumping duties, but didn't see evidence that steel imports from China, South Korea or Taiwan were the cause. The decision applies to stainless steel cold rolled flat products, which are used in automobiles, household appliances and a range of other products. The commission is also considering antidumping duties on wire rod and hot dipped steel from China.
NEWS 41.
Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. has reached a new 5 year collective bargaining agreement with the hourly employees at its Bridgeville facility represented by Local 9531 of the United Steelworkers. The new contract maintains the flexible work rule terms and profit sharing incentives contained in the prior agreement.
NEWS 42.
Klad Manufacturing Co. Ltd has partnered with Arc Specialties, the Houston-based provider of automated welding solutions to a variety of industries, to offer a proprietary hot-wire GTAW weld overlay process aimed at subsea piping and other applications. The venture will do business as Kladarc, and will be located at Klad's facilities at 403 South Loop West in Houston, USA. Kladarc will specialize in the production of Hot-Wire Alloy 625 GTAW overlay for subsea pipe applications. Weld deposit reliability will be achieved through the use of advanced controls, pulsed arc with oscillation and 100% capture of welding and inspection data to allow quantitative analysis. Kladarc overlay systems offer the following: pipe weld overlay using dual torches for two layers meeting 3.0mm minimum thickness with very low dilution (maximum 5% Fe) in the deposit; the dual torches have Automatic Arc Voltage Control for real-time height adjustments; real-time CCTV remote weld monitoring of each torch for accurate placement and viewing with recording capabilities for data storage; data logging of weld parameters per customers' requirements; parallel capabilities to provide fittings, flanges, and other components to supply the complete project requirements; software to develop and customize data storage of production records with full traceability per Client and project specifications; and other quantitative analytical opportunities with stored data to further enhance reliability.
NEWS 43.
Arcos Industries LLC's new bare wire and covered stainless steel electrodes, Arcos 310, have been manufactured for high temperature welding applications. The bare wire version of Arcos 310 (ER310) is designed to deliver high temperature oxidation resistance up to 2100F. This electrode is suitable for welding in chemical processing and nuclear power plants as well as for furnace and heat treatment equipment. The covered Arcos 310 electrode (E310) is also utilized for chemical processing plants and nuclear facilities. In addition, this wire is used to weld stainless steel of similar composition in cast and wrought form as well as surfacing low alloy steels where 310 deposit is required.
NEWS 44.
The Sri Lankan Board of Investment has approved a venture to establish a project to manufacture stainless steel sinks for the local market. Prince Royal Lanka Ltd is a JV between Valli Steel Industries of India and St Anthony's Hardware Ltd. The INR 90 million investment is carried out under Nipayum Sri Lanka 300 Enterprises Program. Mr Dhammika Perera chairman & director general signed the agreement on behalf of the BOI. St Anthony's Hardware Ltd currently imports 15,000 stainless steel sinks per month from Valli Steel Industries and holds around 65% of the market share. The JV will establish a stainless steel sink manufacturing plant at the Industrial Estate Pallekele in Kundasale. The plant is expected to commence production in February 2009 and operate at a production capacity of 20,000 sinks per month.
NEWS 45.
Spain-based Excavaciones Hermanos Otin Piedrafita has purchased a new Sandvik Rammer BR7013 hydraulic hammer to increase the company's productivity in the hard rock of the Pyrenean foothills. In the region of Alto Aragon, where Spain is separated from its French neighbours by the Pyrenees, it is here, amid the hard, mountainous rock, that contractor plies its trade and where the company is putting to work its new Sandvik BR7013 hydraulic hammer. Supplied by Spain-based importer Angel A Santamaria via local dealer Macarsan, the 7t BR7013 is the largest, most powerful hydraulic hammer in the Sandvik Rammer range. The Sandvik Rammer BR7013, formerly know as the Rammer G 130, is designed for use with carriers in the 60 to 100t. Equipped with a chisel tool, the 7t hammer develops an impact energy of 15,000 Joules, and is supplied with the Rammer CITY sound suppression system as standard, reducing noise emissions to 85dB(A) at 30m distance. It is also piped for the Sandvik Rammer dust suppression package. For reduced wear on both the hammer and the carrier, vibration dampening is improved and tool diameters are increased. The use of a dust-proof housing, dust-proof tool retaining pin locking system and the optional Ramlube automatic lubrication system also help reduce wear and extend working life.
NEWS 46.
Stolt-Nielsen S.A. has announced that its subsidiary Stolt Tank Containers (STC) has completed its previously announced agreement to acquire the tank-container operations of Taby Group, following the approval of German regulatory authorities. The transaction is effective from 1 October 2008. Stolt Tank Containers is a provider of door-to-door global logistics and transportation services for bulk liquid chemicals and food-grade products. STC operates the world's largest fleet of stainless steel ISO tank containers, with nearly 26,000 currently in service, including many specialised units for aggressive or high-purity products, compressed gases and cryogenic cargoes, and manages more than 80 fleets of tank containers on behalf of its customers.
NEWS 47.
Transactions of nickel-based stainless CR sheets for October 2008 shipments have come to a virtual standstill in East Asia where a wait and see position is predominating among stainless steel manufacturers and their customers. In China, major stainless steel manufacturers such as Taiyuan Iron & Steel Group Co. have yet to announce domestic sales prices of products for October 2008 shipments even after China's anniversary of its founding. Taiwan's stainless steel operators have reduced what they charge for export sales by TWD 4000pt. But their export negotiations look slow to go forward for firm deals. Japan's stainless steel producers have offered what they export at USD 3300 to USD 3400pt FOB, which brought bids of USD 3000 to USD 3100pt FOB. But the bids were retracted in no time. China's current Wuxi stainless steel market is assessed at CNY 24,500pt after tax for Ni-based sheets of 2mm thick. By comparison, stainless steel majors quoted their products at CNY 28,600pt after tax for September shipments. It is considered certain that they will reduce what they charge for October shipments to meet a spread of CNY 4100pt between the going market and the asking price. Stainless steel demand itself doesn't necessarily stop. Some customers indicate intent to negotiate for purchases. But what they hope to take is half the normal level, while their bids stand at a fairly low level in anticipation of a more fall in stainless steel prices. Accordingly, the Japanese steelmakers find themselves discouraged from conducting negotiations on what they sell.
NEWS 48.
According to Cento Inox, a building know as "La Nave" (The Ship), because of its typical cantilever body looking on to corso Italia shaped like a prow, has recently been renovated. Particular care has been placed in the decoration of the public walkway by means of street-furnished elements made of EN 1.4301 (AISI 304) stainless steel, and of a crystal shelter in front of the main entry, which is also lined with stainless steel panels. Along the walkway a "safety island" system has been planned, which besides forbidding unauthorized car parking, makes the right direction of the internal passageway immediately understandable. The lighting system is housed in the parpet carter, which is made of 2mm thick satin-finished stainless steel sheets processed by a bending press, and in which openings have been made for placing the lamps close to the ground. The parpet has been made using 1mm high angle-bent posts, housed in satin-finished 60 x 80mm stainless steel plate bases. The upper banister handrail is made of a satin-finished stainless steel 42mm tube fastened to the top of the posts and provided with plugs at the ends. Furthermore, horizontal solid tubes made of AISI 304 stainless steel have been fitted between the posts by means of 8 loops. This solution ensures greater strength and stiffness to the whole structure.
NEWS 49.
T.C. Service Co.'s new right angle pneumatic grinder is suitable for stainless steel fabricators and those working with aluminum. The new 330 RAD series geared grinders feature smaller heads in both diameter and height, thus allowing effective work in tighter more space restricted surface areas. Available in a .4 hp and a powerful .7 hp motor the new grinders are well suited for precision surface conditioning and finishing. A variety of speeds are available to meet surface and abrasive requirement.
NEWS 50.
Atlas Iron Ltd has received final environmental approval from the minister for environment for the Pardoo DSO Project. Atlas owns 100% of the Pardoo Iron Ore Project, which is located 75km by road from the port of Port Hedland, in the Pipoundara of Western Australia. Off take agreements are at a very mature stage. Atlas' iron ore marketing team is currently working to finalize off take agreements and we expect to disclose those arrangements very shortly.
NEWS 51.
On 28th September 2008 Panzhihua Steel announced that Panhong Vanadium produced 4200tns of ferrovanadium through August. The qualification rate of its high vanadium ferroalloy stays over 90% and A grade rate remains over 60%. With Panhong Vanadium’s new ferrovanadium production line, Panzhihua Steel has had an annual capacity of 4000tns of high vanadium ferroalloy and 8000tns of ferrovanadium, making it the largest ferrovanadium producer in China.
NEWS 52.
Wrabacon Inc. now manufactures stainless steel packaging line for Ocean Spray. This line will consist of stainless steel conveyor equipment to transport fresh cranberries received from the bogs, which are cleaned, optically inspected, sorted, and sent directly to 7 vertical bagging machines. Wrabacon Inc. manufactured the packaging line stainless steel wash down duty conveyors to the Ocean Spray specification for cleanliness and sanitation. All conveyors were manufactured with wash down duty components including motors, drives bearings and plastic belting. Once the conveyors were completed they were set up in the Wrabacon Inc. manufacturing facility for a Factory Acceptance Test by Selecpac. Upon completion of the FAT the conveyors were crated and shipped to the Ocean Spray facility in Wisconsin Rapids, Wiscousin where they were integrated into the packaging line. Selecpac provided installation of the packaging machinery along with the Wrabacon conveyors.
NEWS 53.
Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) has announced several executive organizational changes designed to simplify and streamline the reporting relationships and leadership of ATI's key manufacturing operations. The following changes are effective immediately: Mr Lynn D Davis, currently business unit president of ATI Wah Chang has been given expanded responsibilities and named to the newly created position of group president of ATI Primary Metals & Exotic Alloys. Mr Davis will continue to report to Mr L Patrick Hassey ATI's chairman, president & CEO. In his new capacity, the following operations will report to Mr Davis: ATI Wah Chang; ATI's Albany, OR Titanium Operations; ATI's Richland, WA Electron Beam Titanium Operations; and ATI's soon to be completed Premium Titanium Sponge Operation. Mr John D Sims currently VP of operations at ATI Allvac has been named business unit president of ATI Wah Chang. Mr Sims will report to Mr Lynn Davis. Mr Hunter R Dalton has been named to the newly created position of group president of ATI Long Products and remains business unit president of ATI Allvac. Mr Dalton will continue to report to Mr Hassey. Mr Terry L Dunlap has been named to the newly created position of group president of ATI Flat Rolled Products and remains business unit president of ATI Allegheny Ludlum. Mr Dunlap will continue to report to Mr Hassey. Mr David M Hogan remains serving as group president of ATI Engineered Products and Business Unit President of ATI Metalworking Products reporting to Mr Hassey.
NEWS 54.
Precision Castparts Corp. has acquired Fatigue Technology Inc. (FTI), headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA. In 1969, FTI pioneered the cold expansion process, which extends fatigue life in both metal and composite airframe fastener holes. The cold expansion process involves radial expansion of an existing hole, imparting residual compressive stress around the hole, and dramatically extending fatigue life. All products manufactured by FTI, including split sleeves, bushings, rivetless nut plates, blind nuts, and fittings utilize the cold expansion process in their installation and are specified by the airframe manufacturer to obtain the desired fatigue life benefits. The cash acquisition of FTI will be immediately accretive to earnings and will be treated as an acquisition of assets for tax purposes. Subject to regulatory approvals, the acquisition is expected to be completed in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, after which FTI’s results will be reported as part of the Fastener Products segment.
NEWS 55.
Eltra has released a stainless steel encoder line based on its EL63 model. Stainless steel encoders can withstand harsh environments such as oil refining, chemical processing, corrosive atmospheres and food and beverage processing. The rounded corners and flat surfaces make the stainless steel encoder type suitable for food and beverage applications where the risk of deposits on the device is high. The encoder is resistant to corrosive agents in wash-down and chemical applications, making it suitable for the chemical, petrochemical, food and medical industries. The encoder includes: optical incremental (resolution up to 10.000pp; NPN, push pull and line driver output stages), optical absolute (single turn with a resolution up to 13 bit and multi-turn up to 27 bit; both with SSI or Profibus output) and magnetic incremental (resolution up to 2.048ppr) and magnetic absolute (up to 13 bit single turn with SSI and Profibus output). The series is available with optical (wider resolution range, single or multiturn) or magnetic technology (higher temperature range, resistance to shocks and vibrations).
NEWS 56.
Sandvik group plans to expand its manufacturing production bases on the Chinese mainland this year to tap the nation’s mining and construction boom. Sandvik China is set to build three new factories in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, to enhance its production capacity. The three factories, operated by the company’s three business sectors: Sandvik Mining & Construction, Walter, and Sandvik Hard Materials, will respectively produce cemented carbide tools for mining equipment; design and produce cutting tools and special tools; and produce cemented carbide wear parts. The factories will start construction in October. In addition, the company also plans to expand its production lines for mining equipment crushers in Jiading of Shanghai this year.
NEWS 57.
Due to the fact that the aerospace industry accounts for 45% to 50% of global titanium consumption, the Boeing Co. machinists' strike, on top of an 18-month delay in shipping the 787 Dreamliner to airlines, could hurt titanium producers' profits and depress demand for the metal. A prolonged strike by 27,000 machinists who walked off the job on 6 September 2008 could seriously hurt 787 development and ripple through a global aerospace industry already strained by project costs, currency volatility and a faltering global economy. The Boeing strike raises risk to the latest 787 schedule that calls for 25 aircraft deliveries in 2009 and 45-50 in 2010. If the strike slips the 787 schedule by two months, Boeing may have enough titanium inventory at 2008 year end to destock throughout 2010. Boeing is outsourcing most of the structure and components of its new models to companies around the world and assembling them at its plant in Everett, Washington, US. A survey of contacts in the industry showed shipments of titanium are down around 5% over last year. Third-quarter and full-year 2008 and 2009 earnings estimates have been lowered for Allegheny Technologies, Titanium Metals and RTI International.
NEWS 58.
African Eagle Resources believes its nickel discovery at Dutwa, in the eastern Lake Victoria Goldfields in Tanzania is significant enough to put the rest of its development projects in Africa on the back-burner. African Eagle has only completed drilling 50 of 150 drill holes but believes the yet undefined resource will yield a nickel mine with in excess of 30mt that could mine 1mt of ore and 20,000-30,000tns of contained nickel a year. African Eagle is now setting out to define a nickel and cobalt resource by the end of the year and has cash of GBP 3 million in the bank to finance this endeavour and other projects. In terms of nickel, drilling results up to date included a 2.5km nickel anomaly and nickel grades of 1.27%, 1.42% and 1.07% from surface to 6m underground. Dutwa's metallurgical tests should come through by the end of 2008, after which the company will move to full feasibility stage, cutting back on other projects but still developing it. The company believes it will require more capital in about a year's time, but it stressed that it also owned assets such as the Mkushi copper project in Zambia that could be sold and that various options such as bringing in an equity partner on project level existed.
NEWS 59.
The Caddy Arc is the latest portable welder from ESAB that is suitable for indoor and outdoor welding, repairs, maintenance and fabrication. Two versions are available providing manual metal arc and tungsten inert gas welding. Panels on both machines provide controls that can be set while wearing gloves. The 151i model has a single knob, while the more advanced 201i has a digital display and allows hot start and arc forcing to fine-tune welding. Both machines feature the Arcplus system from ESAB. The Caddy Arc welders have a large working radius and operate with over 100m of mains cable. The 151i model weighs in at 7.9kg and the 201i weighs 8.3kg. Both have impact resistant polymer and aluminium casing and use large heat sinks for cooler running that gives longer life. Powered from a standard 230V, single-phase supply, the power factor correction circuitry allows the use of all functions on a 16A fused supply. The circuitry protects the machines against fluctuating mains voltage and makes them safe to use with portable generators.
NEWS 60.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has announced that it has received a 3-year contract from Shell Supply and Distribution to provide front-end design, engineering, procurement, and construction management services for Shell's European biofuels program. The objective of the program is to install bioethanol and biodiesel blending facilities in Shell depots throughout Europe. Under the program, Jacobs will develop conceptual designs and basic engineering packages for various biofuel blending projects, progressing to full implementation and construction management for most of the projects. Jacobs will execute the work in its Ghent, Belgium, office.
NEWS 61.
China-based Tangshan Stainless Steel, the member of Hebei Iron & Steel Group, has successfully commissioned a 100tn EAF. The CNY 1 billion project will have annual output capacity of 600,000tns. The mill is equipped with a 1600mm slab continuous casting line that is the first casting facility designed and manufactured by Chinese.
NEWS 62.
Samsung C&T Corp. has won a USD 482 million order to build a floating storage unit for a Middle East-based company. Samsung C&T in a filing with the Korea Exchange said that it planned to seek sub contractors for the order.
NEWS 63.
UOP LLC, headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, has appointed Veronica M May as general manager for the UOP Technical Service department. In this new role, Ms May is responsible for managing UOP Technical Services, which combines UOP's process technology and product service groups into a single cohesive department to support all UOP offerings for its worldwide customers. The new department combines technology support, field service, and training services. Ms May moves to this role from her previous position as Senior Director of the Process Technology and Equipment service group. Ms May joined UOP in 1996 as a marketing and business development director for olefins and derivatives. She went on to hold positions of increasing accountability in refining, adsorbents and petrochemicals. In her 12 years with the company, Ms May has also served as director for several business groups.
NEWS 64.
Pride International Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, US, has declared that Randall D Stilley has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Pride's mat-supported jackup rig business and will join the company immediately. Mr Stilley is has 32 years of experience in the oilfield services industry. From October 2004 through June 2008, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hercules Offshore, Inc., leading the company through an initial public offering in late 2005 and the acquisition of TODCO in mid 2007. Before joining Hercules, Mr Stilley served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Seitel, Inc. and held a number of management positions with Weatherford International and Halliburton Company, where he spent 22 years in various international operating locations.
NEWS 65.
The ARO Welding Technologies Group has named Mr Jacques Thimon as the Managing Director of its ARO China operation following the retirement of Mr Gilles Claudinot. Mr Thimon joined ARO in June 1989. After six years in Sweden where he had successfully created and managed the ARO’s subsidiary in Stockholm, he returned to ARO headquarters at Château du Loir as Export Area Manager. In 2003, he took on the role of Sales Administration Manager before taking charge of industry sales.
NEWS 66.
Roll-Kraft has announced the addition of Jayne Herak as Director of Sales. Ms Herak comes to Roll-Kraft with extensive executive background in various areas of sales, marketing, and managing capacities. She earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Her experience includes numerous sales performance awards and she also has several years of public service in the City of Euclid, Ohio, USA.
NEWS 67.
On 25 September 2008, in the village of Lukavicy, Vyzhnitsky district, Chernigiv region, an international holding Centravis handed welfare assistance to schools at the flooded area as a part of its social programme. The Vyzhnitsky district belongs to areas that suffered the most as a result of the floods that occurred in western Ukraine during the summer of 2008. The area with 60,000 inhabitants located in the Carpathian foothills, and without industry and developed infrastructure, has been without the minimum needed for a normal life. The International Holding Centravis allocated more than 120 thousand UAH, for which 20 gas stoves for cooking in schools of Vyzhnitsky district were purchased. All the materials were delivered by the holding directly to the area and handed over to schools.
NEWS 68.
Mechel OAO has announced that it has upgraded the machine tool equipment base at its Southern Urals Nickel Plant OAO subsidiary in Russia. A new large lathe RT-117-5, valued at USD 240,000, has been installed in the Casting and Mechanical Workshop of Southern Urals Nickel Plant OAO. Among other tasks, the universal lathe is designed to manufacture and renovate shafts of up to 5m in length and crane wheels, process the rotors of sinter machines, and manufacture sinter cutting knives. Operation of the lathe will enable the Casting and Mechanical Workshop to extend the variety of long-length components it currently machines and cut production costs by reducing outsourcing the production of such components to third parties. Ultimately, the workshop plans to also replace its Skoda boring machine and its vertical milling machine, which have reached the end of their service lives. In line with the plant’s program to upgrade the equipment in its auxiliary shops, an 8tn telpher to be used in overall repairs of the main processing equipment and a sling testing jig required to arrange a section for sling manufacturing have been purchased for the Casting and Mechanical Workshop.
NEWS 69.
Liberty Mines Inc. has announced that pre-production has commenced at the McWatters nickel mine from the 65m level. Development of the sills from the upper levels at 65m and 100m while the ramp is continued to the 130m level will provide 200-600tns/day of pre-production ore with an average of 400tns/day during the fourth quarter of 2008. Production from the mine will increase up to 1400tns/day in Q1 2009. By early Q2 2009, production may be increased to 1600-1700tns/day as the ore body can be mined at a higher production rate using long hole stopping. Ore will be concentrated at Liberty's Redstone nickel concentrator, located 9.5km west at the Redstone Mine site.
NEWS 70.
A scoping study into Australia-based Heron Resources Ltd's Yerilla operation, which includes the Jump up Dam project, has estimated a capital cost of USD 1.2 billion with a payback period of 6 and a half years. The study calculated that over an 18 year mine life, the operation, which also includes the Boyce Creek and Aubils projects, will produce 21,000tns of nickel and 1400tns of cobalt each year. The study was based on a resource of 135.3 million tonnes of ore grading at 0.77% of nickel and 0.05% of cobalt. Cash operating costs have been estimated at USD 5.70 per pound of payable nickel. Heron is using BHP Billiton's atmospheric leach technology through a technology share agreement.
NEWS 71.
Anhui Jinzhai-based Jinan Stainless Steel Casting Co. has completed the first stage construction of its 0.5 million tonnes per year alloy steel project. With a total investment of CNY 360 million, the technical-innovation project will be constructed in two phases. The first-stage of 0.3 million tonnes per year alloy steel billets project costs CNY 198 million and will realize an annual production value of CNY 2 billion after completes. A 850 HR/CR rolling mill will be added to the second-stage building to produce seamless stainless steel pipes for different market use, and annual production value would reach CNY 5 billion when the project launches full-scale operation.
NEWS 72.
Thermadyne has introduced the Thermal dynamics cutmaster true series air plasma systems, comprising six systems in the range from 30A up to 120A: Cutmaster 10, 12, 20, 25, 35 and 40. The model numbers reflect the recommended cutting capacity in mm. The True series has 20-25% additional power when needed for maximum cutting. For severance cutting, this extra power can be as much as 40-60% more. The True series systems feature microprocessor controlled front panel LED’s for self-diagnostics and easy troubleshooting. The air pressure is also adjustable from the front panel with an LED lighting up when pressure is right. Other LED warning lights show when there is incorrect voltage input, torch parts not in place, trigger interlock and inverter problems. With the True series, a 60 A drag cutting tip has been developed. This allows drag cutting on thin gauge material up to 6mm with the tip directly on the plate.
NEWS 73.
Schleuniger has released the MINIC II, a compacting station that can be used together with the Schleuniger CrimpCenter to compact stripped wire ends from 0.22mm to 6mm in an ultrasonic welding process. Depending on the CrimpCenter model, the new MINIC II compacting station can be integrated to process one or both wire ends as well as other processes such as crimping, sealing, twisting or tinning. After the cutting and stripping process, the swivel arm of the CrimpCenter positions the stripped wire end in the welding tool of the MINIC II compacting station. Subsequently, continuously adjustable servo drives close the tool according to programmed welding parameters and the wire end is compacted. Welding of different materials such as copper and aluminium are possible. In addition, parameters such as pre-welding / compacting specifications, welding time and welding energy are monitored and recorded.
NEWS 74.
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques has released the Argweld Quick Purge weld system suitable for purging large diameter stainless steel pipes. Two Argon expanding dams are positioned inside the pipe or vessel, restricting the length of the purged section to approximately just 3in on each side of the weld. A sleeve joining the dams occupies most of the pipe’s inside diameter, so that the reduced space between the outer surface of the sleeve and the inner surface of the pipe needs to be purged. When the Argweld Quick Purge has been positioned inside the pipe, by using pull tags, it is charged by the inert gas supply so that each end dam forms a leak tight seal. Once the dams are fully expanded, the pressure opens a valve to allow the inert gas to enter the space between the sleeve and the pipe to quickly displace the air. Welding can begin as soon as the oxygen level is low enough. The flow of inert gas is maintained throughout the welding operation. The purge gas supply is then cut off and the system deflates to allow its removal from the pipe.
NEWS 75.
The range of expandable steel and aluminium based pipe plugs manufactured by Huntingdon Fusion Techniques has been extended to include double seal versions. These have been designed to overcome problems of leaks which might arise if the plug is inadvertently tilted in the pipe, causing the seal to lose contact with the pipe bore. The double seal versions ensure stable alignment inside the pipe. There has also been the introduction of tubular spacers which afford the opportunity to extend the spacing between the sealing rings and extension tubes which allow the operator to position the plug well away from the end of the pipe.
NEWS 76.
Norilsk Nickel has announced that in the last ten years the amount of solid waste from operations of the Polar Division of OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel was reduced by 53.4%, and the amount of pollutants in wastewater was reduced by 37% in the last three years. This information was reported at the international seminar Prevention of Emergencies in the Arctic and Coordination of Relief Efforts Including Environmental Effects organized by the Russian EMERCOM and the Workgroup of the Arctic Council for Prevention and Response to Emergencies. The seminar was held in Dudinka, Russia. Norilsk Nickel is implementing a large-scale environmental program with a total cost of RUB 36 billion. According to the Production Development Strategy of the company, one of the long-term objectives involves improving environmental safety in production in accordance with environmental legal requirements. The Action Plan to reduce emission of pollutants in the air is being implemented.
NEWS 77.
Migatronic has released a new range of welding machines called Omega. These machines utilise the advantages of inverter technology and are designed specifically for sheet metal repair shops and the light industry. The Omega is combinable with three different, synergic control panels. Basic is a simple control panel for easy welding jobs in trades and assembly that is optimised for mild steel; the only parameters to set are thickness of material and gas type, then the inverter and the synergic program will do the rest. Automig is programmed for professional auto body makers and is for welding steel and aluminium and MIG brazing high-tensile steels. Advanced is for the all-round usage pattern and is suitable for sheet-metal and profile welding in the light industry, and for welding and MIG brazing with a variety of wires in mild steel, aluminium, and stainless materials. Tack-welding and Duo Plus featuring automatic change-over between two sequences are standard functions. The Omega has central connection to all types of torches and is available with the Migatronic Dialog torch.
NEWS 78.
Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. has agreed with Local 9531 of the United Steelworkers to continue operations at the Company's Bridgeville facility while negotiations of a mutually acceptable labor agreement continue. The previously announced continuance of the collective bargaining agreement covering the hourly employees at the facility expired on 12 September 2008. The employees are working under the terms and conditions of the prior agreement, which otherwise would have expired at midnight 31 August 2008.
NEWS 79.
A cooperation agreement between Guangdong Guangxin Investment Holdings Ltd and Henan Qingshan Jinhui Stainless Steel Industry Co. Ltd has been signed to build the largest stainless steel industrial park in Henan province, China. Under the terms of the agreement, Qingshan Jinhui will issue shares worth CNY 300 million, in a move to raise CNY 3 billion for the construction of the stainless steel industrial park.
NEWS 80.
Hainan Mining United Co. Ltd, established last year together by Hainan Steel and Fosun Group, has signed a cooperation agreement on the Laoxiangken iron ore project with Chengdu Dashi Mining lately at Haikou with Hainan Mining controlling 70% stake. The preparatory work is slated to be completed before the end of September with formal prospecting work starting in the middle of October.
NEWS 81.
Stainless Sections has provided 1000sq/m of stainless steel lining to Cairns’ domestic and international airport terminals, assisting in its redevelopment. The project required hard wearing materials to cope with the heavy usage typical of airports. The stainless steel lining was used on the international airport’s baggage check-in desks, columns, planter tubs, card tables, partitions and baggage handling conveyors. Stainless Sections used the Deco range of embossed stainless steel sheet from Avesta Sheffield. It applied a uniform thickness powder coating to the patterned material then polished it with a number four finishing line until the peaks of the profiled material were exposed.
NEWS 82.
Van Leeuwen Wheeler has completed the expansion of its Middlesbrough facility, adding an additional 40% to its warehousing space. Investment in the Middlesbrough warehouse has been ongoing since the creation of Van Leeuwen Wheeler by the merger of M/K Wheeler and Van Leeuwen Precision. With the additional space, the warehouse is now able to hold an additional 1400tns of material, an increase of 29%, with stocking locations up from 1000 to 1240. A new dedicated area has been created to handle bespoke contracts and space has also been allocated for the addition of newly introduced stainless products. Processing capacity has also been increased by the introduction of 5 new cranes and a new saw. Van Leeuwen Wheeler’s Middlesbrough-based business has been growing steadily fuelled by key markets including the construction and on and offshore gas and oil industries. With extensive ranges of bar and pipe for the hydraulic and pneumatic, mechanical engineering, special welded tube and construction markets, plus expanded ranges of stainless tubular products, the UK operation also has the support of its parent group’s three major stockholding warehouses in the Netherlands. The Middlesbrough expansion also supports the company’s Brierley Hill warehouse with additional production capacity and will facilitate regular stock movements into the West Midlands facility.
NEWS 83.
According to the preliminary figures released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF), stainless steel crude steel production has decreased in the first half of 2008 by 1.8% compared to the same period of 2007. The decrease was 2.9% in the first quarter but just 0.6% in the second. All major regions have shown lower production volumes in the first half of this year. In the Asia region, stainless steel production declined by 1.5% to 8.3mmt in the first half of 2008. All stainless steel producing countries reduced their production except China. For individual countries, the rates of decrease range between 6 and 13%. With an increase of 10%, China is the only country in the region to increase stainless steel production to a total of 3.9mmt in the first six months of this year. The second largest producing area, Western Europe/Africa reported a 0.8% decrease in stainless steel production during the first six months of 2008. Total production was 4.9mmt for the half year. In The Americas, stainless crude steel production declined by 6.4% to 1.4 mmt in the first six months of 2008. Production in the Eastern Europe region showed a decrease of 4.3%, or 0.2mmt on a low level of volume. A quarter-by-quarter analysis shows a 2.9% decline in production in the first quarter of 2008. In the second quarter of 2008 the decline is just 0.6% compared with the same period of 2007. Total world stainless crude steel production was 7.4mmt in both the first and second quarters of 2008.
NEWS 84.
Jindal Stainless Ltd has renamed itself JSL Ltd. This was announced while unveiling the brand new corporate identity at a press conference held in the New Delhi. The JSL release said “the new logo is logotype in capital letters acronym of Jindal Stainless “JSL” a consolidated abbreviation of Jindal Stainless Ltd, to further strengthen our entity in relation to our diversified goals thus allowing us an exclusive entity with global presence. To establish the company’s brand as “JSL”, the name is being changed from Jindal Stainless Ltd to JSL Ltd. The illustration form of rising sun on horizon represents the new era going forward in the company’s business canvas, in which the orange color element signifies the refreshing vigour, robust energy and assuring warmth of the Sun; while the color metallic silver gray signifies inherent expertise and proven maturity in thoughts, processes & vision.”
NEWS 85.
Outokumpu is the exclusive supplier of stainless steel piping for an extensive modernization and expansion at the Mondi Syktyvkar pulp and paper mill complex in Russia, in a rare direct supply to an end user within the industry. The Group’s integrated pulp and paper mill complex near Syktyvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic of Russia some 1000km east of St. Petersburg, is one of the largest production sites within the country’s pulp and paper industry. Production capacity is 830,000tns of uncoated fine paper, newsprint and containerboard per year. The Mondi Syktyvkar rebuild requires approximately 1000tns of stainless steel piping, in diameters from 17mm to 1200mm and both in standard austenitic and in duplex grades. To make piping procurement the easiest and most efficient for themselves, Mondi and their main engineering consultant Pöyry have trusted the entire deal to Outokumpu as the exclusive supplier.
NEWS 86.
Plymouth Tube Co.'s Energy Group will be hosting the inaugural Power Generation Material Selection Conference (PGMSC) 7-9 October 2008 at the Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA. The 3 day conference will consist of classroom style presentations in a business casual atmosphere pertaining to a vast variety of tubing material issues and considerations. Topics including stainless steel, titanium, Cu-Ni to carbon and alloy material overviews, production and testing methods, corrosion fundamentals and water chemistry for energy applications are just a few of the subjects that will be featured. This conference is for those in the power industry interested in learning more about how material selection can influence efficiencies and help control emissions. Topics will be presented by a panel of industry experts with over 25 years experience in the energy market including by Ed Blessman, Daniel S. Janikowski, Steve McKenzie, Ron Roth and John Tverberg. As of 5 September, space is limited, but still available.
NEWS 87.
PSI subsidiary’s wholly-owned PSI BT GmbH is increasing its activities in the North American steel market. Dr Harald M. Henning has been representing PSI in the North American steel market since the end of August 2008. PSI already has important steel producers such as ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA, SeverCorr LLC and ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. amongst its customers. In the future Dr Henning will head project processing and customer support for PSI from the office in Brookfield, Connecticut. Prior to his move, he worked as the Director Supply Chain Solutions at the American AT&S, LLC. Before that he was employed in various positions, amongst which were as a consultant at KPMG Peat Marwick LLP. Beyond that Dr Henning possesses good knowledge of PSI products and services from previous eight years activities with PSI.
NEWS 88.
On 5 September 2008 India’s Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh layed the foundation stone for the INR 2000 crore expansion projects of Steel Authority of India Ltd’s (SAIL) Salem Steel Plant at Salem in Tamil Nadu. The board of directors of SAIL had approved the proposal for setting up a steel melting shop and other faculties at Salem in June 2006, as part of its Corporate Plan 2012. The projects include 0.18 million tonne steel melting shop and expansion of the cold rolling mill from 65,000tns to 146,000tns and installation of additional roll grinder at the hot rolling mill. The new melt shop would produce stainless steel slabs in 200, 300 and 400 series grades in thickness ranging from 140mm to 200mm, 600mm to 1300mm in width, and a maximum length of 10.5m. The average slab weight would be 15tn. The inbuilt annual capacity of 186,000tns of the hot rolling mill would be enhanced to 240,000tns with internal improvements and to 370,000tns with the installation of another roll grinder. SSP's cold rolling capacity is 65,000tn and has about 5000tn of hot rolled annealed and pickled material, which would be expanded to 146,000tns of cold rolled products and 193,000tns of hot rolled annealed and pickled coils.
NEWS 89.
Bharat Earth Movers Ltd has received an INR 31 crore developmental contract from the Indian Rail Board to design and develop the country’s first stainless steel AC EMU coaches. The contract covers design, manufacture, supply, testing and commissioning of 2 rakes or 18 units stainless EMU coaches over the next 2 years.
NEWS 90.
Spectro Analytical Instruments presented a new version of the Spectrotest arc/spark-OES spectrometer at Stainless Steel World America (9-10 September 2008, Houston, USA). Spectrotest is now able to tackle two new applications: The measurement of carbon in low alloy steel using arc discharge and the determination of the nitrogen content in duplex steels. The most important innovation is the sample probe, which is considerably smaller, lighter and more compact than its predecessor. With the reduced diameter of the sample probe it is possible to analyze sample surfaces in hard-to-reach locations, for example, bundled rods and bars. The standard probe can be used for quick grade identification with arc excitation as well as for a detailed analysis with spark excitation. The result is shown on the integrated display after only three seconds in the sorting mode and after five seconds in the analysis mode. When the standard sample probe is exchanged with an optionally available special sample probe with integrated UV optic, the Spectrotest can also measure short wavelength elements like nitrogen. The range of use for the Spectrotest includes quality control in metal producing and metal processing companies, testing of finished products in industry as well as for scrap metal dealers and the control of plant infrastructure. With its fast measuring times, the metal analyzer is especially suitable for metal processors with high volume production.
NEWS 91.
Visa Steel has pipped TATA Steel and Jindal Stainless in offering the highest bid for chrome ore from Tangarpada in Orissa, a mine that was caught in legal wrangles for many years. Visa Steel has received the H1 status, which means that it has emerged as the highest bidder, for the chrome ore mine owned by the Industrial Development Corp. of Orissa (IDCOL). Interestingly, the chrome ore tender was floated for a second time some time in June 2008. The re-tendering had to be done as the state government of Orissa had rejected the earlier technical bids of TATA Steel and Visa Steel and recommended the case of Jindal Stainless, a few years back. Following this, court cases came up and the Orissa High Court took a decision to quash the bids in the initial tendering process. Finally, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the Orissa High Court for accepting the technical bids of TATA Steel and Visa Steel and also directed IDCOL for re-tendering the financial bids. Winning the tender will enable Visa Steel to secure its ferrochrome production. It is setting up a 1.5 tonnes per annum integrated special and stainless steel plant at Kalinga Nagar in Orissa. It is currently operating a 50,000tpa ferrochrome plant, the capacity of which is being doubled. Visa Steel has also entered into a JV with China-based Bao Steel called Visa Bao for setting up another 100,000tpa ferrochrome plant in Orissa.
NEWS 92.
Outokumpu will donate EUR 200,000 to the University of Oulu's Center for Advanced Steels Research. The center promotes interdisciplinary steel research, education and cooperation with industry. The donation will be used to acquire a new thermal-mechanical simulator (Gleeble system), which is required for development work in steels. The University of Oulu is an important partner to Outokumpu when it comes to research and education in metallurgy and materials, process and automation technology. About 70% of the academically educated personnel at Outokumpu's Tornio Works graduated from the University of Oulu. Further concrete cooperation is also carried out through various projects, doctoral theses and diploma dissertations. The University of Oulu is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, and Outokumpu's donation will be paid into a fund that has been established to commemorate this special year. Another metal-industry company, Rautaruukki Oyj, is making a corresponding contribution.
NEWS 93.
Sandvik has reported that it will maintain an extensive manufacturing programme for straight heat exchanger tubes to ensure availability on short lead times. Based on popular sizes and material grades, the seamless heat exchanger tube programme covers standard austenitic, duplex and high alloy austenitic stainless steels in addition to titanium and zirconium. Sandvik's main size range, produced in imperial and metric dimensions, covers 19.05mm up to 25.4mm, in different wall thicknesses from 1.65mm to 2.11mm. Available grades include: 304L, 316L, 321, 316Ti, Sanicro 228, Sandvik SAF 2205 and Sandvik SAF 2507. Standard straight length for heat exchanger tubes is 6m. The company offers a comprehensive range of heat exchanger tubes sizes and material grades, as part of its extensive manufacturing programme, to suit all types of applications from sea water coolers to oil refineries and from chemical to power generation applications. In addition to straight heat exchanger tubes Sandvik can supply both straight and U-tubes as a project package. Other products in the Sandvik heat exchanger tube supply package include standard stainless steel and special grade complementary products, welded tubes, sheet and plate, tube fittings for butt welding and socket welding, threaded joints and flanges.
NEWS 94.
Brazil-based Gerdau is investing USD 524 million in a new steel mill in Argentina. Located in Santa Fe province's Pérez city, the new Sipar Gerdau plant will increase the group's steel production in Argentina fourfold to 1.1 million tonnes from 260,000tpy. The new facility is located 5km from Sipar Gerdau's existing mill. Construction is to begin in November and the first phase of the project to be concluded in 2011. By then, Sipar is expected to be producing at a rate of 650,000tpy of crude steel and 710,000tpy of long products, which includes shapes, wire rods, wires, concrete reinforcing bars, nails and screens. Investments are some USD 310 million. The second phase is to be complete by 2016. With respect to its production capacity, Sipar Gerdau will reach 1.1 million tons of steel, a raw material it currently buys abroad, and will therefore be helping improve the country's trade balance. Steel will be manufactured from metal scrap, which benefits the environment.
NEWS 95.
One of seven men burned when they were engulfed by a fireball at a steel mill a year ago has filed a USD 55 million lawsuit against ArcelorMittal. The couple is seeking USD 5 million for his personal injuries and not less than USD 50 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit filed by 31 year old Jeremy Schoon of Valparaiso was announced at a news conference on 29 Augusts. The suit, filed in Lake Circuit Court, is believed to be the first against ArcelorMittal stemming from the Burns Harbor accident on 28 August 2007. Attorney Kenneth J Allen said that the suit also names as defendants two contractors that helped build and design the No 1 oxygen furnace that exploded that day. The ball of flame sent molten steel over seven workers, all of whom were injured even though they were wearing flame retardant protective clothing. Mr Schoon had second and third degree burns over 60% of his body.
NEWS 96.
In August of 2008 a Code of Corporate Governance was adopted at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the holding Centravis. The Code was adopted with the aim of building quality and transparent corporate governance, taking into account the particularities of national legislation and experience of the countries of presence of the holding Centravis, as well as protection of the interests of shareholders and improvement of the investment attractiveness of the holding. The document was elaborated in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Corporate Governance of Cyprus, the recommendations of the European Corporate Governance Institute, as well as the generally accepted principles of corporate governance and conditions of work of the Company. The Code of Corporate Governance of the Holding Centravis includes: section "Principles of Corporate Governance" - governs the relationship with shareholders of the holding company and compliance with accepted international practice standards in corporate governance; section "General Shareholders' Meeting" - defines the rights and legitimate interests of shareholders of the holding company; section "The Board of Directors of the Company" - defines the purpose of the work and competence of the Board of Directors, cooperation of the Councils of Directors of all the companies of " Centravis ", a system of electing members of the Board of Directors and their responsibilities, procedures, as well as the formation of committees of the Board of Directors of the Company; section "Executive Board of the Company" - defines the role, purpose and accountability of this board. Competence, formation procedures, conditions and procedures for payment of compensation to the Executive Board of the Company; section "Corporate Secretary of the Company" - defines the essence, accountability and purpose of activities, as well as the competence and procedure for electing the Corporate Secretary of the Company; section "Significant Corporate Actions" - defines the meaning of the notion "Significant Corporate Actions", the principles of such actions, as well as defines the body that make the decisions concerning the realisation of Significant Corporate Actions; the section "Disclosure of information about the Company" - defined which information about the company is open to the public as well as to the responsible for reliable and complete presentation of this information; section "Control of the financial and economic activity of the Company" - defines the purpose of monitoring and allocates areas of responsibility; section "Dividends" - defines the principles and order of payment of dividends; and section "Decision of corporate conflicts" - determines which situations relate to corporate conflicts and people responsible for their settlement.
NEWS 97.
UK-based African Eagle Resources has announced the discovery of early nickel assay on the basis of results from drilling at its Dutwa gold and base metals project in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. African Eagle is conducting a program of vertical reverse circulation drilling at Dutwa to investigate a promising 2.5km long nickel anomaly from last year's geochemical soil sampling program. Seven of the first ten drill holes yielded high nickel values from a considerable thickness of laterite within the top 50m. The results were verified by two laboratories. African Eagle is continuing drilling to delineate the nickel-rich material fully. The company is also re-evaluating all data from its Zanzui project, 70km to the south of Dutwa, which returned elevated nickel soil geochemical values from a similar geological setting.
NEWS 98.
A new shell of a water tank belonging to the water supply department of Steel Authority of India Ltd’s Rourkela Steel Plant’s (RSP) town engineering wing, developed in house by the fabrication shop was commissioned by Mr HK Jain GM of Rourkela Steel Plant. One of the water tanks of the water supply department had become defunct for the last 2 years because of extensive corrosion of its shell which was made of mild steel sheets. The corrosion had resulted in heavy leakage all around necessitating replacement of the complete shell. A proposal for procuring of a new shell from the market was initiated. However, the fabrication shop collectively took up the challenging task of fabricating a new tank shell using in house resources. The design department developed the necessary fabrication drawing and water supply. As a result the new shell has been developed from stainless steel plate which will provide corrosion free long life and ensure carrying of potable water in a safe and hygienic manner to every nook and corner of the steel city. The newly developed shell is provided with partition chambers, gangway and rear ladder to take care of vehicle as well as operational safety. The tank as of now has a carrying capacity of 9000ltrs and is fitted with a diesel pump that can supply water to a greater height compared to the previous tanker. The tank is the first of its kind at RSP.
NEWS 99.
On 1 September an international workshop devoted to prevention and management of emergencies in the Arctic region including environmental emergencies was held in Dudinka, Russia. The workshop was organized by the Russian Ministry of Emergencies and the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group of the Arctic Council. OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (MMC Norilsk Nickel) provided assistance in the workshop organization and took an active part in the discussions. The workshop was attended by the experts of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies and the representatives of the Arctic Council member states including Sweden, Norway, USA, Canada and Finland. This pilot event was organized in the framework of a joint project which was implemented by the Ministry of Emergencies and the Arctic Council with the aim to improve security support systems for project development in the Arctic regions. Implementation of the project is based on the state-private partnership. On the part of private business it is supported by leading Russia-based companies including MMC Norilsk Nickel whose key production facilities are located in the Far North. One of the long-term goals set out in the Norilsk Nickel’s development strategy consists in enhancing the environmental safety of metal production in line with the environment protection laws. The workshop time-table included presentations and discussions, a visit to the Oktyabrsky Mine and a trip to Putorana Nature Reserve, which closed on 3 September.
NEWS 100.
Dart Helicopter Services has announced that their affiliated partner Dart Aerospace Ltd has received EASA approval for Bell Stainless Steel Wearplates and Wearpads for installation on its Round I Beam Float Skidtubes. In addition, certification has been received for a change to the aircraft landing gear inspection interval, from 100hrs to 300hrs. Dart’s Float skidtubes come standard with stainless steel wearplates, gaskets and wearpads with tungsten carbide welds for additional protection, and all stainless steel hardware. Dart stainless steel wearplates and wearpads have been developed to minimize corrosion in marine environments, in addition, the use of a gasket eliminates galvanic corrosion and facilitates installation and removal of the wearplates because no sealant is used. Dart also offers stainless steel we.arplates and wearpads for installation on Round I Beam Skidtubes on the following aircraft: Bell 210/212/UH-1 Modular Tri-Beam float skidtubes; Bell 204/205/210/212/214/412/UH-1 standard skidtubes; Eurocopter AS350/AS355 standard and float skidtubes; Newly FAA approved BK117 standard skidtubes; and Eurocopter EC135 standard and float skidtubes.
NEWS 101.
Stainless steel demand in India is expected to rise by 8% to 9% in the current fiscal year and double in the next 5 years, as more of the alloy is used to make railway coaches and buildings. India consumes 1.5 million tonnes of stainless steel a year, about 70% for kitchenware, but its use in railway coaches, wagons, airports, hotels and retail stores is rising sharply.
NEWS 102.
Nucor Corp. has announced that Christopher J. Kearney has been elected to the board of directors effective 1 October 2008. Mr Kearney, 53, currently serves as the chairman, president and chief executive officer of SPX Corp.
NEWS 103.
Tyrolit has introduced two new abrasive products with improved performance characteristics for freehand grinding and cutting. One is the Silentio grinding wheel, which combines maximum stock removal rates with long life and noise reduction of more than 10dBA. The sound level as perceived by the operator and others in the vicinity is said to be halved. The resinoid-bonded, fibreglass-reinforced wheel is a Tyrolit 3-star premium product, introduced during the manufacturer’s recent rebranding exercise of its entire range. The wheel is suitable for working on steel and stainless steel to a maximum speed of 80m/s and has a novel damping feature for better run-out. Four diameters are available in the range 115 to 230mm. By using specially coated abrasive grain, optimising the bond system and including newly developed fibreglass reinforcement, a dense matrix has been created that promotes safety in use and long service life, despite the wheel’s 1mm to 2mm thickness, depending on diameter (115mm to 230mm). The wheel is free-cutting for aggressive machining and the thin profile has the effect of reducing dust, noise and machine load, leaving a clean, accurate cut with good surface finish. Rough sides avoid the risk of jamming and kick-back during cutting.
NEWS 104.
The British Stainless Steel Association (BSAA) in conjunction with TWI and Outokumpu Stainless is holding a fabrication workshop on 21 October 2008 at the Brerarly Centre, Outokumpu, in Sheffield, UK. All the essentials about working with stainless steel will be addressed at the event. The workshop will focus on practical help, including advice concerning grade selection, fabrication and welding ‘do’s and don’ts’. It will also highlight post fabrication cleaning. Specialist from Outokumpu Stainless, TWI, and the BSSA will outline the best practices and correct some misconceptions concerning fabrication with stainless steel. There will also be speakers from the energy sector who will give an insight into the latest developments, especially renewables and their material requirements.
NEWS 105.
Sandvik has launched a new range of high quality cutting plates for flat bed diecutting presses, which combine flatness with wear resistance. Manufactured with high accuracy on hardness, flatness and dimensional tolerance, the new Sandvik cutting plates are suitable for precise cutting with high quality cutting rules. Two versions are available with plate hardness designated Hard and Medium Hard. The Hard cutting plates have a hardness value of 540 +/- 25HV, while the Medium Hard a hardness value of 350 +/- 25. The new cutting plates are available in widths up to 1200mm, thicknesses from 1.0 up to 1.4mm and lengths to suit any flat bed cutting press. Flatness and straightness deviation of the plates is at 0.1% maximum of the strip width and 0.5mm/m max, respectively. Thickness and width variation is negligible, but does not exceed 0.015mm and +/- 0.60mm. All Sandvik cutting plates are laser cut for accuracy, laser marked with product name and dimensions and can be supplied with rounded corners if required.
NEWS 106.
China-based Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel, owned by Taiyuan Iron & Steel, will be able to produce stainless cold rolled precision strips as thin as 0.03mm by June 2009. Taiyuan Iron & Steel, Taigang is constructing a finishing line that will enable it to produce 20,000tpy of cold rolled strips of 0.03mm to 0.3mm thick and 10mm to 610mm wide. The facility, due to be completed in June 2009, will take stainless cold rolled strip feeds from Taigang to produce high value added strips for use in industries including information technology and electronics.
NEWS 107.
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Ltd has introduced a lightweight trailing shield to keep welds clean while welding. These trailing shields are suitable for cases where piping, pipe work and sheet metal structures are fabricated from stainless steels, reactive alloys, nickel alloys, nimonics and titanium. By adding the trailing shield to a TIG/GTAW/PAW welding torch the weld stays under a protective argon gas shroud, while the hot, welded joint is cooling so that the heated metal does not oxidize on contact with air. Trailing Shields are available for any diameter of Pipe, Vessel or Tank etc. and they are also manufactured in flat format for welding sheets or plates made of the materials mentioned above. Radiused versions are manufactured for working on the inside of large tanks as well as the outside. Replaceable silicon rubber seals are used on the sides of the Trailing Shields to prevent the protective argon gas from escaping.
NEWS 108.
The Indian Railway board has accepted the proposal of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd to design stainless steel electrical multiple units (SSEMU). These units will be built for first time in India. The railway board is placing a developmental order for 6 rakes. These SSEMU will be replacing the existing corten steel EMUs in a phased manner now running in Mumbai and Chennai suburbs. The total requirement is of 3000 cars with a business potential of INR 5000 crore in the coming years.
NEWS 109.
Rautaruukki plans to centralise steel service centre operations and to reorganize the division of work between the units. The service centres in Naantali and Järvenpää (Finland) and in Halmstad (Sweden) will specialise to further improve their delivery accuracy, cost-effectiveness and profitability. Investments totalling EUR 12 million in the service centres will be made as a result of the reorganisation. Delivery capacity of the Naantali service centre will be increased by a new slitting line for special products. This will strengthen Ruukki's capacity to deliver high-strength and colour-coated steels in particular. The Järvenpää service centre will focus on stainless steel and aluminium products and the Halmstad service centre in Sweden will increase its own cutting of carbon steels instead of partly contracting.
NEWS 110.
Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd (Sumitomo Metals) and China Steel Corp. (CSC) have planned for the construction of a steel sheet mill from the end of 2007. The joint-venture contract China Steel Sumikin Vietnam Joint Stock Co. (CSVC) will have a full line-up of high-class steel sheet products including those used for automobiles, such as cold rolled coil, electromagnetic steel sheet and hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. Annual production of 1.6 million MT is planned in order to respond to demand from customers in Vietnam and surrounding countries. The company aims to commence operation of the plant at the beginning of 2012. Sumitomo Metals and CSC will provide technical support to CSVC to meet the growing requirements from customers in Asia in terms of both quantity and quality.
NEWS 111.
Cronimet Holding GmbH’s Mr Kai Lohmann will step in as MD of Cronimet Ferrolegierungen Handelsgesellschaft mbH with effect from 1 September 2008. In the future Mr Lohmann will be responsible for business and trade.
NEWS 112.
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products has added Michael J. Ostaffe as vice president of product management and development, filler metals, for North America. Mr Ostaffe is responsible for driving the company's programs in product management, product research, and development of filler metals. He also assumes the responsibility for marketing communications for all of the company’s products in North America. Ostaffe has held various management and consulting positions with Honeywell, General Electric, Philips, and A.T. Kearney.
NEWS 113.
A five-year agreement concerning consulting, engineering and project services for Boliden's mines and smelters in Sweden and a Tara mine in Ireland has been made by Outotec and Boliden. The delivery of services is a continuation of long strategic cooperation between the two companies. The services will be provided by Outotec's Skellefteå office, which employs some 150 people.
NEWS 114.
BEML Ltd had come up with a new low cost, stainless steel metro rail car targeted at the upcoming mass transit projects of Tier II cities. The cars priced around INR 5 crore each are designed and developed with BEML’s R&D and cost much less than those built using imported technology. These could be 25% to 30% lower than the coaches made using imported technology. It has received a INR 52 crore order from DMRC for the design and development of 8th cars. DMRC is upgrading its 4 trains to 6 car formations by adding 2 cars to each of them. This will increase the passenger capacity from 1506 to 2290. BEML’s proposal on using its stainless steel electric multiple units has also found favor with the Indian Railway Board, which is placing a developmental or test order for 6 rakes. It estimated the total requirement of 3000 cars with a business potential of INR 5000 crore in the coming years. The Railways operates a substantial EMU fleet in Kolkata and Delhi too.
NEWS 115.
Stalatube has released its Stainless Steel Hollow Sections Handbook. The book is based on the European Eurocode standards and particularly on the stainless steel part, standard EN 1993-1-4:2006 which is intended to be used mainly in the design of building and civil engineering works. Instructions presented for stainless steel hollow sections in this 160-page handbook can also be used for the design of other stainless steel load-bearing members and selection of materials where applicable. The handbook is the first extensive reference book on the design of stainless steel hollow section components. The objective of the handbook is to facilitate the selection of stainless steel as a structural material for hollow sections. It contains information on stainless steels, structural hollow sections made of stainless steels and their properties such as corrosion resistance, strength, weldability and formability. Separate sections have been dedicated to the design of structures and costs. The handbook can be used for everyday work routines and also as learning material. The most important readers for the publication are construction engineers, architects, production engineers and purchasers. The ISBN number is 978-952-9683-37-6. The book can be ordered from Stalatube, e-mail sales@stalatube.com.
NEWS 116.
Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH has awarded PSI the task of implementing a process control system for the SGA 4 continuous casting plant, which is under construction. The new plant will make it possible to produce especially high-quality steel slabs and provide new capacity for the production of thicker steel slabs. The first cast for the new continuous casting plant is planned for the first quarter of 2010. The process control system will be based on the industry standard PSImetals, which has already been successfully employed by Salzgitter Flachstahl for the SGA 1, 2 and 3 lines. The process control of the continuous casting system forms the link between system control and the steel mill control system, which has also been delivered by PSI. Proven functionalities for the system control, planning data administration, section planning, length optimisation, material tracking and for including process control models will be taken from the existing systems and expanded by new functions for the production of varying thicknesses of slabs.
NEWS 117.
Orbitalum Tools has introduced the RPG 2.5 and RPG 2.5 Cordless tube squaring machines for pipes and microfittings up to 2.5in OD. The machines can face pipes and microfittings from unalloyed, low-alloy, and high-alloy steels with an OD range between 0.250 and 2.5in and a maximum pipe thickness of 0.118in. An adapter clamping shell included with the machines allows the operator to use clamping shells from the RPG 1.5 with the 2.5 models. Stainless steel clamping shells are offered in a variety of diameters to ensure mounting of microfittings and quick change of clamping shells without tools. With the patented quick tool change (QTC®) system, the user can change tools quickly. The integrated, multifunctional tool has two cutting edges and a high-performance surface coating, which helps prevents wear and tear.
NEWS 118.
ESAB Welding and Cutting has released Origo Mig C141 and C151 welding machines designed for less complex welding tasks. The fan-cooled units, with thermal cutout protection, have multistep switches and potentiometers for wire speed adjustment providing easy-to-set welding parameters. The Origo Mig C141 and C151 feature change of polarity so one can use conventional solid wire or self-shielding cored wire. The units are designed for welding steel, stainless steel, and aluminium as well as for MIG brazing. They use wire diameters of 0.6, 0.8 or 1mm depending on work-piece size and material. The machines come with ESAB's ergonomically designed, gas cooled MXL 150V torch with 2.5m cable permanently connected to the power source. Three gas nozzles are available to provide maximum flexibility of use. An optional wheel kit is available for the Mig C141 for easier mobility. Origo Mig C141 and C151 welding machines are suitable for light production applications.
NEWS 119.
The Lee Company’s new IMH Insert style screens are “last chance” safety screens designed to protect critical fluid control components against rogue contamination in high volume industrial and automotive applications. Constructed entirely of stainless steel, these screens are manufactured using a proprietary process that uses the proven Lee Insert Principle of controlled expansion during installation to seal and lock the screen in place. IMH Insert style safety screens are available in 5.5, 8, 10 and 12mm diameters. The screens are rated at 125 microns absolute but other micron rated models are also available.
NEWS 120.
Piping Technology & Products Inc.’s new stainless steel trunnions have been designed to support a vertical pipe used in an LNG plant. The trunnions will support stainless steel pipes with diameters ranging between 24in and 42in. The diameter of the trunnions ranges in size from 12in to 22in. The overall length is 34in. All of the weld seams are 100% dye-penetrant tested before being shipped to the plant.
NEWS 121.
ArcelorMittal has announced that it has agreed to acquire 100% of the issued share capital of London Mining South America Ltd (London Mining Brasil) from Oslo-listed London Mining plc (London Mining) for USD 764 million. The transaction also includes the assignment of inter-group loans from London Mining of USD 46 million. The total consideration payable to London Mining will amount to USD 810 million. London Mining Brasil is an iron ore miner located in the Iron Quadrangle in the state of Minas Gerais 65km from the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Its principal activities are focused on the exploration, development and production of iron ore resources in the region. ArcelorMittal has also reached an agreement (subject to contract) with Canadian-based Adriana Resources Inc. (Adriana) for the development of an iron ore port facility in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (the Port). The Port is located in the Third District of the City of Mangaratiba and will be constructed on land acquired by Adriana in January 2008. ArcelorMittal intends to use its share of the port's capacity to export iron ore from the London Mining Brasil mine to its steel facilities in the Atlantic basin.
NEWS 122.
Further to the announcement of 24 July 2008, Australasian Resources Ltd (ARH) has advised that it has entered into a Merger Implementation Agreement with Resource Development International Ltd (RDI). RDI is a company which has recently been formed to acquire substantial iron ore, nickel, exploration and energy interests, including rights to extract 20 billion tonnes of iron ore from the Balmoral tenements held by Mineralogy Pty Ltd. Under the proposal, ARH would become a wholly owned subsidiary of RDI. The assets of ARH would form part of a significantly larger RDI asset base. The merger is conditional upon ARH receiving a satisfactory Independent Expert's Report within 30 days of 4 August 2008 and court approval. It is proposed by RDI that the merger and the IPO will be completed by late 2008. The merger agreement may be terminated by either party if the merger is not implemented by 30 March 2009.
NEWS 123.
Ningbo Iron and Steel Co. has awarded Siemens a contract to engineer and supply the drive and automation systems for a new plate mill. Commissioning of the rolling mill is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009. Ningbo, located in Zhejiang province, is currently building a new plate mill for manufacturing metal plates with widths of up to 4.3m. The products are mainly intended for use in shipbuilding. With an annual capacity of 1.6 million metric tons of plate metal, the new plant will incorporate two walking-beam furnaces, a two-stand rolling mill, a hot-plate leveller, cooling beds, a shearing section and a finishing shop. Siemens will be responsible for engineering, plus the supply of drives and automation for the rolling mill. Siemens’ scope of supply also includes all the process models of the rolling mill and the hot leveller, the entire automation and instrumentation, as well as a material-tracking system from the furnace discharge down to the shearing section.
NEWS 124.
Fortescue Metals is forging ahead with plans to more than double its annual production capacity to 120 million tonnes of iron ore a year. The company recently awarded WorleyParsons a USD 260 million contract for engineering, procurement and construction management contract covering its initial 55 million tonnes of annual capacity.
NEWS 125.
Boji Steel, a privately owned Chinese mill, plans to start up a 20,000tpy stainless welded pipe facility by the end of August 2008 or early September 2008. The stainless steel pipe will be produced in 300 series and part of the production would be for export.
NEWS 126.
A new range of stainless-steel sensors is available from Applied Measurements to measure the pressure of liquids and gases in a diverse range of applications, to a high accuracy (0.05%) and across a wide pressure range (from 0-10mbar up to 700bar). The Pi600 Series of pressure sensors has been engineered for the measurement of liquid and gas pressures in a wide variety of industry sectors, including hydraulics, pneumatics, agriculture, marine, sewerage, gas, medical, chemical, food processing, barometers and data loggers. The sensors, which are sealed to IP65 (plug and socket) or IP66/68 (cable), are constructed from stainless steel and have a ceramic diaphragm, offering compatibility with a wide range of pressure media. Absolute and gauge versions are available and there's a wide choice of electrical output signals to meet the customer's operational requirements. Three accuracy levels are available down to 0.05% across an unusually wide pressure range, which starts from as low as 0-10mbar up to 0-700bar. Operating temperature range is from -20 to +135C, with temperature compensation down to 0.01%/C if required.
NEWS 127.
Hobart Brothers McKay has released VertiWear 600 and VertiWear AP hard surfacing wires. VertiWear 600 wires are suitable for repairing dragline chain, mill guides and coupling boxes, whereas VertiWear AP wires are best suited for crusher jaws and cones, dragline buckets and high-impact applications. Designed for hard surfacing mild- and low-alloy steel components that are prone to moderate abrasive wear and medium to high impact, VertiWear 600 wires deposit a multi-purpose martensitic steel alloy and feature slag removal. VertiWear AP wires also offer an easy-to-remove slag and are best suited for build-up or overlay on austenitic manganese or carbon steel and/or for joining austenitic manganese steel to manganese, carbon, or low-alloy steel. VertiWear 600 wires are available on 25lb spools of .045 and 1/16in diameters and VertiWear AP wires are available in .045in diameter on 25lb spools. Both wires are suitable for out-of-position, multi-pass welding and can operate with either a 100% CO2 or a 75/25 Argon/ CO2 shielding gas mixture.
NEWS 128.
Broner Metals Solutions has announced a new contract to extend the scope of the existing Melt Shop Scheduling and Control solutions for Taiyuan Iron and Steel Ltd (TISCO) to span additional new equipment at the plant in TaiYuan city, ShanXi province, China. TISCO is currently using Broner Caster Scheduler and Melt Shop Control Centre for scheduling and management of the Melt Shop, and for improved visibility of the production process. These modules are helping the company to increase adherence to plans and achieve greater production visibility, reduce delivery times and improve the reliability of delivery dates. The new project was initiated in order to extend the capacity of the current Broner modules to manage the increased complexity of production process caused by the new equipment. The existing solution will be extended to take into account the new BOF converter, the ladle furnace and double-strand caster machine, which are expected to be in full production by 2010.
NEWS 129.
Cronimet Mining GmbH, a company of the Cronimet Group headquartered in Karlsruhe, and investors from Dubai have acquired 70.5% of the shares of GMR Ferro Alloys and Industries Ltd from the India-based GMR Group. The remaining 29.5% of the shares remain widely held. The approval of the antitrust authorities has already been received. The acquired company is an important participant in the Indian market in the area of ferrochromium production and will operate in the future under the name Cronimet Ferro Alloys (India) Ltd. The company is headquartered in Tekkali Mandal (Andhra Pradesh State). The melting plant produces approximately 27,500tns of ferrochromium annually. Seventy-five percent of the output is exported to Europe, China, Japan and Korea.
NEWS 130.
Axium Process has increased its stock of hygienic stainless steel process equipment, tube and pipe fittings in order to meet the growing demand from the process industries for quick delivery and consistent quality products together with material certification to BS EN 10204. The company stocks a comprehensive range of hygienic 316 and 316L stainless steel filters, tank manways, valves, sprayballs, sightglasses, flanges, bends, tees, Y pieces, RJT, DIN, SMS, IDF and light-duty, standard and high-pressure clamp unions. Working primarily in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries, Axium offers NDT including dye penetrant, ferroxyl and surface Ra, together with full certification for citric or nitric acid passivation, pressure testing, materials and conformity.
NEWS 131.
Langley Alloys Ltd (Trent, UK) has divested its bronze alloy castings business, Meighs Castings, to MetalTek International Inc., whose HQ is in Wisconsin, USA. Langley Alloys is now set to fully focus on its business in wrought high-strength, corrosion resistant alloys. Langley Alloys has extended its range of speciality stainless steel alloys with the introduction of FERMONIC 50 (XM19) and also widened the range of duplex stainless steels to include SAF 2507, 2205 and UNS 32760 (F55). Supporting the stainless steels is a range of high strength bronze and nickel-copper alloys including HIDURON191 and 130, HIDUREL 5 and, most recently, MONEL ALLOY K500. The HIDURON and HIDURAL alloys were also developed and patented by Langley Alloys and retain a niche slot in the marine corrosion and bearings markets. To support the market, increased stocks of all these alloys are held at the Stoke on Trent site together with modern cutting and inspection facilities. The Company has also announced that it will soon be re-locating to a custom-built metals distribution centre close by in the Staffordshire area. This move will trigger a further extension in the alloy range and product sizes offered, along with further investment in equipment.
NEWS 132.
VSMPO-Avisma, a titanium producer, plans to spend USD 1 billion to increase production through 2012. State controlled VSMPO plans to increase annual output of titanium products to 46,000tns to 48,000tns in five years.
NEWS 133.
Anglo American plc announced that it is on schedule to complete its Barro Alto nickel project by early 2010. Barro Alto is the company's largest investment in Brazil, with a capital cost of USD 1.5 billion. SNC Lavalin was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction and management contract.
NEWS 134.
Titanium Resources Group Ltd has announced that it has sold its wholly owned subsidiary, Global Aluminium Ltd to Vimetco for a total cash consideration of USD 40 million. The total consideration includes repayment of an intra-group loan of about USD 10 million and a contingency payment of USD 500,000. The disposal follows a decision by its Board to review its options with regard to non-core operations.
NEWS 135.
Kemppi, a manufacturer of electric welding machines and related products, has signed an extended sponsorship deal with the Force India F1 team through the 2008 and 2009 seasons. After meeting Force India Team Principal, Dr Colin Kolles, Kemppi CEO Anssi Rantasalo signed the sponsorship. The Kemppi brand logo can be seen on the centre of the front wing of the Force India F1 cars and also the leading Formula Renault Euro Series with driver Valtteri Bottas.
NEWS 136.
Indian Railways has flagged off a stainless steel body wagon, upgraded from an open wagon, from the Carriage and Wagon Works at Perambur. Each of the new wagons has the capacity to carry an additional freight of 11.6tns. Thus, a rake of 58 wagons will be able to haul an additional freight of 673tns, which works out to about 16.6% more than the existing payload of a rake.
NEWS 137.
Rino Industries has added a range of titanium fasteners to its latest mechanical drive components' catalogue. The range includes socket head cap screws, Phillips cross recessed machine pan and flat head screws as well as hexagon nuts and washers. Titanium is completely nonmagnetic, making the fasteners suitable for flat panel displays and semiconductor equipment. Titanium also offers excellent seawater and chemical resistance for electrochemical plating and aquatic applications. Sizes range from M3 to M12 threads. The titanium fasteners are made from either type I TW270 or type II TP340C titanium and the lightweight properties of the material make it suitable for use in applications such as automobiles, aircraft, spacecraft, medical instruments and robots.
NEWS 138.
RathGibson, a manufacturer of welded, welded and drawn, and seamless stainless steel, nickel, and titanium tubing, hosted thirty participants from fifteen different countries in their annual Global Training Program, which was held in their Janesville, Wisconsin facility in USA. Presented over three days in June, the conference joined channel partners, end users, and RathGibson representatives in their mutual exploration for growth opportunities. The visiting customers represented various industries including: chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas, power generation, desalination, water treatment, food, and beverage. Customer representatives traveled from Mexico, Italy, UK, France, China, Taiwan, Australia, Korea, Thailand, India, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia, among other countries. Participants in RathGibson’s Global Training Program enjoyed access to top management teams from RathGibson, and Greenville Tube, who gave presentations on production techniques, tubing specifications and options, manufacturing capabilities, and application engineering. Customers also had the opportunity to interact with production personnel during tours of the facility.
NEWS 139.
Miller Electric Mfg. Co.’s Bobcat 225 gas engine-driven welder generator now has a fully enclosed case for added protection as well as quieter and cooler operation, especially when mounted on a truck with restricted airflow. The Bobcat provides 10,500 watts of generator power and up to 225 amps of welding (Stick, flux cored, MIG, TIG and air carbon arc gouging) output, making it suitable for MRO, farm and ranch, construction and truck-mounted applications. Due to the enclosure, the Bobcat’s case now better directs the hot air away from the engine for cooler operation, ensuring full output even in hot weather or when its mounted in a confined space with restricted air flow, such as in a truck bed. The Bobcat 225 is available with a Kohler 23-HP or Subaru/Robin 22-HP gas engines.
NEWS 140.
Hainan Jinhai Pulp & Paper Industry Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Indonesian Asia Pulp & Paper, operates the world’s largest pulp mill on the island and is in the process of building another leading industry facility: Hainan PM2 will be the largest machine for fine paper production in the world. The paper machine, supplied by Voith Paper of Heidenheim, Germany, is a comprehensive operation from stock preparation to finishing, spanning 670m in length. It will have capacity for one million metric tons per year once in production from May 2009. A paper machine is built with large amounts of stainless steel, necessitated by wet and high-chloride process conditions. A machine of the size of Hainan PM2 takes approximately 2000tns of stainless in flat products, tubes and fittings.
NEWS 141.
In operational use, the new range of special hard edge coated rules, Sandvik Dieflex Platinum, is achieving reduced life-cycle costs, time and time again. All trials and customer orders are supporting the claim that, although initially more expensive, the longer life of Sandvik Dieflex Platinum proves the life-cycle cost argument. It makes the new rules a real alternative for high volume, quality applications, such as food packaging and the coated boards of top of the range, high-end packaging. As the coating is very thin, there is no rounding of the edges. Critical is the product's edge hardness, which at 4000 - 5000 HV is five times that of a normal diecutting rule and almost double that of titanium nitride coated cutting rules, yet its bendability is unaffected. It cuts tougher materials at a lower cutting pressure with improved release properties, reducing dusting.
NEWS 142.
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Ltd, has written a “Guide to Weld Purging” to help all welders, quality control and management personnel to understand what is involved with Weld Purging and how to carry out the work in the most economical and technically effective way possible. As materials are becoming more sophisticated and quality standards are improving, the need to purge the oxygen away from stainless steel, titanium and exotic alloy welds is becoming ever more necessary. The dairy, food, drinks, pure water, semi-conductor, LNG, aerospace and other similar industries all insist on the welds being made in the absence of oxygen. To obtain your free purge guide contact: Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Ltd, Stukeley Meadow, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, SA16 0BU, UK.
NEWS 143.
Outokumpu signed on 23 April 2008 an agreement to acquire the SoGePar Group, an Italian distributor of stainless steel from its owners, the Borromeo family. After having received regulatory clearances the transaction has, on 30 July 2008, been completed. Outokumpu paid EUR 215 million in cash and took on debt in the company in the amount of EUR 120 million. The work to integrate the SoGePar units into Outokumpu's sales and marketing organization will now go ahead at full speed. Appropriate joint integration teams have been established to facilitate a smooth transition. SoGePar will be consolidated into Outokumpu's accounts as of 1 August 2008.
NEWS 144.
On 16 July 2008, Centravis (Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine), a producer of seamless stainless steel tubes and pipes, has announced its strategic partnership with Handy & Harman Tube Co. (Camden, USA), a producer of hi-tech products from stainless tubes. Subject to the terms and conditions of this cooperation, Centravis will become a principal supplier of mother tubes for Handy & Harman Tube Co., including the production of special mother tubes meeting additional customer requirements. In 2008, Centravis is going to supply over 300tns of mother tubes to Handy & Harman Tube Co., with this figure expected to triple next year. This will be possible by launching a new tube pressing line and an extrusion press (4400tns) at the industrial site of Centravis. Centravis is planning to complete installation of new equipment in the first quarter of 2009. Mother tubes produced by Centravis will be an intermediate product for the production of a wide range of hi-tech products (coiled tubes, unique thin-walled seamless stainless pipes for medical equipment, tool-making and other applications). Strategic partnership of the two companies includes: expansion of the product range of both companies (new steel grades and sizes); cooperation in innovative product development; and joint distribution of tubes produced by Centravis and Handy & Harman Tube Co. knowledge and experience sharing related to production process and technology. Joint company entry into the market of North America is among the most important aspects of cooperation. By the end of 2008, companies will hold a number of business meetings with the largest metal product distributors in the North American countries. International holding Centravis will, in turn, ensure product sales support to Handy & Harman Tube Co. on the CIS markets where Centravis has a strong market position.
NEWS 145.
Venezuela and Cuba have signed an agreement to create a joint steelmaking company called Aceros del Alba CA, which will make stainless steel products in Venezuela. The joint steelmaking company plans to produce 500,000tns of stainless steel and the new steelmaker will be located in Venezuela's eastern state of Monagas. A ferronickel plant will be built in Cuba to provide the raw material for the steel plant. The plant will be 51% owned by Cuba-based Company Acinox Steel Industrial Group and 49% owned by Venezuela.
NEWS 146.
A new UK stainless steel processing centre took a further step closer to fruition as the final stages of the installation of a new fully automated decoiling and coil process line were completed at Lockley stainless at their new purpose-built facilities in Wolverhampton, UK. The fully automated PLC controlled line is the latest of its type in the UK. It will receive coils up to 25tns and up to 1500mm wide. Operating at up to 60m per minute, it will produce cut-to-specification sheets in a wide range of size combinations from 500mm to 6000mm between 0.4mm and 3mm thickness. An automated coating process can add an optional polythene coating to the sheets to meet specific customer requirements. The automated, air assisted palletising stage packs the sheets ready for stock or to be delivered direct to customers. The completion and commissioning of the line is expected to be completed by late summer and will be a central part of the processing centre alongside new polishing and finishing equipment.
NEWS 147.
The construction of the new logistics centre of Wagener & Simon WASI GmbH & Co. KG with headquarters in Wuppertal began in February of this year. On 6 June 2008 the laying of the foundation stone for the advanced development took place. The company is part of the Würth Group and is a global supplier of stainless steel fasteners. For the medium term, WASI intends to invest around EUR 30 million in the new facility in Wuppertal-Ronsdorf. The 44,000m2 will be dominated by a building of 110m in length and 30m in height, housing a fully automated high-bay warehouse for 10,300 pallets. The site is to be developed in stages, whereby the first phase is the construction of a hall with a floor area of 10,000m2. In order to meet future demands, there are already plans for a 15,000m2 extension. Located on a freeway, the site offers excellent accessibility, which is a key requirement considering that up to 30 lorry loads of goods will be supplied to or collected from the warehouse every day. The new logistics centre is to open in 2009. Construction of the fully automated high-bay warehouse Model of the new WASI distribution centre.
NEWS 148.
Jinchuan Group Ltd may expand into stainless steel production to boost sales. The company will target so-called 300 series stainless steel, which may be the most competitive product line. The 300 series products typically contain 8% nickel and 18% chrome. Jinchuan suspended preparatory work for an initial public offering in June after China's benchmark equity index slumped and nickel prices dropped.
NEWS 149.
A five-year agreement concerning consulting, engineering and project services for Boliden's mines and smelters in Sweden and a Tara mine in Ireland has been made by Outotec and Boliden. The delivery of services is a continuation of long strategic cooperation between the two companies. The services will be provided by Outotec's Skellefteå office, which employs some 150 people.