OREANDA-NEWS. June 20, 2008. JSC Gurievsk metallurgical plant (GMP; ESTAR Group) acquired new equipment for the plant’s main lab and for an express laboratory of the open-hearth shop. The news was reported in a GMP’s press-release.

The new hardware includes desktop optical emission spectrometers ARL QuantoDesk. The hardware will allow to make quicker chemical tests of steel, cast iron and rolled stock and to get more precise data on the chemical composition of metals. The equipment cost about 4,000,000 roubles.

Previously the express lab at the open-hearth shop made tests using a АUS — 7844-I hardware, which showed the content of sulphur, carbon, manganese and phosphorus. The new spectrometer, besides these data, also shows the levels of silicium, cuprum, nickel, chromium, titanium, vanadium, zinc, and aluminium. This hardware is also capable of testing in the course of melting, at any stage from meltdown to metal tapping, which allows the manufacturer to adjust the steel composition yet at the meltdown stage and, so, to produce a better iron and reduce spoilage losses.

The new hardware acquisition became possible thanks to the Gurievsk plant’s program for quality enhancement, which key strategic goal is to improve the quality of produce and to retain and expand the target markets for long products and grinding balls.

The Gurievsk metallurgical plant was founded in 1816. Now its main specialty is production of long products and grinding steel balls. In 2007 the plant increased its steel output by 2% reaching a mark of 210,420 t, and long products output by 7.3% reaching a mark of 210,040 t, and produced 60,045 t of grinding steel balls.

In August 2003 the plant was acquired by a Moscow group called ITF. In June 2007 the controling stake in the plant was bought by the ESTAR Group.

In 2007 the plant’s sales amounted to 2.966 billion roubles, a 4.5% increase over 2006, when the sales reached 2.839 billion roubles.