OREANDA-NEWS. On 13 July 2009 was announced, that preparatory work for the production of the new steel grade was done in MMK's Rolling Shops ## 7 and 10 in line with the order from OJSC KAMAZ for 6 x 320 mm, high strength hot rolled strips. This steel grade belongs to the group of high strength, micro-alloyed steels designed for fabrication of parts by cold shaping, and will be produced to the European standard DIN EN 10149-2:1995. The new steel grade is mainly intended for the automotive sector, specifically, for the manufacture of high strength auto components, auto body supporting structures, reinforcement elements, and parts essential for the car's passive safety.

The new steel's high strength values (during tests the grade's yield strength reached 600 MPa) make it possible to use thinner rolled material in manufacturing parts, which results in a lesser weight of the finished product. At the same time the robustness and rigidity of the part in question is retained or often even enhanced.

Thanks to a carefully selected chemical analysis of the new steel it was possible to improve its impact viscosity at low temperatures, which means that a part made of such steel will retain its resistance to cracking even in severe climatic conditions.

In addition to their use in the automotive sector, high strength micro-alloyed steels are employed in construction, and fabrication of supporting structures, including bridges.

The S500MC steel grade is not the first European standard (EN) grade adopted by MMK. In 2008 MMK started production of the S355MC и S420MC grades to orders of both domestic and foreign customers. Under the conditions of the current financial and economic crisis top priority is assigned to efforts aimed at raising product quality and diversification. Thus, in the last few months MMK has started production of 20 new steel grades.