OREANDA-NEWS. On 14 August 2009 OMZ (Uralmash-Izhora Group) (RTS: OMZZ; LSE: OMZD; OTC: UHMVY), a leading heavy machinery company with assets located in Russia and the Czech Republic, announced that its Izhorskiye Zavody has completed complex modernization of a unique furnace designed for thermal processing of large-sized products for the nuclear power sector and the petrochemical industry.

In the course of modernization the company used the latest domestic technologies and materials: gas burners were replaced, the subhearth of the furnace was repaired, furnace lining was made from fiber materials, the furnace arc size was increased, and an automatic process management system was installed. The furnace's cover was manufactured on the basis of a unique design and was equipped with special clamps providing a high level of fixation.

The modernization will allow the company to improve the quality of thermal processing of products for nuclear power sector and petrochemical industry significantly, including the company's ability to strictly follow temperature regimes for metal retaining (±5°С). Such technological indicators related to strict compliance with parameters of thermal processing exceed ASME requirements two-fold.

The general contractor and designer of the furnace's modernization project was Soyuzteplostroi CJSC, the biggest Russian company specializing in design, expertise, construction and repair of thermal technical equipment for various industries.

OMZ invested around RUB53 million into the modernization project.