Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) came up with a report on its innovations efforts.

The company’s scientific and technological policies and implementation of innovations are mainly handled by the science and technology center, the company reports. The center comprises the Central Control Lab, a patent and licensing group, and an R & D group. According to MMK Director-General Boris Dubrovsky, the center’s efforts are focused on several fields, the main one being the development of new product types production technologies for the company’s existing equipment. First and foremost, this means the production of high quality automobile body sheets and metal goods for the pipe-manufacturing industry. The development of efficient, cost-cutting production technologies is another important direction. Besides, the center is involved in some design efforts aimed at creating new machinery with smaller man-caused environmental impact and enhanced reliability and energy efficiency.

In some cases, leading Russian R&D organizations are contracted for the lab’s projects, in others everything is done by the center and MMK divisions themselves, and sometimes the center joins some state-run programs as a co-implementer. In 2010, MMK had seventy-one R&D contracts, and the center completed fifty-four R&D and technological projects. These research programs were related virtually to the company’s entire technological chain. This year, the enterprise has eighty-two contracts, fifty-seven of which are being implemented by the center and MMK’s other divisions.


In addition to this, MMK and I.P Bardin TzNIIchermet has been involved in a project on the development of design and engineering documentation for a new class of machinery meant for ultrasonic exposure, plasma-assisted processing, and innovational production of zinc-coated automobile body sheets since 2009. The project is to be completed in 2011.

What is more, MMK joined another scientific research project with I.P Bardin TzNIIchermet this year, the one on the creation of a new generation of steels and coatings that will increase the durability and lifespan of heavily used parts of metallurgical equipment and road-building and agricultural machinery.

In 2012, MMK Group expects to keep up with its innovational activity program, including the development of inventor and patenting activity, the design of the company’s own technical solutions and new-generation technologies, and cost-cutting efforts. The emphasis will be laid on the development and launch of low-cost, quick-payoff projects aimed at resource saving, MMK’s PR Department reports.