Acting Leading Manager of OAO Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) cold-rolling facility’s plate mill shop 11 group Andrei Gorbunov presented his report on MMK’s current production priorities at a recent conference on metal goods for the automobile industry held in Moscow.

According to the company executive, one of MMK’s strategic challenges lies in setting up in Russia the automobile body sheet production which will meet all the global standards. This is why the company is currently involved in the construction of cold rolling Mill 2000 in cooperation with the German company SMS Demag.

Upon the completion of this project, the enterprise will be able to manufacture high quality cold-rolled and zinc-coated automobile body sheets that meet the requirements of the world’s leading carmakers and white goods manufacturers. The capacity of the Mill will come to 2 million tons of goods a year; the first section of the facility (a continuous pickling line combined with a five-stand cold rolling Mill 2000) is to be launched as soon as next year. The product quality will also improve in the already existing cold-rolled and zinc-coated facilities thanks to using the new mill’s semi-finished rolled stock.

During his report, Andrei Gorbunov also mentioned another project that MMK is now implementing: a new and modern stamped components plant on the premises of Saint Petersburg-based Intercos IV. The launch of this plant means the company will be able to make stamped components for automobile bodies and household appliances. The official opening ceremony of the plant has been scheduled for November 2010.