Turkish steel producer Kardemir has announced that it has produced 56 mm wire rod, the first time that wire rod of such thickness has been produced in Turkey. The company has thus broke its own record of producing Turkey’s thickest wire rod in the second quarter this year with 52 mm thickness. Kardemir, which is the only local Turkish trademark for heavy section, steel rail and railroad wheel production, has also become the only producer of thick wire rod in Turkey.
Kardemir has announced that it will also produce steel products for the defense industry at its bar and wire rod mill launched in 2016 at which the company produces steel grades for the automotive industry.
Commenting on the new record wire rod thickness, Kardemir president Dr. Hüseyin Soykan said, “In Turkey wire rod production is up to 28 mm in thickness, the products thicker than 28mm are supplied via import. We are proud, excited and happy at the same time to offer another product which has not been produced in our country before, for the service of Turkish industry. At Kardemir, we increased the thickness of wire rod to 52 mm in diameter before and our target was to increase it to 55 mm in diameter. Our employees increased it even up to 56 mm and provided a new type of product for our industry. We will be putting this new product mostly at the service of the manufacturing industry. We are also planning to produce steel grades of such diameter for the automotive industry. Thus, we will be enlarging our domestic market. We are aware that we will be able to export products of such diameter. I would like to add that we will be focused on the export markets. I hope this new product will serve our industry well.”