The Ukrainian seamless stainless steel tube producer Centravis Production Ukraine (Centravis), located in Nikopol city, has announced that it is continuing the implementation of its large-scale technical modernization program aimed at upgrading its production facilities and decreasing its production costs.
At its tube-drawing shop Centravis is currently installing its new Tioda washer for degreasing tubes (made in US) and is completing the contract testing of its new KPW-25 cold rolling mill, with a capacity of 180 m per hour, which was supplied by German plantmaker SMS Meer. The second similar mill is scheduled to be commissioned in August this year.
Meanwhile, at Centravis' tube-pressing shop the new pressing line has been undergoing contract testing for more than two months. The new pressing line, the equipment for which was supplied by German companies SMS Meer and IAS, includes an IAS billet heating furnace, a furnace for heating shells before pressing, and a 44МН tube-profile press. Currently, as part of the contract testing, Centravis is carrying out pressing of tubes with external diameter from 38 to 245 mm.
In addition, Centravis is approaching the implementation stage of its joint project with Austrian consulting company Cziping Consulting, aimed at increased efficiency of resource usage and also at the development of an effective system of management for planning and productivity monitoring. Currently, Centravis and Austrian consultants are working on the reduction of unfinished production, on the decrease of metal discharge coefficient, and on the implementation of the 5S Japanese process method at the plant in order to increase the organization, cleanliness and standardization of work.
Besides the above mentioned initiatives, on July 1 Centravis started to test the SAP ERP R3 corporative management system, which is expected to help boost the value of the company, its transparency of accounting, and the quality of its management.
The financial details of Centravis' modernization program have not been disclosed.