Top-managers of the American concern Sandvik visited Uralkali. Sandvik is the most famous ore-plough machine manufacturer. General director at the concern, Ralf O.Oberdorfer and the marketing director at Sandvik, Klaus Fritzenkeotter came to Berezniki to sign a deal to deliver Marietta 900 for Uralkali.

"?arietta is the most modern ore excavating equipment, used on the mines in the US, Brazil and Australia," said Alexander Shumakher, vise technical director for Uralkali, "The machines are known for their high degree of reliability and good productiveness. That is why the decision has been taken to use it in Uralkali along with the traditional Ural-20s by the Kopeisk machine plant."

The service life of ?arietta exceeds 20 years. It excavates up to 1 million 500 thousand tons of ore before the major repairs, while the Ural -20s need an overhaul after a 600 thousand ton excavation. Within a minute Marietta 900 excavates 10 tons, the most efficient Ural-20 does 7,5 tons.

However, in spite of all advantages of ?arietta 900, originally it was not fit to the mine conditions of the Berezniki region. The machine's design used to need some revisions. Sandvik has been adopting the machine to the new conditions for two years. They changed the design and added extra technical details.

According to the Uralkali proposals, for instance, the designers set up a drainage plant so that it can do long-hole drilling.

On the signing ceremony, Ralf Oberdorfer said now Uralkali and Sandvik have joined to increase productivity and profitability and the partnership will help reach the goal.

Also the two sides discussed the idea of the Marietta after-sales service that will take place for the first time in Russia.

The first machine will be delivered for Uralkali in 2005. The tests will take place at Berizniki Ore Development Unit No 4 where a new bunkering loader and 30-ton self-propelled car will also be tested.

"We introduce a lot of new equipment, and now we need it to fit successfully," said Maxim Bakshinsky, general director at Uralkali, "If Marietta does a good job, we will purchase these machines for all our mines."