MMK-METIZ is developing in-demand products and improving service quality, said Alexander Mukhin, Director of MMK-METIZ Magnitogorsk Hardware and Calibration plant, as he welcomed participants to the opening of the 9th all-Russian "Wire - Fasteners" conference in Magnitogorsk.

In his welcoming speech, Mr. Mukhin recalled that the previous meeting of the "Wire - Fasteners" conference at MMK-METIZ was held in 2014. Since then, MMK-METIZ has undergone drastic changes thanks to the implementation of the Company's large-scale investment programme.

The head of MMK-METIZ told conference participants that the Company, which became the legal successor of two hardware enterprises in the southern Urals – Magnitogorsk metallurgical hardware and sizing plants, is now one of the leading specialised enterprises for deep metal processing, capable of producing the widest range of hardware products for various industries, including fasteners, wire, ropes, calibrated rolled products and mesh. The Company's share in domestic hardware production is 21%. In 2019, sales of MMK-METIZ products totalled 446,643 thousand tonnes, and sales revenue totalled more than RUB 23 billion. In 2019, investments in production amounted to about RUB 1.5 billion.

MMK-METIZ pays special attention to developing production of the most popular fasteners on the market, most of which were imported until recently. Currently, the plant offers a wide range of M6-M12 bolts and nuts, including DIN standards, with an internal hexagon and clamping shoulder. The plant’s existing system for designing new fixings allows the Company to meet consumers’ most demanding requirements.

The new quenching and tempering unit, made by German company Kohnle, guarantees high quality, high-strength fasteners, including those used for bridge construction. Customers received the first batch of fasteners with 10.9 strength class M20 and M24 diameter bolts and the Company is developing technology for manufacturing high-strength (12.9 strength class) M20 bolts.

The range of galvanized fasteners has been expanded thanks to the M16-M30 fastener galvanizing line. Since the use of fasteners with corrosion-resistant coatings is steadily growing in various industries, this year another M6-M12 fastener galvanizing unit is being put into operation.

MMK-METIZ has doubled production of self-driving screws and expanded the product range by increasing the maximum length of the screws from 76 to 152 mm; the Company also produces screws for window mouldings (including drill-tipped screws), a self-driving screw with a hemispheric head and backpad, screws for all types of wood and nail-screws for plastic dowels.

The commissioning of a new complex for producing high-carbon wire and ropes allows MMK-METIZ to make higher quality products and to produce new types of ropes, including eight-row, non-twisting models with plastic compressed strands. At the “Russian brands: A Quality Stamp of the XXI Century” competition, MMK-METIZ's steel ropes made of plastic compressed strands received the gold-standard quality stamp. The Company has also mastered production of reliable ropes for passenger elevators in accordance with the European standard DIN EN 12385. The certification body GlobeCert (Sweden) has certified the production of reinforcing ropes in line with European standard EN 10138 and has extended the scope of the certificate for their use in Denmark, Finland, and Norway.

One of MMK-METIZ’s ultimate innovations is the creation of a line of non-copper welding wire made of MagWire low-carbon alloyed steel grades, designed for welding high-strength and wear-resistant MAGSTRONG structural steels produced at Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK). The wire has been successfully certified by the National Welding Inspection Agency. Experimental batches of MS-700 wire were shipped to KAMAZ and UralVagonZavod's key consumers.

MMK-METIZ has also achieved a new level of product quality and consumer satisfaction for calibrated rolled products. The new production complex for calibrated rolled products has significantly improved the products' surface quality and geometric accuracy, as well as expanded the range of branded processed metals. The new complex's equipment includes an environmentally friendly mechanical scale remover, flaw detector, a control and sorting unit for calibrated rolled products and automatic machine for forming bundles.

MMK-METIZ is a consumer-oriented company that makes considerable efforts to improve its service quality. Since January 2020, the Company has launched a call centre to improve consumer service. The centre provides services for consulting clients, providing background information and receiving and processing applications. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7 thousand requests have been received and processed.

The plant also has a customer technical support group, whose activities are aimed at effectively solving problems that arise during consumer product processing; consulting clients on the consumer properties of products; forecasting and preventing possible problems for the client during product processing and continuously searching for and developing new types of products.

Since May 2020, MMK-METIZ has been placing a QR code on the labels of cable products. Using the available mobile app, consumers can now read the instructions for storing and using rope products posted on the MMK-METIZ website, which allows them to obtain the optimum durability and trouble-free operation of the ropes.

At the consumer's request, measures were carried out and implemented to mark products using a barcode in line with the EAN-13 standard. The first batches of nails with the new marking have been shipped and positive feedback has been received. The second stage includes the implementation of identification bar-codes on all fasteners manufactured at MMK-METIZ.

On September 17-18, the 9th all-Russian "Wire - Fasteners" conference is held in two formats: offline (for those who are able to attend in person in Magnitogorsk) and online (for those who will watch the presentations and listen to speakers online). The key themes of the conference are: the production and consumption of metal products in Russia and abroad; investment, production and marketing programmes of major manufacturers of hardware products; modern requirements for hardware products; new prototypes, new materials, distribution and trade of hardware products; opportunities for the development of metal service centres; and the market forecast for metal products in Russia and the CIS in the short and medium terms. The event will also include a tour of MMK's production plant for graded metals and a tour of the Magnitogorsk hardware and calibration plant MMK-METIZ.