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BMZ accounts for 35% of global RML wire production

In 2008, the Belarusian Steel Works (BMZ trademark) produced 45 thousand tonnes of wire for high-pressure hoses (RML wire), BelTA learnt from BMZ Deputy General Director for Hardware Production Anatoly Savenok. The global RML wire production is 130 thousand tonnes. BMZ accounts for 35% of the global RML wire market, he noted. The plant sells its products to the global largest producers of high-pressure (hydraulic) hoses: American companies Eaton, Parker, Alfa Gomma (Italy). Belarusian cord is used for covering the global most solid hoses of the Italian company Manulli. This year BMZ started RML wire supplies to Japan. According to the contract with Yokahama Rubber Co., Japan is going to export 1.5 thousand tonnes of products. As for the Japanese contract, Anatoly Savenok noted that several years ago when BMZ started developing the production of ultrahigh-strength metal cord and RML wire, the company had to import HC iron rod from Japan. After the fundamental upgrading the company created a unique technology that covers the whole production of RML wire from steelmaking to packaging. As a result over the last five years the production grew 80% to make the plant the world’s largest wire producer. As a great amount of orders keeps flowing in the company will attach close attention to increasing the quality of products and reducing power inputs, i.e. enhancing production efficiency, Anatoly Savenok said. According to the company’s economic analysis department, in January-July 2008, the BMZ steel production reached 1.465 million of tonnes, up 9.5% over the same period last year. Over the seven months, BMZ output totaled 1.2 million tonnes of rolled metal, up 12.4% on the same point of 2007, 182 thousand tonnes of hardware (up 11.4%) including 56.8 thousand tonnes of metal cord (up 16%). Hardware products embrace metal cord, RML, bead and other types of wire. Over the seven months, the company produced Br2.048 trillion worth of products in comparable prices, up 8.1% over January-August 2007. Export increased 43.5% to make up $1.11 billion.