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Nissho Iwai and Mitsubishi Electric Receive Order for Large-scale Welding Machine from Russian Company NOVOLIPETSK IRON & STEEL CORPORATION

Mar. 8, 2003

TOKYO(March 8, 2003)--Nissho Iwai Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have been awarded an order for two units of welding machines to be installed on the continuous pickling and cold-rolling lines at the NOVOLIPETSK IRON & STEEL CORPORATION in Russia.

This is the first time for large-scale welding machines manufactured in Japan to be installed at iron works in Russia for the said lines. The order amount is approximately 1.5 billion yen, and installation work will commence in the spring of 2004 with the planned operation commencement in July of the same year.

The 'NMW Type C Flash Welder' machine manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric possesses high machine reliability, and enables the stable running of lines. Its main features are as described below:

1. Equipped with fully-automatic trimming, annealing and non-oxidation welding functions, and realizes the world's fastest welding speed and highest welding accuracy.
2. Capable of welding steel plates of different thicknesses through its fully-automatic electrode height and trimming height adjustment devices.
3. Provides improved machine operability and maintainability through its automatic storage maintenance deck and the optimum layout of the main equipment.


There are few manufacturers in the world which offer large-scale welding machine for pickling and cold-rolling lines, and Mitsubishi Electric holds top market share among such manufacturers. Since its development in 1979, forty-four units of the 'NMW Type C Flash Welder' have been installed at iron works in seven countries around the world, including Japan. These points were highly evaluated and resulted in receipt of the order, although up until now NOVOLIPETSK IRON & STEEL CORPORATION has been using welding machines manufactured in Germany.

Since the 1970s, Nissho Iwai and Mitsubishi Electric have delivered various iron making equipment to NOVOLIPETSK IRON & STEEL CORPORATION, and have established an amicable and close relationship over the years. In order to modernize the existing facility, the said iron works has plans for massive investments in equipment during the period 2000 to 2005, and Nissho Iwai and Mitsubishi Electric were also awarded an order in 2001 for continuous hot-dip galvanizing line control equipment worth 1 billion yen.

The Russian economy is well on its way to recovery, and shows healthy signs such as expansion of domestic demand for building, oil and gas-related materials in the iron industry, and an increase in the export of steel plates to Southeast Asia, China and Europe. Nissho Iwai and Mitsubishi Electric will continue to aim at new market development, utilizing Japanese high technology as a leverage.

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