TVZ – the manufacturer of stainless steel railway carriage. Customer’s viewpoint

End-users – the manufacturers of finished production – have always played a key role on Russia’s stainless steel market. In an interview to the USSA, Andrey Sherbatykh, Deputy Purchase Director of Tverskoy Carriage-building Plant (TVZ) tells about the daily needs and challenges before Russian consumers of stainless steel.

Interviewer – Irina Lapik, Head of Communications, USSA

Irina. – Mr. Sherbatykh, would you tell us in brief about the Tverskoy Carriage-building Plant?

Mr. Sherbatykh. – Our enterprise is a lead company of Russia’s carriage-building industry which specializes in manufacture of the carriages with locomotive traction motors – passenger railcars and special-purpose carriages. TVZ is a united complex which houses a scientific institution, test-line production, an experimental station and a serial production that help us carry out tasks of any complexity beginning with an idea and shaping it into a serial production. Mostly like, we are the single enterprise of this scale in Russia. By the way, TVZ is over 100 years of age. The company was established in the 19th century by the French joined-stock company ‘Dille and Bacalan’. TVZ is a dynamically developed company which up-to-date technologies and production materials. Recently, the plant started producing carriages with the use of stainless steel.

Irina. – The per capita consumption of stainless steel in Russia equates to somewhat 1.7 kg. Your enterprise actively contributes to the increase of this index. Would you tell us about the application of stainless steel in your production?

Mr. Sherbatykh. – We produce passenger railcars with the walls and platforms made of stainless steel. Moreover stainless steel is used for railcar interior: drinking water tanks, lavatory and hygiene equipment.

Irina. – What mix of stainless steel products and in what volumes do you consume?

Mr. Sherbatykh. – We consume monthly around 100 tons of stainless steel, basically flat-rolled products AISI 321 (08X18H10T). Widths 1000-1500 mm and lengths 2000-2500 mm.

Irina. – As is well known, the Russian market for flat-rolled stainless steel is being satisfied mainly through import supplies. My next question to you as to an end-user, which products do you prefer to use in your production – the Russian or the imported?

Mr. Sherbatykh. – We use in our production both Russian and and imported production. Unfortunately, Russian suppliers not always do satisfy us in terms of product dimensions.

Irina. – Do you have some particular wishes towards the work of suppliers?

Mr. Sherbatykh. – We would like suppliers to avoid delaying supplies. It is extremely important to us that our ordered products arrive on time. To a delay in supplying we do always react oversensitively because it pulls down our production process. In addition, sometime we have complaints about the packing. Our specific production makes stronger demands towards the shipment of materials. We are always open for cooperation. We strictly analyzie the situation on the stainless steel market and we would be glad to consider every proposal sent to us while reserving the right to choose the most advantageous option.

Irina. – Thank you very much. We will continue discussing various aspects of Russia’s stainless steel consumer market at the international seminar ‘Price 2007 For Flat-Rolled Stainless Steel’ on 25th January 2007 in Moscow, organized by the USSA and supported by ‘Ural Metals Market’.

We invite the market competitors from all over the world to attend the forthcoming Seminar.

To register for the Seminar, please, complete the registration form.

The Seminar’s information partner – The metallurgical web portal and journal ’Ural Metals Market’.
(http://www.urm.ru)