Mar 2009. Fundicion Nodular certifies its ISO 14000 system

Fundicion Nodular has been working intensively to achieve certification according to ISO14000 of its environmental-management system. The company makes great efforts to minimize its impact on the environment, in and around it, with new investments scheduled for the next months.




Dec 2008. FUNDICION NODULAR AWARDED

The Asturian Region's Public Authorities have awarded the "Impulse 2008" price to Fundicion Nodular to the best quality management in companies of its size. The price consists of 15.000 Euro, plus a beautifully worked trophy.




Nov 2008. CONFERENCES AVAILABLE IN THE DOWNLOAD SECTION

Text of two conferences presented by Fundicion Nodular's technical staff during congresses in India and China are available for download in the respective section of our web.




Sep 2008. FUNDICION NODULAR WILL SUPPLY ESSAR STEEL’S NEW ROLLING MILL

Essar Steel LTD, one of the main steel producers in India, with plants in that country as well as in Canada (Algoma Steel), U.S.A. (Minnesota Steel), Indonesia and two new projects underway in Vietnam and Trinidad Tobago, has just awarded Fundicion Nodular its new contract to supply mill rolls for its new electric steel mill in Hazira (India). This new facility is designed and built by SMS Demag – Germany with similar technology to the one used in other Fundicion Nodular’s usual customers. Output of the new plant will go over 2,5 Million Tons yearly, and work and back up rolls will be supplied directly from Lugones. The contract is worth more than 10 million Euro, and will extend throughout 2009 and first months of 2010.




Jul 2008. APPOINTMENT OF NEW TECHNICAL MANAGER

Due to Mr. Jose Luis Gonzalez joining a new regional galvanizing company as General Manager, and after a close collaboration to ensure a smooth transition, during the past month of august, Mr. Leonel Elizondo has assumed his position as Technical Manager. Mr. Elizondo studied Metallurgical Engineer in the Friedrich-Alexander Universität at Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany. He worked as Process Engineer during the commissioning of the Rolling Mill of the CSP Plant at HYLSA – Mexico. He worked also as Process Engineer in the start up of the Rolling Mill of the CSP Plant at ACB (ArcelorMittal) in Sestao-Spain- He was Technical Manager of Cilindros Bolueta, a Roll Foundry in Bilbao-Spain- He also worked as Product Engineering Manager in the Rolling Mill of Global Steel Wire at Santander-Spain- And now, with his experience and vast knowledge in rolling mills and roll foundry he joins the team of Nodular. Welcome!!




Jul 2008. FUNDICION NODULAR POSTS OUTSTANDING 1H08 RESULTS

Fundición Nodular has obtained during the first half of current 2008 excelent economic results, which represent a landmark in the company’s history. Net turnover during the period january to june 2008 exceeded 19 million euro, 20% more than during the same period in 2007. Strong growth of the export steel market – which amounts for more than 85% of sales, and the center of gravity around greater value and more advanced products rocketed margins, allowing for an EBITDA of more than 2,5 million Euro, some 35% higher than the corresponding to 2007’s first half. The company has continued along a strong investment path, and has also significantly improved its working capital management, with less dependency on bank credit and more efficiency in raw material and work in progress stocks.




Jul 2008. AUGMENTED CHEQUERED AND TEARDROP PATTERN MACHINING FACILITY

Fundicion Nodular has subscribed an agreement, including its financial stake in a chequered and teardrop pattern machining facility for mill rolls. This agreement allows Fundicion Nodular to enjoy a yearly capacity of more than 100 rolls finished with this special kind of patterns, which will be carried out in installations a few miles away from our main plant. The aim is to achieve value creation with sufficient capacity for our customers, and to further enhance and complete our product mix with a high degree of quality and logistic cost-saving.




Jul 2008. FUNDICION NODULAR BROADENS ITS INVESTMENT EFFORT

Fundicion Nodular has enlarged its current investment plan during the first half of 2008. This will mean a total effort of more than 16,5 million euro for the period 2006-2010, added to an R&D budget of more than 3,5 million Euro. Specifically, a new investment package aimed at enhancing the machining section has been awarded to the german group Waldrich, for more than 8,5 million Euro. These will join some other in the heat-treatment and moulding sections. All of it targeting a 15.000 Tms yearly production by end 2010.




Jun 2008. CHINA INTERNATIONAL STEEL MILL ROLLS CONFERENCE

The past 2nd, 3rd and 4th of june 2008 took place in Shanghai the China Internacional Steel Mill Rolls Conference, versing about supply to this growing industry in the asiatic country. Jointly promoted by the China Iron and Steel Organization, The Chinese Society for Metals and the Metallurgical Council of the China Council for the Promotion of Internacional Trade – CCPIT – the event was framed incide the 5th Internacional Chinese Steel Congreso and the 11th Edition of the Metallurgy China Fair, located in the new Internacional Exhibition Center in Shanghai. China has passed from an annual steel output of 151 Million Tons in 2001 to 498 Million Tons in 2007, thus becoming the main steel producer in the world. More than 330 delegates coming from siderurgic companies such as Arcelor Mittal, Nippon Steel, Duferco, Tata, etc. and local companies (Baosteel, Tangshan, Handan, Lianyuan, Wuhan, etc.) participated, together with the main mill roll and auxiliary equipment producers worldwide. Fundicion Nodular presented a technical article titled “Defects in new generation rolls such as high speed steel, related to natural hidrodynamics during vertical spin casting”. This including description of a new enhanced process which is the subject of a European Patent belonging to Fundicion Nodular which is used to produce the new types of rolls in high speed steel qualities without the above mentioned defects.




May 2008. SUBORDINATE DEBT AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH SPANISH ADMINISTRATION

Spanish Industrial Ministry, having certified Fundicion Nodular’s innovative processes and R&D efforts, is now participating finantially in the company, by means of a subordinate debt agreement worth 1 million Euro until 2015, disemboursed last may through the Ministry’s equity institution ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación). This will significantly enhance and strengthen the company’s financial position and recognises the efforts currently taking place in order to achieve growth and excellence.