RUSAL INVESTS MORE THAN 10 MILLION EUROS IN THE MODERNISATION OF SKAD PRODUCTION

The Russian multinational Rusal, the world’s leading aluminium producer, has decided to invest more than 10 million euros in a programme to modernise the plant for the production of aluminium alloy wheels, SKAD.

Rusal completed a comprehensive program of overhauls and modernization of production at the SKAD plant, through which the main workshops and process equipment on the production line were overhauled, new casting machines and equipment for the production of aluminum wheels, including those for the ‘Almaz’ line, as well as new equipment for in-line quality control of each wheel were installed. In addition, an Italian acrylic wheel painting line, designed exclusively for the plant, was put into operation at SKAD.

The company’s annual production volume is approximately 3.5 million wheels. “The decision to purchase new equipment is aligned with the strategy of modernization of production at the SKAD plant. The measures taken are aimed at increasing labour productivity, improving product quality control and increasing the production of wheel discs. In the second half of 2021, an automated painting complex was fully commissioned, which made it possible to produce an additional 130 thousand wheels per month for our customers,” emphasizes Alexander Barantsev, CEO of SKAD.

The manufacturer of the acrylic line, Italian company IMEL Spa, is a paint supplier, produced according to best-in-class technological and environmental standards. To reduce waste, the acrylic lacquer is reused thanks to a recovery system. The new paint technology makes it possible to achieve a high resistance to paint corrosion.