EVRAZ NTMK completed production of a batch of wheels for freight railcars under the contract with the Turkish State Railways (TCDD). Two thousand wheels of the newly launched BA 002 type (920 mm in diameter, made of the ER7 steel grade) will be shipped by the end of March.

Representatives of the Turkish State Railways audited the wheels for correctness of their geometry and the mechanical properties. The tests proved full compliance with the customer’s specifications. The clients confirmed their satisfaction with the quality of wheels and expressed interest to work with EVRAZ in the future.

EVRAZ NTMK produced the batch of BA 002 wheels for the first time. Their key feature is high-precision boring of the wheel’s hub. This means that the tolerance for the wheel hub bore is measured in hundredths of millimeter. The experience gained while launching the new product will be used for developing other wheel designs.

“Production of the new wheel type is quite difficult technologically, but our engineers were able to launch it in just four months. We keep expanding our product portfolio and broadening the geography of our sales,” said Ilya Shirokobrod, EVRAZ Vice-President, Sales. “The annual demand capacity for wheels in Turkey exceeds 25 thousand pieces, and we consider the country among our high-potential customers.”

Expanding product portfolio is a priority for EVRAZ. In 2014, EVRAZ NTMK significantly expanded the geography of its railcar wheels sales. They were sold domestically and exported to the CIS, the Baltic states, Europe and the USA with the total count reaching 65 thousand pieces. In 2015, EVRAZ shipped first batches of BA 004 and BA 018 wheels to Germany.