Gulf Construction Online - Quality boost for Emirates Steel

Steel

Emirates Steel ... upbeat about its quality standards.

Quality boost for Emirates Steel

01 July 2012

EMIRATES Steel, the largest integrated steel maker in the UAE, has been awarded a quality system certificate (QSC) as a material organisation (MO) from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for the manufacture of concrete reinforcing bar. With this recognition, it becomes the fourth rebar manufacturer worldwide to be awarded this certificate and the first in the GCC.

This follows the recent Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation (Saso) quality mark and similar certifications awarded to the company by other local and international authorities.

“The ASME certificate and the implementation of our nuclear quality system (NQS) programme will enable us to produce and supply our products to companies involved in nuclear activities,” says Suhail Mubarak Al Ameri, chairman of Emirates Steel.

“This is a very significant accomplishment for our company. We expect that the nuclear market is going to be a growing market for the use of rebar. With this issuance of a QSC to our company, we are now well positioned to service that growing market,” he adds.

Emirates Steel’s NQS, developed to supply products to nuclear projects, is based on ASME NCA 3800 requirements with products complying with ASTM A615 Gr 60 and ASME CC 2300.

Public safety in nuclear power generation is the main goal of ASME’s certification. Certified manufacturers must be in compliance with strict ASME nuclear energy standards concerning production, safety, testing, inspections, control of measurement devices and pass all ASME examinations.

“ASME’s certificate provides us with a high degree of confidence that our products conform to established safety standards,” says Saeed Ghumran Al Romaithi, Emirates Steel’s acting CEO.

He explains that Emirates Steel plans to expand its business by supplying high-quality, reliable materials demanded by nuclear plant builders, and seeks to contribute to nuclear power safety by bringing its technological and quality levels to comply with ASME standards.

Meanwhile, Emirates Steel recently received the Saso quality mark certification, after an assessment of the quality systems and a technical assessment of its plants and the procedures and systems used in controlling production and internal quality control, as well as the testing of product samples in specialised laboratories.

The Saso audit involved the inspection of the company’s industrial complex, in addition to product sampling and testing. A similar audit will be undertaken annually to ensure continued conformity.

“This certificate will enhance the prestige of Emirates Steel in both regional and global markets and will assist in ensuring our continued commitment to the latest standards and requirements for quality systems in the steel manufacturing process,” asserts Tariq Al Afifi, vice-president of standards and audit.

As part of its commitment to consistently deliver high-quality products, Emirates Steel ensures that its finished goods are available for dispatch only after inspection, testing and classification. The company operates a well-equipped laboratory and inspection facilities and all testing, inspection and monitoring procedures are carried out based on international standards.

To assert the quality of its steel, Emirates Steel has been awarded the certification to manufacture Grade B500B rebar and coil conforming to BS 4449:2005 by the UK Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (Cares).

The company is also certified as a quality manufacturer and supplier of products conforming to BS 4449:1997 Grade 460B. It operates a quality system that complies with the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and the relevant Cares quality and operations assessment schedules.

In addition, its rebar has been accredited by the Dubai Central Laboratory Department (DCLD) of the Dubai Municipality as conforming to BS 4449:1997 Grade 460B with Amd.1 and BS 4449:2005 Grade B500B.

Last year, Emirates Steel also gained the Cares Sustainable Reinforcing Steel (SRS) certification for the production of continuously cast steel billets and carbon steel bars for the reinforcement of concrete.

Emirates Steel also obtained the Emirates Quality Mark in November 2010.

Established in 2001, Emirates Steel is wholly-owned by the General Holding Corporation (GHC). Strategically located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), just 35 km away from the heart of the city, it is the only integrated steel plant in the UAE, utilising the latest steel manufacturing and rolling technology to produce reinforcing bar, wire rod and heavy sections.

At present, the company has a finished product capacity of three million tonnes per year. The many strategic alliances that the company has established with leading technology providers, coupled with its state-of-the-art facilities, will ensure that Emirates Steel maintains its position at the forefront of the industrial sector, says a spokesman for the company.

Emirates Steel is currently implementing a comprehensive business development plan which, when completed, will make it one of the largest and most competitive steel producers in the GCC region.

The company is evolving from its roots of being a simple and relatively low value-added processor of steel into a sophisticated, highly productive manufacturing business with a high added-value business model. Furthermore, it will be among the few regional steel producers with a diversified product range, including rebar in both straight and coil form, wire rod, sections, plate, seamless pipe, longitudinally welded pipe, hot rolled coil and semi-finished products, such as billets and direct reduced iron.