61st International Engineering Fair in Brno: Liberty Ostrava introducing a new high added value product, which will strengthen its competitiveness on foreign markets
Ostrava October 7, 2019 - Liberty Ostrava has introduced a new type of mining section profile which the company has recently launched in the market after nearly a year´s work of its R&D team. The profile has a specific shape and superior mechanical properties to other types of profiles. Mining section profiles are primarily used for exploitation of mineral deposits in underground mines and in urban infrastructure projects such as construction of tunnels. By expanding its portfolio of mining section profiles, the Ostrava steelworks is striving to increase its competitiveness in strategic markets.
“In this product range we are an important player in the regional markets. Development of the new profile will allow us to strengthen our market position further,” said Richard Toman, head of mine shafts and safety barriers operation at Liberty Ostrava.
The new mining section profiles are of a modified shape compared to the existing profiles, are rolled with more precise tolerances and offer better mechanical properties such as higher load-bearing capacity.
“Coal mining has decreased worldwide so the annual consumption of mining section profiles has dropped by about half during the past seven years. Therefore, we are looking for new opportunities for our profiles,” added Toman.
The production of mining section profiles in the Ostrava steelworks was launched in 1961. They are hot-rolled at the heavy section mill and are finished by cold cutting and bending with maximum precision. Within the Czech Republic, apart from being an integral part of the domestic mining sector, Liberty Ostrava mining section profiles have been used in infrastructure projects such as the Blanka tunnel in Prague.
Liberty Ostrava a.s. is an integrated steel business with a production capacity of 3.6 million tonnes of steel. At present it annually produces c. 2.2 million tonnes of steel, which is mainly used in construction, machinery and oil & gas industries. The company is a domestic leader in the manufacture of road barriers and tubes. In addition to the Czech market, it supplies its products to more than 40 countries around the world. Together with its subsidiaries in Ostrava, the company has 6,300 employees. The 2018 average monthly income was CZK 39,180. As a result of the above-standard greening, the company manufactures its products with a minimum possible environmental footprint. It is part of Liberty Steel, a global steel and mining business. Liberty Steel is part of the GFG Alliance, a global group of energy, mining, metals, engineering, logistics, and financial services businesses, headquartered in London, with a presence in around 30 countries worldwide. The Alliance has a global workforce of around 30,000 people and a turnover exceeding US$20 billion.
