Maravi

Gupta calls for a self-sufficient manufacturing industry

Gupta calls for a self-sufficient manufacturing industry
By Kabanda Chulu in Kitwe
Sat 29 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

SCAW Limited managing director Rameshwar Gupta has said there is need to make the Zambian manufacturing industry self-sufficient through innovation in order to sustain the current economic growth.

In an interview at the 53rd Copperbelt Mining, Agricultural and Commercial Show (CMACS), Gupta said Scaw Limited, which won four prizes at last year’s event, had recently commissioned two new plants for manufacturing of high chrome mill balls and deformed bars.

“As a major steel company in the country we want to build Zambia by making the local manufacturing industry self-sufficient through innovation in order to sustain the current economic growth and currently we are producing high chrome mill balls which are used for crushing copper ore at Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines and Kansanshi Mines Plc,” Gupta said.

“In order to support the mines in Zambia in reducing the cost of copper production, Scaw Limited is selling high chrome balls at 20 per cent cheaper the price of imported ones and our mill balls are manufactured under strict quality control procedures which include optical metal analysis for achieving the desired chemical composition, hardness and micro structure.”

He said Scaw Limited had recently installed a state-of-the-art induction furnace in order to expand its capacity to produce 24,000 metric tonnes of high chrome balls per annum.

“We have developed chilled cast low chrome grinding balls and these mill balls are most suitable for smaller mills being installed by small copper processing plants in Zambia and the DR Congo and these balls are produced under strict quality control procedures and have proven their superiority during tests conducted at KCM and Mopani mines,” said Gupta.

Scaw Limited is one of the largest manufacturer of grinding media, iron and steel castings in the region and the Foundry which is located in Kitwe has an installed capacity of 36,000 tonnes of grinding media and 5,000 tonnes of steel and iron castings per annum.

Labels: CMACS, MANUFACTURING, RAMESHWAR GUPTA, SCAW LTD

posted by MrK @ 4:07 AM