Gerdau and SKF in agreement to improve productivity at Brazilian steel mills
Gothenburg, 6 December 2019: Gerdau and SKF have signed a fee-based agreement aimed at increasing productivity and reducing unplanned downtime at Gerdau’s Charqueadas and Araçariguama steel mills in Brazil.
The agreement will see SKF provide a full range of products, including bearings, remanufacturing, lubrication systems and connected condition monitoring units. Data from critical machinery at the two steel mills will be analyzed at SKF’s Rotating Equipment Performance Center in Brazil. Based on this analysis, SKF and Gerdau can plan maintenance and corrective actions, improving machine reliability and performance.
Fladimir Gauto, Executive Director at Gerdau Special Steel, Brazil, says: “We are focused on generating value and increasing competitiveness in our operations, as well as on advancing with the implementation of innovative solutions in the steel industry. Our partnership with SKF will certainly be an important support in this regard.”
Claudinei Reche, President, SKF Latin America, says: “By offering customers in the steel industry the opportunity to work with us on a fee-basis, we give them access to our full competence around the rotating shaft, in order to improve productivity. For an industry which has a very high cost for unplanned downtime, this is crucial. We will be able to help Gerdau improve their output and reduce their consumption of bearings, grease and energy, reducing the impact of their operations on the environment.”
With 118 years of history, Gerdau is Brazil's largest producer of steel, a leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the world’s leading suppliers of special steel. In Brazil, it also produces flat steels and iron ore for its own consumption.
Aktiebolaget SKF
(publ)
For further information, please contact:
PRESS: Theo Kjellberg, Director, Press Relations
tel: 46 31 337 6576, mobile: 46 725-776576, e-mail: theo.kjellberg@skf.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS: Patrik Stenberg, Head of Investor Relations
Patrik Stenberg, 46 31-337 2104; 46 705-472 104; patrik.stenberg@skf.com
SKF’s mission is to be the undisputed leader in the bearing business. SKF offers solutions around the rotating shaft, including bearings, seals, lubrication, condition monitoring and maintenance services. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2018 were SEK 85 713 million and the number of employees was 44,428. www.skf.com
® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.
