The ACPC Consortium (Anti Corrosion for Pipes Coating) is a biannual event where all coating plants of ex-Soviet Union are invited.

This third seminar was organized by WINOA on January 28-29 in the Test Center of Le Cheylas (practice, plant tour, Innovation developments presentation) and at the Château des Comtes de Challes (theoretic).

The audience was composed of thirty participants: ten customers « Pipes Coaters » from Winoa Russia, Institute of Research and Normalization of GAZPROM-VNIIGAZ and Selmers, one of the first suppliers of complete coating lines for the Russian market, as well as seven Directors (General, Purchasing and Sales), Production Managers, Process and Quality Engineers – together 5000 tons of abrasives reunited.  

Four present companies: Vyksa Metallurgical Plant (VMZ – OMK Group), Chelyabinsk Pipe Plant Chelyabinsk (ChTPZ- ChTPZ Group), Volshsky Pipe Plant (VTZ – TMK Group), and Izhorsky Pipe Plant (ITZ – Severstal Group) are the main producers of “black pipes” with their integrated coating lines.

The other present companies are “Service providers”: they receive “black pipes” of different diameters and coat them after blasting.

The theoretical and practical aspects were developed by the Test Center of Le Cheylas (Yves Béret and his collaborators), by the Innovation (Joan Samuel’s team with Guillaume Léger and Claudiu Ionescu) and by the Russian team (Rimma Gallyamova, Andrey Bochkov, Sergei Vorotinsky, Pavel Teplykh and Nicolas Klimoff). The coordination at Le Cheylas was monitored by Maja Voiron.

Results :
  • W Abrasives specialists are recognized as the « Experts » in Surface Preparation
  • The Surfium (Product + Approach) was officially launched with the probing trials conducted at the Test Center. Year 2014 will be highlighted by the Surfium!
  • The « Cost of blasting” approach was understood and acknowledged
  • Different smart tools (Cleanliness, Dust) developed by the Innovation prove our « Uniqueness » and differentiate us from other abrasive suppliers.

Next appointment is made for the end of September 2014 in Timashevsk, Krasnodar region (just like 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi) for the fourth edition of the ACPC Consortium (focus on "Industrial trials").

Thanks to all who contributed to making this meeting of ex- Soviet Union Key Accounts a successful event!