U. S. Steel Corporation and JFE Steel agree to exchange technical expertise
United States Steel Corporation and JFE Steel Corporation announced that they have entered into a technical exchange agreement under which they will share expertise in the general areas of steelmaking practices, benchmarking and other areas of mutual interest. The exchange of technical know-how is expected to help U. S. Steel and JFE improve productivity, promote efficiency, and bring better steel products to the market at lower costs. Commenting upon the agreement, U. S. Steel Executive Vice President and COO John H. Goodish said today's global steel industry faces many challenges including competition from alternative materials, environmental responsibility, and rising energy and raw materials costs. "U. S. Steel and JFE are leaders in independent steelmaking research and technology. By sharing our expertise in a variety of steelmaking areas, we will each become more globally competitive and enhance the sustainability of steel - the raw material of modern society."
REACH reaches the Kosice steelworks
In the next few years the countries of the European Union are going to have to come to terms with a package of legislation known by the name REACH. This is a wide-reaching set of regulations intended to control the registration and use at EU level of all existing chemicals. One of the principal intentions of REACH is to support the substitution of dangerous chemicals with other substances. REACH Director at U. S. Steel Kosice Petra Kralova has informed Ocel Vychodu that the standing orders of the European Parliament and Council (ES) No. 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) came into force within the EU in December 2006. The aim of these regulations is to ensure a high standard of protection for human health and the environment.
Breathing new life into wood
A chisel, some special knives, or even better a nice piece of wood, the most suitable being a section of lime-tree trunk, or walnut, but also plum, apple or cherry … That would surely be a gift to bring pleasure to the heart of Frantisek Palencar, shift supervisor in the operating team at the plant for continuous casting of steel into slabs No.1. In his free time this steelmaker is transformed into a skillful woodcarver. You can find his small open-air gallery in nearby Cecejovce, his native village, while dozens of other sculptures and little figures based on his observation of life itself are hidden away in a house on Kosice's Main Street.
