R&D and Innovation

R&D initiatives are of critical importance to meet the changing needs of industrial sectors that use steel as input, transform advancing technology into beneficial applications, and manufacture high value-added products. OYAK Mining Metallurgy strives to ensure the sustainability of its competitive superiority by investing in R&D initiatives. OYAK Mining Metallurgy's R&D Department, in conjunction with the Quality and Operations groups, continually carry out idea, product and system development efforts, including new product, grade and size development initiatives, that will create a competitive edge for the Group in the marketplace.

R&D Investments For The Future

OYAK Mining Metallurgy is the industry leader thanks to its R&D initiatives. In these projects, the Group closely monitors developments and technology use in the industry, works in cooperation with customers from the get-go in forward-looking projects, leverages Company technical know-how and experience for product development, identifies the new products that the industry will need in the coming years, and plans capital investments accordingly ahead of time.

OYAK Mining Metallurgy is in the process of building a lab within the R&D Center, which will also feature material characterization and product development simulation devices, where all of the Group’s R&D operations will be undertaken.

As a result of the joint efforts of the R&D and Quality groups, the number of flat steel grades in the OYAK Mining Metallurgy product portfolio now totals 395. The number of available grades in long products is currently 239.

İsdemir Calibration Center Sizing Laboratory was accredited by TÜRKAK in accordance with the ISO 17025 Laboratory Management System standard. Isdemir also holds ISO 17025 Laboratory Management System Certification.

Continuing the Company’s product development, grade approval and outer panel sheet manufacturing efforts with Fiat-Tofaş, Ford Otosan and Renault, the leading companies in the automotive industry, OYAK Mining Metallurgy increased the number of FIAT Auto-approved grades to 10 and Renault-France-approved grades to 21. (The number of grades manufactured exclusively for Renault is 12.)

In addition to the existing 13 grades approved by Ford Otosan, OYAK Mining Metallurgy reached the final approval stage for the galvanized DP600 grade on the global scale. The Group is also expending efforts to increase its share in the vehicles that are currently being manufactured by Tofaş, Oyak Renault and Ford Otosan as well as to become the main supplier for the new vehicle projects of these companies. Further, OYAK Mining Metallurgy continues to carry out intensive industrial experimentation initiatives in many grades and sizes with other domestic and overseas appliance manufacturers.

Innovation-Oriented Cooperation With TÜBİTAK

Türkiye’de inovasyon odaklı çalışmalar yürüten üniversite ve bilimsel kuruluşlarla işbirlikleri geliştirmeyi ilke edinen İsdemir, 2013 yılında üç adet TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB proje başvurusu gerçekleştirdi ve iki proje için kabul aldı.

Having embraced the principle of developing cooperations with universities and scientific organizations that undertake innovation-oriented initiatives in Turkey, İsdemir submitted three TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB applications and received approval for two projects in 2013.

İsdemir plans to complete the “Separation of Oil from Oxides Using Various Solvents and Recovery of Oxides” project in 2014 that is being carried out by the Raw Materials and Iron Production R&D Department with the support of TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB. The Group also aims to complete the “Conserving Ferro-Manganese in Steel Production” initiative, being undertaken by the Steel Production and Casting Technologies R&D Department with the support of TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB, in the last quarter of 2014.