Gürler ATAŞ
Sales Executive
AKM Metalurji offers innovative solutions to meet the demand of dozens of diverse sectors. Would you tell us overall organization, fields of activities, specialties and works of the company?
AKM Metalurji is one of the largest suppliers of high temperature industrial insulation and refractories in Turkish market. It supplies a service to numerous sectors including iron and steel, energy, defense, petrochemical, ceramics, glass, cement, heat treatment and non-ferrous.
It successfully maintains to be a supplier to mainstream companies as Erdemir, İsdemir, Şişecam, Petkim and Tüpraş for a long while with its products in scope of energy saving such as ceramic and soluble fiber products, insulating firebricks, monolithic refractories and mortars.
What are the solutions of AKM Metalurji for cement and ready mixed concrete sectors?
AKM has carried out various projects with sector-leading companies since its establishment. It currently provides service to the cement industry with insulating materials (ceramic and soluble fiber products, Ca-Si and microporous boards, special mastics, concrete anchors, etc.)
By means of production facility for monolithic refractories launched in 2020, we aim to meet the needs of high-quality products of the sector.
What kind of R&D projects do you run to develop demanded products by sectors?
As Chinese proverb highlights “A person asking a question may look like a fool for five minutes, but those not asking any questions will remain life-long fools.” Until today, we always asked, and never got tired of learning and searching for the truth. We know that what companies do is gaining value besides earning money. In consideration of the value that we added to our country, we are pleased, and notice that we have accomplished great developments in our motivation. We closely monitor our region with our expert team and experienced engineers department who aspire to renew themselves constantly. We conduct works in our R&D laboratory in order to improve our existing product range by performing constant tests. In this context, we are in collaboration with our oversea partners and academic institutions. We ask, we comprehend, and we produce solutions.
Do you have oversea collaborations? What kind of operations do you have in terms of exports?
We made a license agreement for production and sales with United Refractories Co, an American based company specialized in the relevant field. In this scope, we carry out the monolithic refractories production at AKM Tuzla Compound.
It makes works easier to feel support of our partner with their knowledge and technologies on monolithic refractories. In the following period, we aim to put our products to Europe and Middle East markets.
Furthermore, AKM Metalurji continues to walk with Morgan Thermal Ceramic for more than 20 years, in the field of high temperature industrial insulating products.
In addition, we collaborate with more than 20 foreign partners on industrial insulation.
As AKM Metalurji, with which qualifications do you differ from your competitors in the sector? Which of your qualifications take you one-step ahead of your competitors?
Albert Schweitzer, the great philosopher says; “There is no prayer greater than serving to humanity. Working for common interest is the greatest faith.” Adopting this idea, AKM Metalurji continues taking decisive steps forward for its prospective objectives by remaining loyal to its mission since 1992. We do not treat any company which we provide products and services as customer only, and we consider our business as our duty to humanity and keep our sense responsibility always alive. We aware that trade is not only about supplying products/services. We think that the underlying reason for appreciation and trustworthiness toward our company is this approach.
You are a company operating with the strategy of continuous growth and development. Recently, you invested for monolithic refractor concrete production for the cement sector. Would you please elaborate this investment a little more?
Surely with this investment, not only the cement industry but, to the whole industry we aim to provide products and technical support to our country and nearby region. As I just mentioned, increasing demand of monolithic refractories and lack of companies able to produce quality products persuaded us to make such an investment. I would like to mention that, while we are building 10.000 m2 indoor facility, we were attentive to acquire the state-of-the-art technology.
What kind of advantages will your customer have by means of the new investment you present to the cement sector?
We were particularly careful that refractories to be produced in the first stage are to be strategic products for the cement industry. Products having low cement high HMOR (Hot Modulus of Rupture) developed for burner pipe and nose ring which has high abrasion rates and temperatures will increase the sector expectations by lowering maintenance duration, extending replacement period and reducing unscheduled shutdowns.
Our custom-engineered refractories containing high-purity alumina and silicium carbide will be provided as resistant to abrasion, thermal shocks and chemical reactions.
Moreover, we will have many refractory types in our product range that enables ease of application and saving time during maintenance and implementation.
AKM aims to meet all demand of monolithic refractories of the cement sector in the following five-year period, and maintain the success, that was already accomplished in the sector with respect to industrial insulating products, in monolithic refractories as well by offering innovative solutions.
Did you schedule any other investment in close term? Particularly intended the cement and ready mixed concrete sector..
I might say that our priority is to serve our products to customers promptly. With the idea of constant renewal and being a company in demand that we aspire to, we try to serve to our country and customers. I think we will accomplish successful projects in the forthcoming period.
We are about to end the tough year of 2020. Would you give us and overall evaluation of the year and your objectives for the upcoming period?
Unfortunately, 2020 was a tough year affecting all the humanity. I hope we could leave this period behind as soon as possible. Our country was damaged in this period as all countries in the world. Despite all, we will overcome this period with lowest loss and recover quickly. I wish that 2021 and following years are to be such periods of peace, love and health for our country and all humanity.