Baosteel Achieves Ship Plate Application Breakthrough Amid Tough Market Situation

Recently, a joint venture shipbuilding enterprise and Baosteel sign a high-strength marine heavy plate procurement c ontract and the products will be used for the largest domestic container ship manufacturing. This is a breakthrough which Baosteel makes in seeking high-end market application in severe ship plate market situation and it lays foundation for future high-grade ship plate application.
Due to the impact of economic changes and market downturn, in recent period, shipbuilding industry business is shrinking, which brings new challenges to ship plate producing steel enterprises. Besides, there are many ship plate manufacturing enterprises at home and competitive pressure is heavy. How to maintain production and management stability in the competition is Baosteel's focus. High-end development and seeking breakthrough in high-end market is Baosteel's main direction in recent years.
The joint venture shipbuilding enterprise is one of the important strategic customer of Baosteel ship plates. During years of cooperation, Baosteel focuses on customer needs, not only provides quality ship plate products but also provide customers with services in logistics and new product development and has won customer acceptance. The two sides also establish regular exchange mechanism, continue to expand and extend cooperation level. At present, Baosteel is the only domestic ship plate supplier of this customer.
The designed load of the new container ship is 13,000 boxes, the "giant" in domestic container ships. High strength ship plates are used to build key parts. As the customer has strict requirements on high-strength product certification, previously the high strength shipbuilding products are all imported.
After learning the information in exchange with customer, the team composed of Baosteel Manufacturing Department, Heavy Plate Department, Baosteel Research Institute, Heavy Plate Sales Department, Baosteel International Baoshan company makes use of high strength ship plate R&D advantage and accumulated manufacturing experience, and actively guides customer in the selection of Baosteel products. After several rounds of technical exchanges, they win the trust of customer. Subsequently, according to customer's needs, the team continuouslly optimizes product performance during the trial. By the end of last year, after six months of customer certification, Baosteel high strength product finally achieves breakthrough.
The signing of the contract means Baosteel high strength ship plates are used by this customer for the first time and it has positive significance in further expanding high-end market and optimizing variety structure.