Vyksa Steel Works (United Metallurgical Company)

Vyksa Steel Works (VSW) is currently one of the world’s largest manufacturers of railway wheels made of internally produced steel.

The Russian company, part of United Metallurgical Company (OMK), launched its manufacture of railway wheels in 1973. During the Soviet period, forged wheels were produced for domestic railways only. After Russia entered a new phase in its economic development on its way to becoming a market economy, VSW kept on working to gain entry into new markets. Since 1994, VSW’s railway wheel exports have been constantly on the increase.

Wheels for freight and passenger vehicles, locomotives, and electric subway trains

VSW produces more than 140 standard sizes of wheels designed for railway freight and passenger cars, locomotives, and electric subway trains.

Solid railway wheels and wheel centers

We have Europe’s largest facilities for producing steel railway wheels, including steel-making facilities, and a line for the production of solid railway wheels and wheel centers ranging from 760mm to 1,098mm in diameter, used for freight and passenger cars, locomotives, and electric subway trains.

NDT testing for railway wheels

In February 2010, VSW put into operation an NDT acceptance line for automatic quality testing, making it possible to enhance wheel quality.

ISO-certified manufacturing of railway wheels

Certified to ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, and OHSAS 18001:2007, the high quality of our steel railway wheels has been found acceptable by US, European, Indian and Russian railways.

Design and development of railway wheels

VSW never stops working on new types of wheels for different regions, including design and technology development for its new products. In 2009, VSW developed new wheel designs for US, Indian and European railways. Owing to its strenuous efforts in worldwide markets in late 2009, OMK was also selected as the preferred bidder and awarded contracts for the supply of wheels to Slovakia and other Eastern European countries, as well as India.

Railway wheel-rolling facilities

At present, the VSW wheel-rolling facilities are fully equipped for mass production of wheels with enhanced application properties for freight and passenger cars, including wheels with improved wear resistance, and wheels for modern railway cars designed for loads reaching 25t/axle-30t/axle.

In recent years, OMK has invested $100 million in the modernisation of its wheel-rolling facilities. Under the OMK integrated investment programme for the period ending 2015, the company plans to make large investments in the development of its wheel-rolling business and new wheels.

Certified railway wheels

As a wheel supplier, OMK has a strong presence in many counties, including the US, Canada, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, India, Jordan, South Korea, Bulgaria and Serbia. A total of 30 countries are the destination of VSW-made wheels. VSW’s main wheel designs received certification from the railways of North America, India, and Eastern and Central Europe. VSW makes extensive certification efforts, annually obtaining two or three certificates from national railways.