Report through the plants of "Makstil": Iron never dies, and gets a new form in Skopje

Photo: Makstil

Everything made of iron can be recycled and something new made again. There is almost no waste from iron. Makstil does not produce iron ore, it is a completely different technology, and buys most of the old iron from Serbia

Trucks, mostly from Serbia, packed with parts of everything but made of iron, enter the huge Makstil factory complex. The iron is piled up and made into a hill in front of the factory hall, from where with the "giant claw" of the specialized machine, it enters the plant for its purification, confection and preparation for entering the furnace where it will melt.

Photo: Makstil

The walk for the journalists through the plants of "Makstil", a significant industrial capacity in the country, started at this place.

- Iron never dies. Everything made of iron can be recycled and something new made again. There is almost no waste from iron. "Makstil" does not produce iron ore, it is a completely different technology. We buy most of the old iron from Serbia, and we also buy at home from licensed scrap metal - explains Dimitar Cvetkovski, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Photo: Makstil

From the minimal waste from the production process that has been collected from "Makstil" for years, a slag hill has been created - a material from which highways can be built, but still no one buys it. But that's why the factory manages to sell the filter dust (which is actually a whole building - a filtration plant). Experts from "Makstil" say that the dust is rich in non-ferrous metals and that there are countries that extract them.

Photo: Makstil

We head to another factory hall - there is a steel mill. In one part you can see strong light, something like volcanic lava, from where heat spreads. It is the furnace where all iron objects, cut to the appropriate size, are converted to liquid iron.

- We can melt a locomotive, but of course the whole can not enter, but it should be properly confectioned - explains Cvetkovski.

Photo: Makstil

The process takes place at a temperature of 1.800 degrees Celsius. We also had the opportunity to see the cooling, when the combination of hot iron with cold water creates clouds of water vapor.

The finalization of the process takes place in another huge hall - a rolling mill, where the iron blocks created from the old waste are turned into sheet metal. Much of that sheet metal will then be part of numerous ships that will sail around the world, but will have other applications.

Photo: Makstil

Not many workers can be seen in these factory halls, the process is mainly automated. Of course, no one can sit for long in a cauldron where iron is melted, nor can he lift huge iron blocks by hand. However, one of the employees constantly cuts the thick iron blocks… "Makstil" emphasizes that they constantly invest in the development and improvement of the working environment for the employees, as well as for their safety.

- We are continuously deepening the cooperation with the secondary vocational schools and the higher education institutions. The company, on the other hand, continuously has about 1.000 employees - the company explains.

Photo: Makstil

Makstil last year produced 314.508 tons of weak and 273.983 tons of sheet metal. Most of the production, ie 61% goes to the EU, Turkey is also a large market where 21% of production goes. 11% of our iron travels to other European countries, and domestic companies make 7% of the quantities.

Photo: Makstil

After "Feni", "Makstil" is the largest consumer of electricity and is a company that is the largest consumer of electricity, certainly after "TE-TO" which actually produces electricity from gas.

Dear reader,

Our access to web content is free, because we believe in equality in information, regardless of whether someone can pay or not. Therefore, in order to continue our work, we ask for the support of our community of readers by financially supporting the Free Press. Become a member of Sloboden Pechat to help the facilities that will enable us to deliver long-term and quality information and TOGETHER let's ensure a free and independent voice that will ALWAYS BE ON THE PEOPLE'S SIDE.

SUPPORT A FREE PRESS.
WITH AN INITIAL AMOUNT OF 60 DENARS

Video of the day