The History of Luga Abrasive Plant
The production of Russian crucibles began in Luga in 1906. On the 8th of November 1906 (Old Style) the peasant Josif Casprjik set up a workshop to manufacture clay and graphite pots in Luga. This very date is considered to be the day of the plant foundation. The plant went through many difficulties during the following years. In 1911 Casprjik's private workshop ceased producing crucibles as it had no governmental support and couldn't be a real competitor. The further production of crucibles is connected with restoration and development of the Russian industry. So, owing to persistence and organizing abilities of the first head of Luga Integrated Industrial Plant D. A. Corrman and a technical talent of Josif Casprjik, the only specialist in crucibles in the country of those days, Russia got the crucibles of its own production (this story became the plot of N. Brikin's book "The Provincial Idea"). The Integrated Plant started producing grinding tools at that time. In 1926 the plant "Smychka", being the part of the Integrated Plant, began producing resinoid bond abrasive tools. These two plants were separate institutions right until the Great Patriotic War.
During the Great Patriotic War the "Red Crucible" plant, producing crucibles, was evacuated to Stalinsk (Kemerovo region) and the plant "Smychka" was moved to Zlatoust.
After the Second World War both plants were restored, expanded and united into one plant "The Red Crucible", which began producing ceramic bond wheels in 1957. During the past years the plant has got new equipment, mastered new technologies and developed manufacture. There was created a whole range of unique assemblies (such as hydraulic systems for moulding crucibles).
The plant changed radically during the last decade : there were mastered the hundreds of standard sizes; many production processes and materials handling were mechanized; a moulding room of the resinoid shop and the shop of semiproducts and coated abrasives were put into operation; there was finished building of a new production department; highly efficient multi-positional presses for moulding cut-off wheels, automatic and semi-automatic equipment for production of flexible backing abrasives were bought abroad.
Being once an ordinary enterprise with a small range of products, during the last years Luga Abrasive Plant has become a plant producing a wide range of products (more than 14.000 standard sizes). Today consumers don't have to visit another companies to purchase different abrasive tools, which we can complete with crucibles and other products furthermore. To win the market of fireproof graphite products, our company fulfilled the investment program. According to this, our plant mastered new technologies of crucible production with the German investor.
Certification audit by the Classification of Russian State Standard was carried out on our Plant in November 2001. As a result LAP has gotten “Certificate of Conformity to Quality System Demands ISO 9001-96” (reg.¹ ISO09.K0099). In May 2002 LAP was certificate the system of quality management by demands of DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 in German firm TÜV CERT and has gotten “Certificate of Conformity” (reg. ¹78 100 3836).
Nowadays the share of Luga Abrasive Plant is about half of manufacturing volume of the abrasive instrument of Russia, is constantly increasing production output and renewing the range of products. Much attention is paid to the quality and outward appearance of the products, safe packaging and to the work we do with our clients. Our production is beyond compare. Competitiveness of our production is being constantly proved by regular shipments to USA, Germany, Greece, Finland, Poland, Cuba, the CIS and other countries. The leading enterprises of Russia and Europe are our customers too.
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