USSR ASBESTOS-CEMENT INDUSTRY EXPANDED BUT POORLY MECHANIZED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190224-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 224
• Publication Date: July 14, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190224-1
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USSii nSBEST0S-cEpniPf I DUSTiiY F7G'AIIDFD BUT P002,LY MECHANIZED
Promyshlennost' Stroitel'nykh Platerialov
Ploscow, 1 Play 1953
I
The USSR asbestos-cement industry expanded considerably during the postwar
period with the construction of asbestos pipe and slate plants in various sec-
tions of the country.
Slate plants were built in '.:uvasay (Central Asia), Krichev (Belorussia),
Pikalevo (Leningradskaya Oblast), Yashkino (Western Siberia), Krasnoyarsk
(Faster n s-h - 1, ;; assn nn]'niv (Far East). and in llizhniy TnRii (Urals), an,'
slate prcduction was organize,' in the r^rubl:cs of Georgia and Armenia.
An asbestos pipe plant was built in htil'kovo (Central Asia), and a con-
struction materials combine was built in Baku to manufacture slate products,
asbestos-cement pine, and sanitary faience products. In 13ay 1953 an asbestos
pipe plant started operations In. Belgarod (Kurskaya Oblast).
Several enterprises put n,*.; technological lines in operation and increased
their capacities. At the sane time, .:opt of the forming machinery was r:con-
structed and its work intensified. ..s a result, the average monthly output per
forming machine in 1952 increased 9' percent above 1947. In 1952 slate and pipe
output was 4 and 4.8 times as much, respectively, as in 1940.
Despite the increase in slate and asbestos-cement pipe output, the increased
supply fails to meet demands, primarily because working operations are Poorly
mechanized. Sorting, mixing, delivery of the asbestos co it may be worked.
preliminary hardening of asbestos-cement pipe, feeding water, regulating the
batch in the slate forming machines, and rolling and stacking the slate are
almost completely done by hand.
The machinery and devices are not coordinated sufficiently to assure a con-
tinuity of production. Not only is some of the machinery inadequate, but in
several plants the boiler room facilities are so inadequate as to be unable to
supply the plants with sufficient steam and hot water during the winter months
or to maintain t:e required temperature during the final hardening process.
Because of this, several plants have been short of hot water.
Good technological practices are also being violated in several plants- In-
accurate proportions are made quite frequently in mixing the raw material ingre-
dients. Furthermore, the batch mixture is not worked satisfactorily. NM- only
has equipmens been used very poorly, but it has been found to be in a neglected
condition. Improper maintenance has resulted in breakdowns and idleness of ma-
chinery. The plants have been short of qualified engineering and technical
personnel and, as a result, the mechanical repair shops have been unable to meet
demands for their services. Thus, emergency breakdown repairs have been prolonged
and the quality of repairs has been extremely poor.
Another inadequacy of the industry is the irregularity of plant operations
during a particular nonth. For instance, 52-58 percent of the monthly quota is
fulfilled in the first 10-20 days of the month. In the lust 10 days of the
month, output drops down to 42-43 percent of the monthly quota.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190224-1
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The Main Administration of the Slate and Asbestos Pipe Industry of the
Ministry of Construction Materials Industry USSR has been handling very poorly
the problems of the expanding industry. The main administration has neither
introduced new technology into the industry nor taken any measures to eliminate
the lag of some of the plants.
The industry is faced with more serious problems in the future. By 1955,
slate output must be increased to 1.6 billion plates and asbestos pipe output
to 18,000 kilometers. A considerable increase in output is contemplated in
the rayons of the Far East, Siberia, Urals, along the Volga River, in Central
Asia, and in the Kazakh SSR. Not only will the industry have to increase
sharply its output of pressed products, colored slate, and large-size slabs,
but it will have to start producing facing slabs and reinforced pipe and floor
slabs. The industry is also faced with increased demands for higher quality
products. The existing slate and pipe plants will be reconstructed in the
next few years with the objective of mechanizing the work as well as organizing
output on a continuous basis.
To cut down the present productive cycle from 7-?12 days to 2-3 days, the
production of asbestos-cement products will be converted gradually to the auto-
clave method during 1953-55 and subsequent years. Products will be formed from
sand cement containing 50-60 percent quartz sand. This will make it possible
to cut cement consumption in slate and asbestos-cement pipe manufacturing more
than one half ana to cut the fabricating period 3-4 times.
Besides the contemplated expansion and reconstruction program to take place
during 1953-55, new plants will have to be built in Vol'sk, Chernorech'ye, and
other localities. Each of these plants will be equipped with two plate-forming
and two pipe-making machines. Construction of asbestos pipe plants in Belgered,
Kiev, and Bryanak is also expected to be completed during 1953-55.
One of the greatest problems facing the industry in the next 2_3 years is
completing the mechanization of productive operations. During the past 2-3
years [1949-52] it was possible to increase slate output per machine by stepping
up machine speeds, but this procedure involves complications because the slate
is cut by hand and then sheared to size on shears which work only periodically
and thus do not have the output of the forming machine. The important problem
facing the asbestos-cement industry now is to mechanize the shearing of rolled
slate and to convert equipment to feeding the mixed batch to the machine auto-
matically.
Because of the rapid increase in the production of asbestos-cement products,
there is now a great demand for asbestos. m -- _t,v the
uusLry will nave to resort to using mineral wool as a substitute, a factor which
is dependent upon the glass industry's producing mineral wool from basalt.
To hell, overcome its numerous problems, the industry has been allocated
additional funds for large-scale new plant construction, reconstruction of exist-
ing plants, and materials and equipment to mechanize the manufacturing process.
A central base has also been established in the industry to manufacture new equip-
ment and snare ?ors
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