EH Expert Mission 2024: Accelerating the Shift to Premium Excellence in Tube Manufacturing!
In early September 2024, Vallourec in China hosted the 2024 ‘Expert Mission’ dedicated to the Eastern Hemisphere (EH) region. This four-day in-house event was organized to champion the region’s premium tube manufacturing process while promoting the exchange of ideas between the Group’s various departments.
The event covered a wide range of topics in six main areas: safety in production, technical exchanges, cross-cultural collaborations, upstream and downstream production processes for steel and tubes, and non-destructive testing (NDT). The ‘Expert Mission’ took place mainly at the Chuzhou plant in China, but simultaneous meetings were also held at the Changzhou plant (in China), VSA (in Saudi Arabia), PTCT (in Indonesia) and other locations, fostering a dynamic exchange of global expertise and the sharing of resources.
Focus on Premium Processes and Development
Philippe Carlier, Vice President Industry, Group and Eastern Hemisphere, Kamal Elbachiri, Director of Process Communities, and Mathieu Barreau, Industrial Director for Eastern Hemisphere, addressed crucial issues and focused on the implementation plan for the “Value Over Volume” strategy and premium projects in the region.
Participants engaged in in-depth discussions, emphasizing the need to further strengthen premium processes, reinforce quality inspections, and optimize product testing technologies.
The ‘Mission Expert’ is an important event and a crucial milestone for the EH region, as it is not only an important technical event, but also an opportunity to develop employees. Strengthening local teams helps to improve capabilities, technical standards and overall team performance.
The focus on Tianda's premiumization plan proved to be an excellent guiding thread, fostering concrete discussions and leading to a prioritized 2025 industrial action plan. The key ideas of this 'Expert Mission' will transform our quality circuits and enhance our plant capabilities through new equipment and operator training.
The 'Expert Mission' plays a key role in the EH region's premium roadmap. We began this journey in 2022 with the first trials on HC grades and DWC connections. This annual event is not only a technical milestone; it’s also a crucial platform for the development of our local teams, enabling them to enhance their skills. To manufacture premium products, we need a premium team!
