At NLMK, we value the strong relationships we have with our partners. From time to time, we like to introduce companies that make smart use of QUARD and QUEND steels in their projects. It’s a great way to share good ideas and real-life success stories with our customers. This time, the spotlight is on GANS, a long-standing partner that has built a reputation for innovation and practical solutions.
With over 70 years of tradition and innovation in the metalworking sector, Metalúrgica Gans is a Brazilian leader in the manufacture of steel solutions for demanding applications. Founded in 1952 by João Gans, the company began its operations in Brazil in Curitiba, Paraná, producing fuel tanks, and over the decades established itself in light and heavy boilermaking. Today, headquartered in Campo Largo, Paraná, with a branch in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Gans serves major players in the mining, construction, steel, material handling, and quarrying sectors.
Certified by ISO 9001, Gans combines tradition with technology, offering custom projects with full raw material traceability and welding processes qualified by international standards. Its manufacturing facilities boast a complete infrastructure for cutting, bending, rolling, welding, normalizing, sandblasting, and painting—ensuring complete control over the quality of the equipment delivered.
Challenges overcome with high-performance steels
Before adopting NLMK steels, Gans faced challenges related to component durability and strength, especially in applications subject to severe wear. The use of materials such as SAE 1045, cast steels, and hardfacing steels, while reasonably resistant to wear, presented low toughness and weldability, compromising equipment lifespan and leading to frequent maintenance downtime.
Focused on overcoming these bottlenecks and meeting market demands, Gans began using specialty steels from the QUARD and QUEND lines of NLMK Clabecq, a Belgian mill recognized worldwide for the quality of its premium steels.
Currently, Gans uses QUARD steel in various components operating under severe conditions, such as mining blades, shell refurbishments, and linings for equipment used in environments with high abrasion and impact. By adopting QUARD, these products now have a significantly longer service life, requiring fewer maintenance interventions and ensuring better field performance. These practical results are directly reflected in customer operations, with reduced downtime, increased productivity, and superior cost-effectiveness throughout the equipment’s lifecycle.
In addition to supplying the material, Gans provides consultancy services on each project, technically assessing the application’s demands and recommending the most appropriate steel grade based on the specific requirements of each situation. This technical support is an essential part of the company’s strategy, which strives to go beyond supplying components to deliver tailored solutions with reliability, performance, and added value.
QUARD AT WORK: A partnership that adds value
The collaboration between Gans and NLMK grew stronger with the company’s entry into the international QUARD AT WORK program, which recognizes manufacturers who apply QUARD and QUEND specialty steels with excellence. By meeting the highest technical standards, Gans was approved as a member of the program, becoming part of a global network of excellence in the application of wear-resistant steels.
This strategic partnership provides a series of significant benefits for Gans’ operations, such as specialized technical support in the selection and handling of steels, collaboration on joint projects with commercial recommendations, and enhanced institutional visibility, positioning the company as an expert in the use of QUARD and QUEND.
According to Gans itself, this association directly contributes to reinforcing its image as a reliable and innovative company, capable of delivering high-performance solutions even in harsh operating environments.
According to Gans itself, this association directly contributes to reinforcing its image as a reliable and innovative company, capable of delivering high-performance solutions even in harsh operating environments.
Among the main technical attributes observed in the use of QUARD, Gans highlights its homogeneous abrasion resistance throughout the entire thickness of the sheet, reduced equipment weight, good formability and weldability, as well as its versatility in application and competitiveness compared to other options available on the market. These characteristics are directly reflected in the manufacture of more durable, safer, and efficient components, in addition to contributing to the optimization of engineering and assembly processes.
A solid and strategic vision for the future
Gans sees the continued use of NLMK Clabecq steels as a lever for market growth, reinforcing its position as a benchmark in the application of anti-wear materials across multiple segments. Practical experience and the results obtained prove: adopting the right steel is not just a technical choice — it is a strategic decision.
Together with NLMK Brazil and the QUARD AT WORK program, Gans continues to transform experience into innovation and materials into performance. This solid partnership, built on technical trust and long-term vision, continues to generate concrete results for the market—and pave the way for even more efficient, durable, and competitive solutions.
We like to celebrate our partners when they do great work with our steels. GANS is a good example of how QUARD and QUEND can make a real difference in tough environments. By sharing their story, we want to show how strong partnerships can bring value to everyone involved—our partners, their customers, and the wider market.