29.09.2025
How to Prepare Future Metallurgists for Real Production?
This interview shares valuable insights from the Taganrog Technical College of Engineering and Metallurgy, "Tagmet," as part of the "Professionalism" project.
Deputy Director for Educational and Production Work Anatoly Fedorovich Kontarev explains how, together with Taganrog Metallurgical Plant and SIKE company, they implemented a project to create training simulators for student preparation.
Deputy Director for Educational and Production Work Anatoly Fedorovich Kontarev explains how, together with Taganrog Metallurgical Plant and SIKE company, they implemented a project to create training simulators for student preparation.
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SIKE: Would you recommend collaborating with our company?
Anatoly Fedorovich: I am very grateful to both the plant and SIKE company: to the plant for recommending SIKE to us, and to SIKE for not letting us down and meeting our expectations.
Everything turned out great, in my opinion. These simulators are now being replicated and actively used throughout the education system in the Rostov Region, and everyone is delighted. The plant workers who recommended your company to us are also very pleased with how this project was implemented and how everything worked out for us.
Anatoly Fedorovich: I am very grateful to both the plant and SIKE company: to the plant for recommending SIKE to us, and to SIKE for not letting us down and meeting our expectations.
Everything turned out great, in my opinion. These simulators are now being replicated and actively used throughout the education system in the Rostov Region, and everyone is delighted. The plant workers who recommended your company to us are also very pleased with how this project was implemented and how everything worked out for us.
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SIKE: Why did you invite our company to participate in the tender for training systems?
Anatoly Fedorovich: The choice wasn't random. As participants in the "Professionalism" project, we implemented it together with our employer, Taganrog Metallurgical Plant. The subject matter of the simulators we purchased fully aligns with the plant's production specifications. We carefully studied their recommendations and reviewed their developments. It was specifically on the plant's initiative that we reached out to the SIKE company.
Anatoly Fedorovich: The choice wasn't random. As participants in the "Professionalism" project, we implemented it together with our employer, Taganrog Metallurgical Plant. The subject matter of the simulators we purchased fully aligns with the plant's production specifications. We carefully studied their recommendations and reviewed their developments. It was specifically on the plant's initiative that we reached out to the SIKE company.
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SIKE: What main challenge do the simulators help solve?
Anatoly Fedorovich: Our key task was to ensure that the simulators ordered from the SIKE company would accurately reflect the pipe and blank production technology used at our metallurgical plant. Thanks to close collaboration with the plant's engineers and technical specialists, the software and control panels supplied by SIKE were designed with precise analogues of the actual control systems used in the workshops.
Now our students, during their training, arrive at production already prepared. This was precisely the main goal – to help students adapt to modern technologies used at the metallurgical enterprise.
Anatoly Fedorovich: Our key task was to ensure that the simulators ordered from the SIKE company would accurately reflect the pipe and blank production technology used at our metallurgical plant. Thanks to close collaboration with the plant's engineers and technical specialists, the software and control panels supplied by SIKE were designed with precise analogues of the actual control systems used in the workshops.
Now our students, during their training, arrive at production already prepared. This was precisely the main goal – to help students adapt to modern technologies used at the metallurgical enterprise.
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SIKE: Did remote work with our company during simulator development concern you?
Anatoly Fedorovich: I admit, there were initial doubts: the company is located far away, the subject is complex and extensive, and requires high precision. As I mentioned, it was essential for us not only to have a general understanding of metal pressure processing and ferrous metal production, pipe blanks, but also to have a specific, accurate reproduction of technological processes. Additionally, responsive and flexible interaction was critically important. By choosing SIKE, we made the right decision. The company's specialists worked very closely with us, quickly responded to our requests and plant workers' suggestions, and promptly made necessary adjustments coming from the plant's technical service.
Anatoly Fedorovich: I admit, there were initial doubts: the company is located far away, the subject is complex and extensive, and requires high precision. As I mentioned, it was essential for us not only to have a general understanding of metal pressure processing and ferrous metal production, pipe blanks, but also to have a specific, accurate reproduction of technological processes. Additionally, responsive and flexible interaction was critically important. By choosing SIKE, we made the right decision. The company's specialists worked very closely with us, quickly responded to our requests and plant workers' suggestions, and promptly made necessary adjustments coming from the plant's technical service.
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SIKE: Share your experience – how does the implementation of simulators in the educational process work?
Anatoly Fedorovich: The purpose of acquiring these simulators was, as I mentioned, to teach students to adapt to real production conditions effectively. In our educational process, practical training is divided into two stages: educational practice and industrial practice. Everyone understands that the specifics of the speciality – metal pressure processing and ferrous metallurgy – don't allow students to be admitted to real production without serious preparation.
Therefore, educational practice was organised specifically using simulators for metal pressure processing and ferrous metallurgy. On these simulators, students practised all necessary skills: managing pipe production processes, steel smelting in furnaces, and other key operations. Having completed training on simulators, students no longer experience shock during industrial practice in real workshops – the equipment is familiar to them, and the processes don't cause surprise. They don't just reinforce knowledge gained in educational conditions, but confidently apply it in real work.
Anatoly Fedorovich: The purpose of acquiring these simulators was, as I mentioned, to teach students to adapt to real production conditions effectively. In our educational process, practical training is divided into two stages: educational practice and industrial practice. Everyone understands that the specifics of the speciality – metal pressure processing and ferrous metallurgy – don't allow students to be admitted to real production without serious preparation.
Therefore, educational practice was organised specifically using simulators for metal pressure processing and ferrous metallurgy. On these simulators, students practised all necessary skills: managing pipe production processes, steel smelting in furnaces, and other key operations. Having completed training on simulators, students no longer experience shock during industrial practice in real workshops – the equipment is familiar to them, and the processes don't cause surprise. They don't just reinforce knowledge gained in educational conditions, but confidently apply it in real work.
SIKE – your partner in professional education.