Archive > Iron & Steel Review > November 2012

Iron & Steel Review November 2012 Issue

Rolling & Strip Processing Line Technology

VIEWPOINT

Steel Market: Long steel is on the mend
Steel is, perhaps, the most useful product for modern society. It has a wide range of applications from the manufacture of small pins to the buiding of automobiles, railway, ship building, construction and infrastructure projects to nuclear power projects.

Special Feature

SMS India - Your Reliable Partner
The hallmark of SMS India's business philosophy is that its reputation depends on the success of its customers with its committment throughout the whole lifecycle of the plant. This is duly ensured from SMS India by proactive coordination with its experts on client enquiries, selection of components which are locally available or supported, stocking of critical spare parts and ensuring fast response to customer's call for assistance; besides the constant endeavour to keep customers competitive through its latest technological innovations.

NATIONAL TRENDS

NMDC vigilance awareness week 2012
The week long Vigilance Awareness Week Celebrations of NMDC concluded on a high note as it was presided by the Chief Guest Shri Pratush Sinha, Former Central Vigilance Commissioner, Government of India.

NMDC declares 1st interim dividend of 200 pct
The NMDC Board has recommended interim dividend of 200 per cent. NMDC has posted a turnover of Rs. 2612 crore, gross profit of Rs. 2485 crore and net profit after tax of Rs. 1679 crore in the second quarter of 2012-2013 representing a decrease of 15 per cent in turnover, 14 per cent in gross profit and 14 per cent in net profit after tax over corresponding period last year (CPLY).

Gayson & Co receives Niryat Shree Award
Gayson & Co. has received mant awards and accolades in recognition of their pioneering achievements in export. Recently, Gayson received the presigious 'Niryat Shree Gold Trophy Award' in the Engineering and Mettalurgical products-Non-MSME category by Federation of Indian Export Organization (FIEO).
Gujarat NRE Coke posts encouraging results
The Board of Directors of Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd., the largest independent met coke producer in India, at its meeting held on 18th October 2012, approved the unaudited financial results of the company for the second quarter (Q2) ended 30th Sepember 2012.

GLOBAL TRENDS

• Siemens develops converer suspension system with improved design: Simetal Conlink 2.0 offers maximum robustness with minimum space requirements

  With the newly developed Siemtal Conlink 2.0, Siemens Metals Technologies offers steelmakers an especially robust converter suspension system with minimum space requirements.

• Steelmaker in Taiwan orders bar-in-coil line from Siemens

  Siemens Metals Technologies has recieved an order from Wei Chih Steel Industry Co. Ltd. (Wei Chih), Taiwan, to supply a new rolling line for bar-in-coil.

• SCHADE Lagertechnik awarded large-scale contract for new Formosa steelworks in Ha Tinh, Vietnam

  Formosa Petrochemical Corporation FPC, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation FCFC and Formosa Ha Tinh Corporation FHS, all three of which belong to the Formosa Group, Taiwan have awarded SCHADE Lagertechnik a contract for a total of 21 pieces of equipment for the new Ha Tinh steelworks which is to be erected in central Vietnam.

• Contract in China for FATA Hunter

  FATA Hunter, Division of FATA S.p.A. (a Finmeccanica Company) has been recently awarded a contract for the supply of one new hSystem automation system to Yangzhou Mettalurgical Machinery Co., Ltd., P.R. of China.

• Alcoa Rolled Products Lancaster awards contract to FATA Hunter, Inc

  FATA Hunter, Inc. announced that it was awarded a contract from Alcoa Rolled Products, Lancaster Pa., for modifications to the existing Continuous Coating Line at the Lancaster facility with the emphasis on improving the efficiency of several significant functions at the exit section of the line.

• Outotec to build the largest and most advanced sewage sludge thermal treatment plant in Switzerland

  Outotec has signed a contract with the City of Zurich (represented by Entsorgung und Recycling Zurich), on the design and turnkey delivery of the largest and most advanced sewage sludge thermal treatment plant in Switzerland.

• RHI opens largest raw material fusion plant

  RHI, a world market leader in refractories, has built one of the largest fusion plants for magnesia raw materials for more than 75 million euros in Norway.

• Siemens to modernise EAF for ArcelorMttal Esch-Belval in Luxemburg

  ArcelorMittal Esch-Belval has awarded Siemens Metals Technologies an order to renew core components of its Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) in the Esch-sur-Alzette steelworks in Luxemburg.

• ITZ orders gap closing press for increased productivity

  Izhorsky Trubny Zavod (ITZ), which is part of the Severstal Group and based in Kolpino near St. Petersburg, Russia, has placed an order with SMS Meer, Germany, for the supply of a new gap closing press with a press force of 25 MN.

• Ruukki strengthens position in retail and logistics construction in Sweden

  Ruukki has signed contracts with Nimag Projekt Ab and Peab for the design, manufacture and installation of steel frames and load-bearing roof structures for the Bauhaus store near Stockholm and for Ikano's shopping centre to be built in Uddevalla, Sweden. The contracts worth a total of around EUR 6 million.

FOCUS

The global steel industry is set for an augmentation - SAIL
In recent time, the global steel industry is reeling under pressure. However, Shri C.S. Verma, Chairman, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) is certain that this phase will vanish soon resulting to an augmentation by the related industry.

Jindal Steel & Power Limited - Positivity is the 'term' for now
Positivity is the key term for Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. as the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) evaluating non-performing coal blocks has recommended deduction of bank guarantees presented for Jindal Steel & Power Ltd's (JSPL) Jitpur block (81 million tonnes of geological reserves) being allocated in February 2007.

COMPANY NEWS

The most modern Thin Slab Casting & Rolling Plant comes to India
National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is installing a 3.0 mtpy Integrated Steel Plant in the State of Chhattisgarh. This NMDC Iron Steel Plant (NISP) at Nagarnar will produce 2.9 mtpy of hot rolled coils and sheets through BF-BOF-TSCR process route. It will be the first Thin Slab Casting & Rolling (TSCR) plant in India to use full quantity of liquid metal produced from upstream facilities of BOF and BF.

COMPANY REPORT

RHI increases earnings again in third quarter of 2012
Revenues of the RHI Group increased by 7.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2012 in comparison to the same quarter of 2011 and amounted to ¤ 459.9 million. While revenues in the Steel Division dropped by 3.7 per cent in a market environment still characterised by uncertainty, the Industrial Division recorded growth of 25.8 per cent as some major projects were delivered. The operating result of the third quarter was up 28.3 per cent on the comparable period of 2011 and amounted to ¤ 50.3 million, thus again exceeding the high level of the previous quarter. Positive restructuring effects of ¤ 6.3 million resulted from the sale of the plant in South Africa. The Group's EBIT amounted to ¤ 56.6 million in the third quarter, exceeding the figure of the third quarter of 2011 by 44.4 per cent. The EBIT margin rose significantly from 9.1 per cent to 12.3 per cent.

MARKET & PRODUCT

The next generation of quality inspection for metal surfaces; Focus on high data quality for correct quality decisions
ISRA PARSYTEC, the world’s leading supplier of surface inspection systems for web products, is introducing the next generation of surface inspection equipment. The highlight: With SURFACE MASTER surface inspection systems, the focus is not only on the best possible detection and classification results, but also on the high data quality relevant for the user. This is the basis for 100% accurate quality decisions. The performance of inspection systems is being redefined.

HRS Process Systems Limited - Hot Water System
HRS Hot Water System is the most versatile and compact hot water generation system. It provides highly efficient solution to instantaneous hot water generation using energy efficient heat exchangers (Funke Brazed or Gasketed plate heat exchanger or Ecoflux* corrugated tube heat exchanger).

STEEL TECHNOLOGY

"iSteel®: a new approach to reduce transformation costs and environmental impact; results at Ferriere Nord
EAF steelmakers today face many challenges in a competitive and rapidly changing global market. For the melting operation, steelmakers are demanding improved process optimisation based on a holistic approach. Factors considered are cost, total energy, productivity, yield and environmental impact. Increased awareness has generated the need for a more conscientious approach to the use of natural resources and the release of pollutants into the environment.

Upgradation of External Desulphurisation by CaC2 & Mg compounds at RSP, SAIL
The need to improve steel quality & particularly the present demand for better cleanliness, working at below zero ºC temperature have to be enough resistance to brittle fractures & the factors determining impact strength level is that of the steel contamination by sulphide & oxy-sulphide inclusions has called for additional measures to lower the sulphur content of steel. The production of low sulphur hot metal is often the first step towards achieving low sulphur steel specification. Under RSP condition, it has been found that low sulphur hot metal production at Blast furnace is uneconomical & entails working with more basic slag, higher operating temperature with a significant loss in iron productivity. At the same time, it is true that any concast based steel melting shop demands low sulphur in steel so that it can be operated at high casting speed. So efficient hot metal desulphurisation treatment, external to blast furnace, play an important role in reducing operating cost & improving the quality of the finished products.

STRUCTURAL & SPECIAL STEELS

Control of Sulphur and Minimisation of Centre Line Segregation for Rail Steel
Rail is the most important constituent of the track structure and plays a very vital role in the reliability of railway system as a whole. Quality of rail steel with reference to its chemical composition has been a matter of prime importance for the manufacturers as well as Railways. Sulphur is a detrimental element in rails since it causes hot shortness during rolling, centerline segregation during casting, poor weldability for the rails etc. To improve quality of rails, a substantially low range of sulphur <0.015% (Railway’s specified norms <0.03%) has been targeted in Bhilai Steel Plant by adequate sulphur control measures in steelmaking process. A two stage de-sulphurisation treatment is now employed in which the blast furnace hot metal is first treated by co-injection of Mg and CaC2 reagents, and subsequent treatment with a synthetic slag former (CaO-Al2O3) added to the ladle during tapping from the Basic Oxygen Furnace. Improvement in the internal quality of the cast bloom has been established by introduction of Electromagnetic Stirring. The centerline segregation is minimised vis-a-vis the properties of the cast product and rails improved by the successful implementation of step by step control measures.

STEELMAKING

Modern blast furnace equipment of NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN ENGINEERING
Nippon Steel & Sumikin Engineering has been engaged in the projects of new construction and relining of 70 or more blast furnaces, carrying out the study of operating specifications and design, manufacture and construction of overall blast furnace equipment in each project.

REFRACTORY

Process Optimisation & Enhancement of MCB Lining Life Of BOFs with a reference to 300 T-BOF of Bokaro Steel Plant
In Bokaro Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Ltd., Converter Shop remains as one of the important centres of focus to achieve increased productivity and reduced cost of production.

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

International Conference on Rolling & Finishing Technology of Steel (RAFTS-2012) concludes on a successive note
Research & Development Centre for Iron and Steel (RDCIS), the corporate research unit of Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), in association with Centre for Engineering & Technology (SAIL) and Mecon Limited organised an International Conference on Rolling & Finishing Technology of Steel (RAFTS-2012) on October 4-6, 2012, at Ispat Bhawan, Ranchi (India) which put forward its concluding line on a successive note.