Ranchi, March 22: The Steel Authority of India's Bokaro Steel Plant and Tisco are locked in a race to become the first local supplier of coated cold-rolled (CR) sheets for car-body exteriors.Bokaro, sources say, is ahead in the race now, having engaged SAIL's Centre for Engineering & Technology (CET) to prepare a feasibility report on modernising its cold-rolling mill (CRM). Tisco's plans may be slightly delayed following its decision to set up its cold-rolling mill at Jamshedpur and not in Gopalpur as was planned earlier.
At Bokaro's CRM, SAIL plans to modernise the pickling line, introduce a hydrogen-annealing facility and re-condition its existing facility. It will also set up a hydraulic AGC, shape control facilities, an improved emulsion system in tandem mill 1. Bokaro sources said the Ranchi-based CET has already submitted the feasibility report for the pickling line. The other two reports will be available shortly. The modernisation of the cold-rolling mill can be done through short-term andlong-term projects. The short-term project cost will be Rs 150 crore, while the long-term one will be around Rs 950 crore. For critical automobiles applications, steel sheets have to meet stringent norms for resistance to perforation and cosmetic corrosion.
In advanced countries, coated steel sheets are widely used for this purpose. In the country, coated steel's applications in automobiles is limited to those marked for exports. SAIL's central marketing organisation (CMO) expects a big growth in demand for coated steel from car makers in the country, such as Maruti Udyog Ltd, Telco, Mahindra Ford and Hyundai as also two-wheeler manufacturers. The organisation reckons Maruti will need 30,000 tonnes a year, Telco 15,000 tonnes and Mahindra-Ford 31,000 tonnes. Coated steel comes in a wide range, including hot-dip galvanised, hot-dip zinc-iron alloyed, electro-galvanised and galvalume. Hot-dip galvanised steel had many shortcomings with regard to consistent thickness, formability, tensile strength and othermechanical properties. This led to the development of the electro-galvanising process, in which the coating is applied by electrolytic plating. At present both the coated products -- electro-galvanised and hot-dip galvanised or galvanneal -- are used in auto bodies. Both products meet the tough corrosion-resistance norms. Sources said the Bokaro plant would also take other steps to meet the requirements of automotive industries. These include hot-metal desulphurisation with slag-raking facility, combined-blowing facility in the basic oxygen furnace and RH-OB facility (vacuum treatment). SAIL sources said funds would not be a problem. CET has been negotiating with a number of foreign suppliers to get the best possible technology to produce coated steel for car makers.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
