GE Power Conversion Helping SAIL Increase Production Capacity at Bokaro Steel Plant
07/24/2014 - GE’s Power Conversion business will supply the Steel Authority of India Limited’s (SAIL) plant in Bokaro Steel City, India, with DC variable speed drives and automation for a cold rolling 4-hi tandem mill.
The tandem mill will be used to help meet an anticipated increase of up to 4.5% in 2015 in domestic demand for steel in India, supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious plans for investment in infrastructure projects and manufacturing to help boost the Indian economy.
SAIL selected GE’s Power Conversion business to provide an electrical and automation system that includes level 1 and level 2 automation, low-voltage equipment and instrumentation for the 4-stand tandem mill that is capable of rolling sheet gauges down to 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm and width from 700 mm to 1,850 mm.
With GE Power Conversion’s drives and an electrical and automation system, it is forecasted that GE will help SAIL raise the utilization of the Tandem Mill No.2 of Bokaro plant from its current level.
To achieve premium-grade cold-rolled steel strips, a sophisticated electrical and automated control system is needed. GE Power Conversion’s technology delivers this level of control thanks to the capabilities of its variable speed drives and its advanced electrical and automation systems. For example, GE’s DC Drive stacks PA56GO and GERapid 2607 circuit breakers, which are suitable for challenging performance loads in steel rolling.
“The addition of GE Power Conversion’s variable speed drives and automation to our 4Hi Tandem Mill is a major step in the modernization plans for the plant, which are aimed at increasing the cold-rolled steel production capacity and improving the reliability of facilities," said Mr. Ravi Varma, executive director (projects), Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL. “These technical upgrades will ensure that our Bokaro facility is capable of efficiently producing the quantities and premium grades of steel required by our customers as we prepare for growth.”
Mr. Varma continues: “We were experiencing circumvent problems arising due to obsolescence of the old electrical system. Bokaro Steel proposed to install the latest state-of-the-art system having microprocessor-based digital controllers capable of handling master speed generation of a tandem mill with thickness control and inter-stand tension control. The new system will help in the reduction of diversions due to gauge variation, reduction in strip breakage, roll damage and smooth acceleration and deceleration of the mill. GE’s technology will bring in superior performance levels and improved reliability in quality of products.”
Renjith Nair, India sales director (Industry), GE’s Power Conversion business, commented: “With a greater emphasis being placed on the manufacturing sector in India by the government, it is vital for SAIL and other steel manufacturers to invest in the long-term productivity of their plants. GE Power Conversion’s technology will ensure that downtime is kept to an absolute minimum while production capacity goes up, helping plants function efficiently and effectively, to support the anticipated growth and demand forecasts.”
SAIL’s Bokaro plant is designed to produce flat steel products including, hot-rolled plates, hot-rolled sheets, cold-rolled coils, cold-rolled sheets, tin-mill black plates (TMBP) and galvanized plain and corrugated (GP/GC) sheets. Using GE Power Conversion’s technology, Bokaro is well positioned to provide a strong raw material base for a variety of India’s modern engineering industries including automobile, pipe and tube, LPG cylinder, barrel and drums.
GE’s Power Conversion business applies the science and systems of power conversion to help drive the electrification of the world’s energy infrastructure by designing and delivering advanced motor, drive and control technologies that evolve today’s industrial processes for a cleaner, more productive future. Serving specialized sectors such as energy, marine, oil and gas, renewables and industry, through customized solutions and advanced technologies, GE Power Conversion partners with customers to maximize efficiency.
SAIL selected GE’s Power Conversion business to provide an electrical and automation system that includes level 1 and level 2 automation, low-voltage equipment and instrumentation for the 4-stand tandem mill that is capable of rolling sheet gauges down to 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm and width from 700 mm to 1,850 mm.
With GE Power Conversion’s drives and an electrical and automation system, it is forecasted that GE will help SAIL raise the utilization of the Tandem Mill No.2 of Bokaro plant from its current level.
To achieve premium-grade cold-rolled steel strips, a sophisticated electrical and automated control system is needed. GE Power Conversion’s technology delivers this level of control thanks to the capabilities of its variable speed drives and its advanced electrical and automation systems. For example, GE’s DC Drive stacks PA56GO and GERapid 2607 circuit breakers, which are suitable for challenging performance loads in steel rolling.
“The addition of GE Power Conversion’s variable speed drives and automation to our 4Hi Tandem Mill is a major step in the modernization plans for the plant, which are aimed at increasing the cold-rolled steel production capacity and improving the reliability of facilities," said Mr. Ravi Varma, executive director (projects), Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL. “These technical upgrades will ensure that our Bokaro facility is capable of efficiently producing the quantities and premium grades of steel required by our customers as we prepare for growth.”
Mr. Varma continues: “We were experiencing circumvent problems arising due to obsolescence of the old electrical system. Bokaro Steel proposed to install the latest state-of-the-art system having microprocessor-based digital controllers capable of handling master speed generation of a tandem mill with thickness control and inter-stand tension control. The new system will help in the reduction of diversions due to gauge variation, reduction in strip breakage, roll damage and smooth acceleration and deceleration of the mill. GE’s technology will bring in superior performance levels and improved reliability in quality of products.”
Renjith Nair, India sales director (Industry), GE’s Power Conversion business, commented: “With a greater emphasis being placed on the manufacturing sector in India by the government, it is vital for SAIL and other steel manufacturers to invest in the long-term productivity of their plants. GE Power Conversion’s technology will ensure that downtime is kept to an absolute minimum while production capacity goes up, helping plants function efficiently and effectively, to support the anticipated growth and demand forecasts.”
SAIL’s Bokaro plant is designed to produce flat steel products including, hot-rolled plates, hot-rolled sheets, cold-rolled coils, cold-rolled sheets, tin-mill black plates (TMBP) and galvanized plain and corrugated (GP/GC) sheets. Using GE Power Conversion’s technology, Bokaro is well positioned to provide a strong raw material base for a variety of India’s modern engineering industries including automobile, pipe and tube, LPG cylinder, barrel and drums.
GE’s Power Conversion business applies the science and systems of power conversion to help drive the electrification of the world’s energy infrastructure by designing and delivering advanced motor, drive and control technologies that evolve today’s industrial processes for a cleaner, more productive future. Serving specialized sectors such as energy, marine, oil and gas, renewables and industry, through customized solutions and advanced technologies, GE Power Conversion partners with customers to maximize efficiency.
