New quality control technology has been installed to improve inspection and measurement during the manufacturing processes. The investment will benefit customers in a range of markets, including automotive, engineering and office equipment.

Grant McBain, Tata Steel’s Commercial Manager for wire rod and bar products, said: “Our customers rightly demand high-quality products. This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to delivering products of a consistently high standard to the marketplace."

The investment includes almost £1m on state-of-the-art HotEye® technology at the Rotherham plant’s Thrybergh Combination Mill. The innovative technology can capture the image of an object in temperatures up to 1,450°C with the same image quality as if the object were at room temperature. This will help Tata Steel to improve product quality in some of its most safety-critical products, including steels used in gears, steering and braking systems in cars.

Tata Steel has also installed two laser measuring devices at the Thrybergh mill. Lasers fire harmless pulses into the steel as it is being rolled into bar and provide measurements accurate to 0.03mm (about the width of a human hair).

Meanwhile, the company has upgraded a quality inspection system at its Scunthorpe Rod Mill. The Eddy Current system uses high-frequency voltage to detect surface quality issues as steel rod is being rolled. The upgrade includes an enhanced screen to improve defect detection and positioning.