COMPANY PROFILE:

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, popularly known as Vizag Steel is the most advanced
Indian government-owned steel producer. It is an integrated Steel Plant. It
produces one of the best products in the world market. Most of its income comes
from the exports of steel products to Japan, Germany, United States, Singapore,
Dubai, Australia, South American countries and many more. Vizag Steel Plant has
been conferred ‘Navaratna’ status on November 17, 2010 Founded in 1971, the
company focuses on producing value-added steel.
Equipped with modern technologies, VSP has an installed capacity of 6.3 million
Tonnes per Annum of liquid steel and 2.656 million Tonnes of saleable steel. At
VSP there is emphasis on total automation seamless integration and efficient
upgradation which result in wide range of long and structural products to meet the
stringent demands of customers within India and abroad. It is the ++++++++++++
+ Steel plant to be certified ISO 9001:2008 (presently2015), ISO 14001:2004
(presently2015), OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO/IEC++++--++--++ 27001:2013
Standards. It is also the first PSE to be certified ISO 50001:2011 - Energy
Management Systems and has acquired CMMI Level 3 Certification for s/w
development.

VSP has many major production facilities such as:

 5 coke oven batteries of 67 oven each having 41.6 cubic meters volume,
 3 Sinter machines of approx. 350 square meters area,
 3 Blast furnace of 3800 cubic meters of useful volume,
 2 Steel Melt Shop with 3LD. converters of 150 Tonnes capacity each, six 4
strand continuous bloom casters,
 Light and Medium Merchant Mill of 0.88MT per year. capacity,
 2 Wire rod mill of 0.55 MT per year capacity,
 Medium Merchant & Structural Mill of 1.070MT per year capacity,
 Special Bar Mill of 0.75 MT per annum. The enhanced production capacity
is 0.90 MT per annum.
 Structural Mills of 0.70 MT per annum. The enhanced production capacity is
0.85 MT per annum.
Extensive facilities have been provided for repair and maintenance as well as
manufacture of spare parts A Thermal Power Plant (TPP) and an Air Separation
Plant also form part of the plant facilities.
Modern technology has been adopted in many areas of production, some of them
for the fire time in the country. Among these are Seledive crushing of coal,
Pneumatic Separation of Coal, 7 meter tall coke oven, Dry quenching of coke, on-
ground blending of Sinter base-mix, conveyor charging and bell less top for blast
furnace, cast house slag granulation for fast furnace, gas expansion turbine for
power generation utilizing blast furnace topgas pressure, hot metal de-sulphuration
extensive treatment facilities of effluents for ensuring proper environmental
protection, computerization for process control and sophistication in high speed
and high production rolling mills.

PRODUCTION LAYOUT:
Raw Material Handling Plant (RMHP)
↓
Coke ovens and Coal Chemical Plant (CO&CCP)
↓
SINTER PLANT (SP)
↓
BLAST FURNACES (BF)
↓
STEEL MELTING SHOP (SMS)
↓
CONTINUOUS CASTING DEPARTMENT (CCD)
↓
LIGHT AND MEDIUM MERCHANT MILL (LMMM)

VIZAG STEEL PLANT LAYOUT

MAJOR SOURCES OF RAW MATERIALS:

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENTS:
 MINES: Brief about Captive Mines of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant:
1. Madharam Dolomite Mine (MDM): MDM is located at Madharam village
in Singareni Mandal of Khammam District, A.P. The capacity of the mine is
to produce 7,80,000 tons of Dolomite per annum. The employee strength is
203 of different categories. The present Dolomite reserve is 31.03 million
tons. It is an open cast mechanized mine of VSP to cater to the requirement
of Dolomite.
2. Jaggayyapeta Limestone Mine (JLM): Jaggayyapeta Limestone mine
(JLM) is located 5 Km south – West of Jaggayyapeta connected by a black –
top road in Krishna District, A.P. This is a captive mine of VSP to cater to
the requirement of BF Grade Limestone of VSP. This mine is an open cast
 mechanized mine with a capacity of 4,50,000 tons of BF Grade Limestone
per year.
3. Garbham Manganese mine (GMM): Garbham Manganese mine (GMM)
is a captive source for manganese ore for VSP. It is located 16 Km away
from Garividi. The annual production of the mine is 16,000 Tons.
4. Saripalli Sand Mine (SSM): This is a captive source for catering to the
requirement of Silica sand for VSP. This is located in Champavati River
near Nellimarla Mandal of Vizianagaram District, A.P. The requirement of
sand is 50,000 per annum. The total reserve of sand is 3,20,000 Tons.

 Raw Material Handling Plant:

VSP annually requires quality raw materials viz. Iron
Ore, fluxes (Lime stone, Dolomite), coking and non-coking coals etc. to the
tune of 12-13 Million Tons for producing 3 million tons of Liquid Steel. To
handle such a large volume of incoming raw materials received from
different sources and to ensure timely supply of consistent quality of feed
materials to different VSP consumers, Raw Material Handling Plant serves a
vital function. This unit is provided with elaborate unloading, blending,
stacking & reclaiming facilities viz. Wagon Tipplers, Ground & Track
Hoppers, Stock yards crushing plants, Vibrating screens, Single / twin boom
stackers, wheel on boom and Blender reclaimers, Stacker – cum – Reclaimer
(SCR). In VSP peripheral unloading has been adopted for the first time in
the country. Coking coals are received through conveyors directly from M/s
Gangavaram Port Limited to Coal Stock Yard

 COAL TIPPLING
 ORE TIPPLING
 Coke Ovens & Coal Chemical Plant (CO & CCP):

Blast Furnaces, the mother units of any Steel Plant require huge qualities of
strong, hard and porous solid fuel in the form of hard metallurgical coke for
supplying necessary heat for carrying out the reduction and refining
reactions besides acting as a reducing agent
Coke is manufactured by heating of crushed coking coal (below 3 mm) in
absence of air at temperature of 1000°C and above for about 16 to 18 hours.
A Coke Oven comprises of two hollow chambers namely, coal chamber and
heating chamber in the heating chamber a gaseous fuel such as Blast
Furnace Gas, Coke Oven Gas etc. is burnt. The heat so generated is
conducted through the common will to heat and carbonize the coking coal
placed in the adjacent coal chamber.
At VSP there are three Coke Oven Batteries, 7 meter tall and having 61
ovens each. Each oven is having a volume of 416 cu meter and can hold up
to 31 6 tons of dry coal charge.
Red Hot coke is pushed out of the oven and sent to Coke Dry Cooling Plants
for cooling to avoid its combustion There are 3 Coke Dry Cooling Plant
(CDCP) each having 4 cooling chambers. The Capacity of each cooling
chamber is 50-62 TPH Nitrogen gas is used as the cooling medium. The heat
recovery from nitrogen is done by generating steam and expanding in two
back pressure turbines to produce 75 power each.
The Coal chemicals such as Benzole (and its products), Tar (and its
products) Ammonium Sulphate etc. are extracted in Coal Chemical Plant
from CO Gas. After recovering the coal chemicals the gas is used as a
byproduct fuel by mixing it with gases such as BF Gas LD Gas etc. A
mechanical, biological and chemical treatment plant takes care of the
effluents.
 SINTER PLANT:
 Sinter is a hard and porous ferrous material obtained by agglomeration of
Iron Ore lines, Coke breeze, Lime Stone fines, Metallurgical wastes viz.
Flue dust, Mill scale, LD slag etc.
 Sinter is a better feed material to Blast Furnace in comparison to Iron Ore
lumps and its usage in Blast furnaces help in increasing productivity
decreasing the coke late and improving the quality of hot metal produced.
Sintering is done in 2 number of 312 Sq Metre Sinter machines of
Dwight Lloyd type of heating the prepared feed on a continuous metallic
belt made of pallets at 1200-1300 C.
 Sintering is a process of Agglomerating iron ore fines into a porous mass
by incipient fusion caused by combustion within the mass of the ore
particles.

 Raw materials used in sintering:

Various raw materials used in sintering process are 1. Iron ore fines (0-10 mm).

2. Coke-used as fuel.

3. Limestone & Dolomite- to maintain required sinter basicity.

4. Sand-to maintain required sinter basicity.

5. Metallurgical wastes-to use wastes effectively and thus reduce the cost of
sintering.
6. Lime-to enhance the process of sintering.

Sintering process:
1. Preparation of various raw materials.

2. Mixing & Blending

3. Mixing with sinter returns in presence of water to form green balls.

4. Charging on to the machine. 5. Ignition and suction.

 BLAST FURNANCE:
 Hot Metal is produced in Blast Furnaces which are tall vertical
furnaces.The furnace is named as Blast Furnace as is run with blast at
high pressure and temperature. Raw materials such as sinter ore
lumps,fluxes (limestone/dolomite) and coke are charged from the top
and hot blast at 1100 C-1300C and 5.745 KSCH pressure is blows
almost from the bottom. The furnaces are designed fro 80% Sinter in
the burden.

 VSP has two 3200 Cu Metre blast furnaces (largest in India) equipped
with Pachworth Bell less top equipment with conveyor charging
Rightly names as "Godavari" & "Krishna" after the two rivers of AP
the furnaces will help VSP in bringing prosperity to the state of
Andhra Pradesh.

 Provision exists for granulation of 100% liguid slag at blast furnace

cost house and utilization of blast fumace gas top pressure (1.5-2.0
atmospheric pressure) to generate 12 MV of power in each fuma
Turbines by employing gas expansion.

 The two furnaces with their novel cacular cast house and four tap
holes each are capable of producing 9720 tonnes of hot metal daily or
34 million tones of four sulphur hot metal annually.

 Hot metal is produced in blast furnaces, which are tall vertical

fumaces. The furnace is named as blast furnace as it is run with blast
at high pressure & temperature. Raw materials such as sinter, iron ore
lumps, fluxes (dolomite&limestone) & coke are charged from the top
and hot blast at 1100c to 1300c and 5.75KSCH pressure is blown
almost from the bottom. through tuyers. The furnaces are designed for
80% sinter in the burden.

 Provision exists for granulation of 100% liquid slag at blast furnace

cast house and utilization of blast furnace gas top pressure (1.5 to 2
atm). To generate 30MW of power in each furnace by employing gas
expansion turbines.
 Blast furnace is charged with coke, iron ore and sinter from the top
and produces about 4800tonns of molten iron per day. Its novel
circular cast house with 4 tap holes ensures continuous tapping of hot
metal. The annual production capacity of the blast furnace is 3.4MT
of liquid iron.
 STEEL MELT SHOP(SMS):

 Steel is an alloy of iron with carbon up to 1,8% hot metal produced in

Blast.Furnace contains impurities such as carbon (3.5-4.25 %)
silicon(0.4-0.5%) manganese (0.3-0.4%) sulphur(0.04% max)
phosphorous (0 14% max) is not suitable as a material To improve the
quality the impurities are to be eliminated or decreased by oxidation
process.
 VSP produces steel employing three numbers of top blown oxygen
convertors called ED convertors (L&D stand for Linz and Donawitz
two towns in Austria where this process was first adopted) or Basic
oxygen furnaces/convertors Each convertor is having 133 Cu Metre
volume capable of producing 3 million tons of liquid steel annually.
Besides hot metal steel scrap fluxes such as calcined dolomite from
part of the charge to the convertors.99 5% pure oxygen at 15-16
KSCG pressure is blown in the convertor through oxygen lance
having convergent divergent copper nozzles at the blowing end
Oxygen oxidizes the impurites present in the metal which are sag with
basic fluxes such as e During the process That is generated by
exothermic reactions of oxidation of metalloids viz Si P and Carbon
and temperature rises to 1700 C enabling relining and stag formation.

 In Steel Melting Shop of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, LD Process of

steel making has been adopted. The liquid steel obtained from LD
process is cast into Blooms through Continuous

 Casting Machines (Bloom Casters). For better exploitation of the

available facilities and to have efficient administration in the biggest
department of VSP, Steel Melting Shop is divided into two major
sections.

 Converter-Shop
  Converter-shop:

Steel is alloy of iron with carbon up to 1.8%. Hot metal produced in blast
furnace contains impurities such as carbon, silicon, manganese, Sulphur &
phosphorous is not suitable as a common engineering material. To improve
the quality, the impurities are to be eliminated by oxidation process.

VSP produces steel employing three number of top blown oxygen

convertors called LD convertors(L and D stands for Linz and Donawitz, two
towns in Austria where this process was first adopted)

 CONTINOUS CASTING DEPATMENT(CCD)

Continuous casing may be defined as teaming of liquid steel in a moLD with
a false bottom through which partially solidified ingot/bar (similar to shape
and cross section of the mold) is continuously withdrawn at the same rate
at which liquid steel is teamed in the mold.Facilities at a continuous casting
machine include a lift and turn table for ladies, copper mold, oscillating
system tundish primary and secondary cooling arrangements to cool the
steel bloom Gas cutting machines for cutting the blooms in required length
(Av 6 meters long).
At VSP we have six-4 strand continuous casting machines capable of
producing 2.82 million tones/year blooms of size 250 X 250 mm and 250 X
320 mm Entire quantity of molten steel produced (100%) is continuously
cast in radial bloom casters.Bloom produced in SMS-CCD do not find much
applications as such and are required to be shaped into products such as
billets rounds squares angles (equal and unequal) channels I-PE beams HE
beams wire rods and reinforcements bars by cooling them in three
sophisticated high capacity high speed
 ROLLING MILLS:
Blooms produced in SMS-CCD do not find much applications as such and
are required to be shaped into products such as billets, rounds, squares,
angles (equal and unequal) channels -PE beams, HE beams, wire rods and
reinforcements bars by rolling them in three sophisticated high capacity high
speed, fully automated rolling mills namely & medium merchant mills
(LMMM) wire rod mill (WRM) and medium merchant and structural mill
(MMSM)
 LIGHT AND MEDIUM MERCHANT MILL:

LMMM comprises of two units in the billet/break down mill 250 X 320
MM zise blooms are rolled into billets of 125 X 125 mm size after
heating them into two number of walking beam furnaces of 200 tons/hr
capacity each This unit comprises of 7 stands (2 horizontal 850 X 1200
mm) and 5 alternating vertical and horizontal stands (730 X 1000 mm X
630 x 1000 mm) billets are supplied from this all to bar mill of LMMM
and wire rod mill
The billets for rolling in bar mill of LMMM are first heated in 2 strand
roller hearth furnace of 200 T/hr capacity to temperature of 1150 C-
1200 C The bar mill comprises of 26 strands-8 strand double stand
roughing train, 2 Nos of 5 strand double stand intermedial train and two
nos 4 stand single strand finishing trains.
The mill is facilitated with temp care heat treatment technology
evaporative cooling system in walking beam furnaces automated pilling
and bundling facilities, high degree of automation and computerization
The mill is designed to produce 710,000 tons per annum af various
finished products such as rounds, rebar, squares fats angles, channels
besides billets for sale.
 WIRE ROD MILL:

Wire Rod Mill is a 4 strand, 25 stands fully automated and

sophisticated mill. The mill has a four zone combination type reheating
tamace (walking beam cum walking hearth) of 200 TPH capacity for
heating the billets received from billet mill of LMMAM to rolling
temperature of 1200 C.
 ENGINEERING SHOPS AND FOUNDRY(ES&F)
Engineering shops & Foundry is a set up to meet the requirements of Ferrous &
nonferrous spares of different departments. The efficiency of a plant depends on
the smooth working of its machinery Hence Engineering Shop and Foundry was
setup for the manufacture of spare parts and repair of damaged equipment which
are of frequent in nature of the plant.
The Engineering shops & Foundry is divided into:
 Central Machine Shop (CMS),
 Steel Structural Shop (SSS),
 Forge shop (FS).
 Foundry (FDY),
 Utility equipment repair shop (UERS)

 Central Machine Shop(CMS):

INPUTS :Iron & Steel castings, forgings, rolled sections, repair and
rectification parts, non ferrous castings.
Products and Services: Shafts, Pinions, Gears, Crane Wheels, Rollers,
Machining of various fabrication jobs done in SSS. Repair & reconditioning
of various assembly jobs like L&T Column, TK stands, pulleys,
provisioning of gear boxes.
The shop operates on two-shift basis for 300 days in a year and annual
production is 5, 2001. For preparing the raw material for machining material
saws, facing and centering machines, hacksaws and gas cutting facilities are
provided. The machining section has over 100 major machines including lathes,
milling, boring, and planning, slotting, shaping, grinding and other machines.
The assembly section undertakes medium repair and general overhauling of
mechanical equipment, Horizontal and vertical presses, induction heaters are
provided. The tool room has facilities for manufacturing of special tools, jigs
and fixtures, re-grinding of tools and cutter and brazing of tipped tools. The heat
treatment section is provided with annealing, normalizing, tempering furnaces,
carbonizing furnaces heat treatment furnace with protective gas atmospheres,
high frequency hardening machine, quenching tanks will oil cooling
arrangements, welding generator and transformers for normal welding
submerged arc welding machines etc. Facilities for surface grinding, pipe
bending and threading are also provided.
 FORGE SHOP:

INPUTS: Ingots from foundry blooms from SMS, billets, rods from Mills
etc.
PRODUCTS: Raw material for shafts, couplings, gears pinions, flanges
bull head hammers for sinter plant hammer crusher, drill rods for blast
furnace, v-hooks for SMS, straightening of pallet middle frames of sinter
plant.

The shop is designed for production of forging for shafts, coupling flanges etc.
and also of forged shapes such as crusher hammer heads, special bolts, nuts, etc.
There is a facility for repair and testing of chairs also exists. The annual
production from the shop is about 2,800 tons based on 300 working days per
year and two shifts per day. In heavy forging section, open die forgings of long
shafts gear blanks, couplings etc is made with the help of 2-ton bridge type
pneumatic hammers
Each hammer will be provided with twin chamber heating furnaces. Floor type
manipulator and Jib Crane are provided for handling heavy jobs in general
forging section, 1 ton, 500 Kg, and 200 Kg hammers with separate heating
furnaces are provided. A 2-ton drop stamp hammer with a heating furnace
trimming press etc is provided for stamping. For cutting them to size, a cold
saw, a billet shear and gas cutting facilities are provided. For stress relieving a
bogie type-annealing furnace is provided.
 STRUCTURAL SHOP:

INPUTS: - Various sizes of plates, angles, channels, beams, flats, rounds for
fabrication of jobs.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: All types of fabrication jobs repair of slag pots
of SMS, Mfg And repair of tundishes for SMS, Mfg. Of scrap boxes for
SMS, for sinter plant, hot metal ladle for SMS, 500 meter launder for SMS
mfg Of KAMAG body for FMD, repairing of buckets for LMMM, WRM.
DETAILS OF SHOP:
Capacity: annual production is 4500 tones and material needed is 5100 tones.
Activities and workout:
1. Marking the material on the stock.
2. Cutting to prepare material for object.
3. Assembling various parts or plates prepared for an object.
4. Welding the assembled parts for joining them.
5. Inspection for defects.
6. Dispatching to customer after ensuring no defects.

Raw materials for SSS:

1. Channels
2. Sheets
3. Plates
4. Beams
5. Billets
6. Angles
The raw materials are stored in open bay of the shop.

Major and regular jobs:

1. Hot metal ladle(BF)
2. Tundish, slag pot(SMS)
3. Coke bucket(COKE OVENS)
4. Cones(SP)
5. Ducts(CRMP)
6. Rakes(MILLS)
7. Hooks(FOR CRANES)
8. Steel transfer car(SMS)
9. Slag pot transfer car(SMS)
 Lay-out of Steel Structural Shop:
LIST OF MACHINES IN STEEL STRUCTURAL SHOP:
1. CNC Gas Cutting Machine
2. Hydraulic Guillotine Shearing Machine
3. Straightening cum Bending Machine
4. Radial Drilling Machine
5. 200T Hydraulic Press
6. Combination Shearing Machine
7. NH22 Lathe
8. Milling Machine
9. Shaping Machine
10. Column Drilling Machine
11. Universal Drilling Machine
12. Power Hacksaw Machine
13. Transfer Trolleys-2 Nos.
14. Fork Lift Trucks-2 Nos.
15. EOT cranes-6 Nos.
This equipment is located in material preparation bay in the shop. In material
preparation bay the metal sheets and plates of required dimensions are prepared by
making and cutting on the various machines.
Marking is done in required profile by developing the surfaces of final shape of the
object using micrometer, steel rule, compass etc.
After marking material will be cut and shaped. The operation of cutting may be in
the form of shearing, blending, punching, pressing, notching etc.
HYDRAULIC GULLOTINE SHEARING MACHINE:
SHEARING:
Shearing is a metal working process which cuts stocks without the formation of
ships or the use of burning or melting if the cutting blades are straight the process
is called shearing if the cutting blades are curved then they are shearing type
operation. The most common shared materials are in the form of sheet metals or
plates. However, rods can also be sheared. Shearing type operations include:
blanking, piercing, roll slitting and trimming.

TOOL MATERIALS:
Low alloy steel is used in low production of materials that range up to 1/4 thick.
High-carbon, high chromium steel is used in high production of materials that also
range up to 1/4 in thickness. Shock-resistant steel is used in materials that are equal
to 1/4 thick or more.
COMBINATION SHEARING MACHINE:
It is a multipurpose machine. It is completely mechanically operated. Five types of
operations can be done simultaneously on the machine. These operations are:
Punching: It is a purpose of making a desired hole by using a punch and die 35,32;
SQ28, 32.
Notching: It is a process of cutting out the edges of the strip to obtain the desired
outer contour of the work piece.
Cropping: Cutting the square bars and round bars.
Shearing: Cutting stocks without formation of chips.
The machine consists of individual units for each operation having punches, dies,
blades which are necessary for the above operations.
HYDRAULIC PRESS:
It is used to pressing large castings, the ram is moved by the pressure of the fluid.
Oil is mostly used fluid for this press. The pressure of oil is increased by pump and
it is transmitted to the cylinder in order to lift the ram of or to force the ram
downwards, the capacity of machine is 200 T.

RADIAL DRILLLLING MACHINE:

Radial drilling is used for drilling heavy works and especially for the jobs where
high degree of accuracy is required. Its main parts are:
1. Base
2. Column
3. Radial arm
4. Drill head
5. Spindle
BASE is a rigid cast iron casting which is designed to support column and table. It
also contains fluid reservoir for coolant & for lubrication.
COLUMN is mounted vertically on the base and supports radial arm. It also
houses drive mechanism for spindle.
RADIAL ARM is supported by column and rotates 3600 to provide easy drilling
in heavier works.
DRILL HEAD moves on the guide ways of the radial arm and thouses spindle and
speed and feed.

WELDING:

Welding is process of making a permanent joint by establishing inter atomic bonds

between two or more pieces of metal using heat or heat &pressure In SSS, three
types of welding techniques are using. They are:
1. Arc welding
2. MIG welding

ARC WELDING:
Arc welding is a process that is used to join metal to metal by using electricity to
create enough heat to melt metal, and the melted metals when cools result in
binding of metals. It is a type of welding that uses the welding power supply to
create an electric are between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals
at the point of contact are welders are used either direct (DC) or alternating (AC)
current and consumable or non-consumable electrodes.

METAL INERT GAS WELDING (MIG):

It is a semi-automatic or automatic are welding process in which a continuous and
consumable wire electrode and a shielding gas are fed through a welding gun. A
constant voltage, direct current power source is most commonly used with
GMAW, but constant current systems, as well as alternating current, can be used.
To perform gas metal are welding, the basic necessary equipment is a welding gun,
a wire feed unit, a welding power supply, an electrode wire, and a shielding gas
supply.

CNC PROFILE GAS CUTTING MACHINE:

The CNC gas cutting machine is a power-driven oxygen profile cutting machine
operating on the cross-carriage principles with positive co-ordinate drive along
both the longitudinal and transverse axes by means of independent servo-motors.
The machine is capable of flame cutting profiles from steel plate up to 250 mm.
maximum thickness with single cutter. A maximum of 4 cutters may be mounted
and operated simultaneously with which maximum cutting thickness is 100 mm.
All cutters are mounted to permit straight line bevel cutting up to 45 degree either
side of vertical in X and Y axis only.
CNC gas cutting machine's main parts are:
1. Control panel
2. Frame
3. Cutting torch
4. Nozzles
5. Gas cylinders
Control panel: It is the main part of the CNC gas cutting machine which consists
of various buttons to enter the data into the machine. It consists of various controls
to regulate the speed of the torch to perform operation.
Frame: It includes the bed for placing the sheet and mild steel frame which holds
cutting torch and moves according to the given program to cut the required
structure.
Torch: It is made of brass to with stand high temperatures. It has two ends. To the
one end nozzle is fixed and the other end has the provision to connect two hoses
for oxygen and LPG.
Nozzle: It in the part of the torch where flame comes out and the cutting takes
place. Various sizes of nozzles are provided for various thicknesses.
Gas cylinders: Gas cylinder of oxygen and acetylene are used for gas cutting. In
this machine. cutting is carried out by using oxygen & LPG.
The input to a CNC gas cutting machine consists of a text file, called CNC code
file. The CNC code file is generated using a suitable cad / cam software.

A complete CAD/CAM system usually consists of the following modules.

1. Solid modeler, having unfolding and 3-D surface development capabilities.
2. Cad module, for drawing 2-D shapes to be cut.
3. Nesting module, for generating efficient layouts on the stock
4. Cutting module, for generating CNC code file.
5. DNC module, for transferring a code file from computer to the CNC controller.
Among these, nesting and cutting modules have direct and maximum influence on
profile cutting applications. This paper attempts to describe how these modules
(jointly referred as nesting software" or just "software" in this paper, from here
onwards) can contribute productively to mild steel/structural steel fabrication
processes.
 FOUNDRY:

INPUTS: Pig Iron, MS scrap, Ferro alloys, graphite electrodes, sodium

silicate, silica sand CO2 gas molding additives etc.
PRODUCTS:-Steel, cast iron & non ferrous castings Emergency containers,
tundish covers bull gear for SMS, hot metal runners ladle paw for blast
furnace, coke roll liners, sprockets, pallets for sinter plant, raw supports,
bowl for RMHP guide troughs for WRM, face of scrap bucket for MMSM
slag por segments for SSS repair, ingots for forge shop, non ferrous castings
like bushes (below 20 kg) etc.
Iron castings up to a weight of 5 tons will be produced. A main frequency
coreless induced furnace with two 2-ton capacity crucibles and a ST capacity
main frequency coreless induction furnace for SMS, hot metal runners, ladle
paw for blast furnace, coke roll liners, sprockets, pallets for sinter plant, raw
supports, bowl for RMHP guide troughs for WRM face of scrap bucket for
MMSM slag pot segments for SSS repair ingots for forge shop, non ferrous
castings like bushes (below 20 kg) etc. Iron castings up to a weight of 5 tons
will be produced. A main frequency coreless induced furnace with two 2-ton
capacity crucibles and a 5T capacity main frequency coreless induction furnace
for SMS, hot metal runners, ladle paw for blast furnace, coke roll liners,
sprockets, pallets for sinter plant, raw supports, bowl for RMHP guide troughs
for WRM face of scrap bucket for MMSM slag pot segments for SSS repair
ingots for forge shop, non ferrous castings like bushes (below 20 kg) etc. Iron
castings up to a weight of 5 tons will be produced. A main frequency coreless
induced furnace with two 2-ton capacity crucibles and a 5T capacity main
frequency coreless induction furnace for melting iron are provided. There is a
centralized sand preparation unit. A drier and a bin is provided for green sand
Belt conveyors transport green sand, prepared mix and burnt sand Moulds and
cores are drier in 3 ovens lip pour ladies with capacity between 50 kg and 10
tons is provided for handling hot metal Two swing frame grinders and two
pedestal grinders are provided for finishing of iron castings. Total annual
production is 3.200Tons. Steel castings up to maximum piece weight of 10 T
and Steel ingots up to 1.3 tons for forging are produced An 8 Ton arc furnace
and a two-ton medium frequency electric induction furnace is installed for
melting of steel scrap and pig iron Each of the two sand mixers is having 1.5-
ton batch. A bogie hearth furnace for annealing/ normalizing of plain carbon
steel castings and fixed hearth furnace for heat treatment of manganese steel
castings with quenching facility is provided. The woodwork shop manufactures
patterns for foundries. The principal equipment for pattern making are saws,
disc grinding, wood working lather, adequate facilities are provided for saw
grinding, painting, timber and pattern storage etc.
 UTILITY EQUIPMENT REPAIR SHOP:

INPUTS: sheets plates, channels, angles, beams, billets, rounds for forge
shop for manufacturing Shafts, steel and iron castings.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES :- Manufacturing Of impellers to various
departments, repair of GCP id fan, repair of steam exhausters for SMS,
supply of cones & ducts of various sizes, in house manufacturing of MBC
impeller for CCCD buildup & machining of various components,
reclamation jobs like valve repairs, conveyor idlers PCM rollers etc.
Total annual production is 950 Tons Repair of ventilation, air conditioning and
water supply equipment is carried out here. There is a machining section having
15 major machines like lathes, milling; slotting, shaping and grinding machines,
Sheet bending machines, Guillotine shear & semi-folding machine are provided
in fabrication section 250 kg pneumatic hammer with necessary facilities and a
welding section for semi automatic and shielded arc welding machines are
provided in plumbing section. There is a separate equipment repair section.
 INTRODUCTION – LIGHT&MEDIUM MERCHANT MILL

INTRODUCTION:
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has three sophisticated Rolling mills, designed to
produce 2.656 million tones per annum of finisher products from continuously cast
blooms with a wide range of product mix.
The mills are:
a. Light &medium Merchant Mill(LMMM)
b. Medium Merchant & Structural Mill(MMSM)
c. Wire Rod Mill(WRM)

SOME OF THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE MILL ARE:

a. High capacity and high speed.
b. Automatic minimum tension control in stands.
 c. Double sided cooling beds of walking beam type.
d. High capacity and high productive sawing lines.
e. Automatic bundling machines.
f. Computerization at the sequential process control and material tracking.
g. Adoption of closed TV circuits at furnaces.
h. Evaporative cooling system and waste heat recovery.
These features help to optimize the production and assure quality products from
the mill.
BLOOM STORAGE AND INSPECTION:
The SMS supplies continuous cast blooms in killed and semi skilled quality of
ordinary grade, high carbon and low alloy steels. The bloom storage is at right
angles and common to all mills. Bloom inspection and storage, if necessary, is
carried out in the common storage.
LIGHT AND MEDIUM MERCHANT MILL:
Keeping in view of latest developments the light and medium merchant mill is
designed with the operation floor on a second storey elevation, namely +5.0mts.
This arrangement has many advantages. It provides better drainages for both
lubricants and water and mill scale. The oil cellars can be placed at slightly below
the ground level without deep excavations but ensuring adequate drainage. The oil
and water pipes and cable trenches and readily accessible.

Blooms for LMMM are placed on charging grids (3 nos) of 150 tones per hour
capacity each by 16 tones claw cranes (2 nos). An inclined elevator then delivers
the blooms to the furnace approach roller table (+ 5.8mts) from bloom storage
roller table (+8.0mts).
The approach roller table is provided with a weighing scale, and then pushed by
hydraulic pushers onto the charging skids of the furnaces. There are two nos. of
walking beam type furnaces of T/hr capacity with double row charging. The
blooms also can be discharged from the charging side of the furnaces in case of
emergency. Heated blooms are placed piece by piece by discharging devices onto
the furnace delivery roller table. High-pressure de-scaler descales the blooms.
The continuous Break-Down group (non-reversing) consists of 7 stand -2
Horizontal (850*1200mm) and 5 alternating vertical and horizontal (730*100mm
and 630*1000mm).
Normally one Bloom is rolled for LMMM and the next one for the WRM
alternatively, Billets are also sold. The billets for WRM and for sale are cooled on
2 turn over - type cooling beds to a maximum discharge temperature of 4000C.
These billets are picked up by magnet cranes of 16 T capacities in the intermediate
billet storage and transferred to the transfer grids in the shipping area or dispatched
for sale.
Billets after cropping by the four crank shear and having a length of about 32mts
are transported to the in-line 2 strand roller hearth furnace of 200T/h capacity.
Billets normally arrive at the furnace with a surface temperature of 1100 0C. Billets
are heated and soaked to a discharging temperature of 1130 0C to 11500C.

The continuous multi-line mill comprises 8 stand double strand roughing train, 2
Nos , 4 Stand Single Strand finishing trains.

Loopers are provided in between the finishing stands for tension free rolling in
order to obtain good surface quality and tolerances. Housings are of closed top
type. Roll necks are mounted in antifriction bearings.

Shears for cropping and emergency cutting are arranged ahead of the first of
roughing mill stand and upstream of intermediate mills. Snap shears for emergency
cuts only are ahead of finishing mill. The rotating shears after the finishing mills
crop the materials leaving at rolling speed. And cut into multiples of specified
scales lengths.

The finished bar now enters the cooling stretches. There are two cooling stretches
each installed just downstream the last stand of the finishing mill. The purpose of
the cooling stretches is to cool down the rebars to such an extent so as to produce
the desired mechanical properties. It also serves to control the scale formation.

The bar leaving the last stand of the finishing mill passes through a cooling stretch.
The cooling efficiency of this installation is such that a surface layer of the bar is
quenched into martensite, the core remaining austenite. The quenching treatment is
stopped when a determined thickness of martensite has been formed under the skin
when he rebar leaves the cooling stretch, a temperature gradient is established in
the cross-sections of the bar causing heat to flow from centre to the surface, which
results in self-tempering of the martensite. Finally, during slow cooling of the rebar
on the cooling bed, the austenitic core transforms into ferrite and pearlite. To
achieve the required mechanical properties, it is sufficient to maintain the
tempering temperature within a predetermined range. The obvious control are the
length of the quenching line and the cooling water flow late at suitable number of
cooling pipes whose diameter, are chosen as a function of product diameter.

In the downstream of the cooling beds thee are multi straightening machines
(maximum 8 straightening strands. The number of straightening rolls are 8 (top 4
and bottom 4). The bar groups from the straighteners are collected in layers for the
downstream cold shear by cross-transfers. The 2 cold shears have cutting pressure
of 500 MPa each. Desired finished lengths normally 12 mts are set by grider type
gauge carriages. Tail lengths less than 6 mts are discharged into cradles near the
cold shears. Downstream cold shears , rounds and rebars are transported to bar
bundling facilities. The bar bundling facilities have provision for counting the bars,
and strapping the collected bars into bundles of 4500 Kgs and 100000 Kgs.

Strapping of bar bundles and packs is by means of wire and straps.

The finished packs/bundles are finally transported to the weighers and the rolling
grid permits the bundles to be picked up by magnetic cranes in the finished product
storage area having lifting magnets of 20 Tones capacity.

AUTOMATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM IN LMMM:

PLCs in LMMM:

Different makes of PLCs are used in various areas of automation for operation
control.

AEG-PLC : (38 Nos)

 Total mill control.

 Reference generation for all drives.
 Sequence and interlocking for process equipments.
 Position control for drives.
 Video interface for the operator in the control pulpit.
ALLEN BRADLEY-PLC ( 5 Nos)

 Walking beam furnace control system – 2 Nos.

 Cobble detection system for merchant bar mill – 1 Nos.
 Strapping machine control system – 2Nos. with 9 Nos. Remote I/O
GEFANUC-PLC (7Nos)

 Total mill control

 Reference generation for all drives
 Sequence and interlocking for process equipments
  Position control for drives
 Video interface for the operator in the control pulpit
 Roller hearth furnace control system
 Air oil lubrication system control
SIEMENS PLC (1 No)

 Booster water station

LEVELS OF AUTOMATION IN LMMM:

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) provided at level-1 finally control the

process equipment directly, each in its own area for sequencing and interlocking
functions. The system envisaged is interfaced with the main and auxiliary drive
analogue control system so as to perform as one integrated unit.

The control at Level-2 is basically decentralized distributed in concept so as to

offer a higher degree f operational flexibility. A number of micro computer
subsystems provided at this level, operate and control function for equipment
distributed in various areas of the mill.

For operators communication with the system dialogue terminals (VDU and
Keyboard units) have been envisaged in control pulpits of the mill. Printers for
hard copy print out rolling schedule, shift reports etc.

The control system envisaged is basically automatic with provision of manual

control locally for equipment to take care of local disturbance during operation and
also the maintenance needs.

UPGRADATION OF AUTOMATION IN LMMM:

Most of the important PLCs of the Billet mill and Bar mill upgraded to latest GE,
FANUC make.
LMMM PRODUCTS:

Billets: 125x125--- 8.0-10.40 mts long

Rounds : 16,18,20,22,25,28,32,33.5,34,36,38 mm-----6.00-12.00 mts long

This process flow diagram shows how the products processed in Vizag steel.The
project work are on BV5 gear box which is belongs to LMMM Department. This
department comprise of Billet mill and Bar Mill. This Gear box is related to Billet
Mill
PROJECT:-RECLAMATION OF SLAG POT (THERMIT WELDING)

 SLAG POT:
A metal ladle for collecting molten slag flowing from tap
hole of steel smelting surface during smelting. It is positioned under the
furnace under a car that moves along a special trestle.
 Where it is used?

It is used in STEEL MELT SHOP(SMS) in vizag steel plant , it caries the

slag formed during the process of converting pig iron into steel in sms.

This slag is then poured from converter into the slag pot and the slag pot is
then carries away and the slag is treated and removed .

This slag is then converted into powder like material which is used in
cement factories this slag is dumped in a dumping yard In vizag steel plant
With the help of dumpers.
 HOW IT IS RECLAIMED IF DAMAGED?

It is damaged if the slag is poured out through some plot holes a crack
appears on the slag pot which results in the damage of the slag pot, It is then
taken to steel structutral shop(SSS) in steel plant where all the fabrication
work takes place.

Its is reclaimed by using Thermit welding which is used to attach mostly is

railway tracks.

Through thermit welding the mould is prepared around the broken part and
the molten metal is poured into the broken part through runners .
 PROCESS OF THERMIT WELDING IN SLAG POT:
 THERMIT WELDING

It is the process of igniting a mix of high energy materials, (which is also

called as thermite), that produce a molten metal that is poured between the
working pieces of metal to form a welded joint. It was developed by Hans
Goldschmidt around 1895. This process is used for very large parts which
cannot be done by other methods and also often used for rails.

Materials used for this process are wax, moulding sand, thermite powder,
reactive material (magnesium bar)

In this process the parts to be welded are cleaned and spaced apart 25 to 75
mm. The gap between two parts are filled with wax and is covered with
moulding sand to make mould. After sand is settled the mould is heated to
by coke oven gas to melt the wax inside mould. Commonly the reacting
composition (thermite powder) is 5 parts iron oxide red (rust) Powder and 3
parts aluminum powder by weight.
 The powder is heated in a furnace up to 1200C, and then the powder is
ignited at high temperatures with a reacting material i.e. here a magnesium
bar. A strongly exothermic (heat generating) reaction occurs that produces
through reduction and oxidation a white hot mass of molten iron and a slag
of refractory aluminum oxide.

 HOW ITS DONE IN SLAG POT?

The molten iron is the actual welding material, aluminum oxide is much less
dense than the liquid iron and so floats to the top of the reaction, so the set-
up for welding must take into account that the actual welding material is on
the bottom and covered by floating slag.
Then the molten iron or steel is tapped at bottom of the furnace into the mould. The
molten metal flows into mould, fusing with the ends of two parts and forming the
weld the entire set up is allowed to cool. The mould is removed and weld is
cleaned by chiseling and grinding to produce smooth joint. The total process may
take a day of time to complete.
The oxygen in the iron oxide, unites with the aluminium forming a light aluminium
slag and setting the iron free. The heavy molten iron collects in the lower part of
the crucible while the lighter thermit slag A12 0₂ floats on the top. The chemical
reaction is expressed by the formula :

2Al(s) + Fe2O3(s) == Al2O3(s) + 2Fe(s)

The modern Thermit Chemical Welding has revolutionised the welding of rail
joints and made possible repair welding of broken steel parts, such as rolls, crank
shafts, gears, steel mill housings, ship frames and other heavy machine parts.
Operated by a very simple equipment which is easy to handle, this process is easy
to work and it has caught the fancy of leading Engineers in all countries of the
world and has led to great economies in maintenance and replacement costs.

The Thermit Repair Welding is a boon to Industries, as by this process the welding
of such broken parts which cannot be satisfactorily welded by any other process
has been made possible. Repair welding of forged, rolled and cast steel parts can
be rapidly, efficiently and economically carried out by this process.

Thermit welding is now one of the most effective forms of welding and is
particularly suitable for the maintenance and fabrication of heavy sections where it
has proved to be of great technical advantage over the conventional processes of
welding like the Oxy-acetylene and electric arc. In the latter processes the metal is
added little by little and as a consequence the operations are slow and the metal is
liable to oxidation. Thermit process allows the composition of the weld metal to be
varied widely. Thermit welding is now being increasingly adopted in steelworks
and in heavy industry, particularly for repair to large forgings and castings of plain
carbon as well as of alloys steels.

 CONCLUSION:
This is the process done to reclaim a slag pot in VIZAG
STEEL PLANT , this process is cost effective and can be done in fraction of
seconds , the preparation of the mould is what takes time to do the process ,
through this welding method the slag pot can is reclaimed as it was before
any damage. So themit welding is used in order to reclaim the broken part of
the slag pot. Thermit welding has been successfully carried out in most of
the steel industries and been effective in doing the work.