Team News Riveting
Raipur, August 28
Yet another consignment of MDN 250 slabs supplied by Misra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (MIDHANI) was successfully rolled into plates in SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant’s Plate Mill on August 26, 2021 for use in the satellite launch vehicles (SLV) of ISRO.
This was the 13th time that MDN 250 slabs have been rolled under strict tolerances into plates of desired thickness for use in SLVs used in India’s space research programmes. This lot of slabs rolled into plates would be used in satellite launch vehicles to launch India’s ambitious Space Mission programme to launch the unmanned Gaganyan satellite.
Midhani slabs weighing 40 Tonnes were successfully rolled into 20 numbers of 9.3 mm thick plates in presence of Anjani Kumar, ED (Works), S K Kar, CGM (Quality), MM Gadre, CGM (RSM,RTS,RPDB & Plate Mill), Sanjay Sharma, CGM (Plate Mill) and senior officers of Plate Mill, the Plant’s Research & Control Lab including Ramakrishna Sudhir, GM-RCL (FP, NDT & Planning); Bipin Kumar, GM-RCL (FP & NDT), senior officers from Instrumentation Dept & other associated depts. Besides members of the Plate Mill collective, PK Deshpande and Jahid Khan, both Managers in RCL Dept have made special contributions. Officials deputed by M/s MIDHANI were also present to witness the rolling of slabs into plates.
Director I/c Bhilai Steel Plant Anirban Dasgupta and Executive Director (Works) Anjani Kumar congratulated Plate Mill, Quality and RCL Team and members of other depts involved in successful rolling of the Midhani slabs.
SAIL-BSP has been contributing to India’s space programme of launching satellites at regular intervals by rolling MDN 250 slabs supplied by MIDHANI, Hyderabad into 9.3 mm thick plates at Bhilai’s Plate Mill. The plates have been used in outer motor casing of PSLV and GSLV satellite launch vehicles of ISRO, including SLV used for launching Chandrayan.
The first lot of slabs from MIDHANI was rolled at Bhilai’s Plate Mill in Oct 2009. Successful rolling of maraging steel in Plate Mill has been achieved by meticulous planning in association with MIDHANI & VSRC. These forged slabs of special steel of very high strength and high temperature resistance consisting of high percentage of expensive alloying elements are rolled into plates of 9.3 mm thickness. Special care is taken during re-heating of the slabs and rolling. Stringent technological norms have been formulated and followed by entire collective of Plate Mill, RCL & Instrumentation Depts along with several other associated departments.
The previous occasion when 40 Tonnes of MIDHANI slabs were rolled in SAIL-BSP’s Plate Mill was on 12th April 2021, prior to which rolling took place on 20th Oct 2020 and 29th July 2020. The plates rolled were for use in ISRO’s satellite launch vehicle that would launch India’s ambitious Space Mission programme, Gaganyan.
The rolling of these slabs is an excellent example of synergy and team effort between Plate Mill and RCL of Bhilai Steel Plant, M/s MIDHANI, Vikram Sarabhai Space Research Centre (VSRC) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In Feb 2020, MIDHANI slabs had been rolled in presence of senior officials of MIDHANI and Vikram Sarabhai Space Research Centre.
Besides supplying rails for Indian Railways, BSP supplies wide and heavy plates for Indian Navy’s warships and required grades of steel for infrastructure projects and varied industrial applications. By rolling out the special grade slabs as per stringent specifications for use by ISRO for its space missions, SAIL-Bhilai has taken yet another step forward in the direction of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
Officials of MIDHANI and VSSRC have now reposed trust & confidence in SAIL-Bhilai’s technical expertise and the experienced team of Plate Mill, RCL & Instrumentation Depts. The task of overseeing the entire process control had been entrusted by M/s MIDHANI and M/s VSSRC to Bhilai’s Quality & RCL Team and CGM (Plate Mill).
