BHILAI STEEL PLANT

BHILAI STEEL PLANT –A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Bhilai Steel Plant – a plant of Indo – Soviet Economic Collaboration

is one of the first three integrated steel plants set up by Government

of India to build up a sound base for industrial growth of the country.

The agreement for setting up the plant with a capacity of one million

tones of ingot steel was signed between the two governments on 2nd

February 1955 and after a short period of four years, it entered the

main stream of steel producers. the dream came true. the massive

rocks from the virgin terrains of Rather were converted into valuable

iron an steel.Once started , Bhilai never looked back. On 1st September

1967 the capacity of the plant was raised to 2.5 million tones per year.

The pried who followed, was of consolidation and up gradation of technology.

Bhilai took up an ambitious expansion program me to increase its

capacity to 4 million tones of steel per year and completed the expansion

program me on 31 sty March 1988.Bhilai Steel Plant is the only public sector

integrated steel plant in the country which is working above its rated capacity

for the last 4 years. Keeping in mind ,the fluid market situation an the intense

competition in the steel sector due to liberalization, Bhilai is concentrating in

improving the quality of the product and cost reduction. the entire steel making

process steel melting shop I and II,concast ,plate mill ,blooming and billet mill an

rail and structural mill havebeen accredited to ISO : 9002.Today Bhilai occupies

a place of pried amongst the major steel producers of the land. Bhilai products are

today well known in India and around the world. The quality products of Bhilai have

touched the shores of many countries around the globe which includes many advance

countries like USA,Japan,South Koria etc.Orders on ancillary units:-From just 1.47

cores in 1979 to a figure of 47.27 crores in 1997-98 shows the uantum jump.Bhilai

Steel Plant has been an active partie partner in the prpgress of its ancillaries

(Bar-charts annex. A&2) Inltially there untis came up solely with an aim of

catering to Bhilai Steel plant, but with theSupport and assistance rendered by

BSP, some of these units hae assum e an anternational stature today and are

competing with many multi –national companies.The technical know- how

extended to these ancillaries have brought them on international industrial

map, some of them have eavn acquired ISO :9002.The frequent inter-action,

for solving any technical problems faced , the ISO awareness have yield very

positive results.Import programmer, emphasis on quality substitution items manufactured/supplied by ancillaries/local SSI units:Efforts by Import

Substitution cell of Materials Management, in development of Indian sources

of supply, to replace the imported of sparted have borne fruifs. Uring the year

1996-97,40 such items valued at Rs. 263.99 lacs have been developed and put

to use successfully, thus saving out-flow of foreign exchange.The major items

are :-Special reucer for pushing mechanism of StipperCrane of SMS.Babbit

bearing wit cap for spindle connection of 900 stand of Rail & Structural Mill.

500 equalising & Relief Valve for system of BFs.Working Roll Assembly for

Russian Leveller ll of Plate Mill.Fechral Baffle for 17T T Tundish.Sub-entry

Nozzle for Bloom to replace imported quartz .750 mm Insertion Funnel for

BI/T system.Swivel Expansion Joint # 250 for Skirt Cooling system of clocim.

France.Binder Supply an Binder circulation pump or japan origin for PBCCof

coke Oven Depit.Alumina, graphite sub-entry nozzle for Bloom to substitute

Quartz QSM 3.Tundish Baffe for 17 T Tundish.Rope drum assembly for Russian

Stipper Cranes. This indigenization has resulted in stoppage of cash out-flow to

the tune of Rs. 52.24 lakhs.ORDERS ON ANCILLARY UNITS:From just

Rs. 1.47 corers in 1979 to a fi gure of 47. 27 crores in 1998 shows the quantum

jump.This can be seen from Bar Chart at Annexure II.FURTHER DEVELOPMENT PLANS :The vendors are being developed in the field of calcined petroleum coke,

IS-6/IS-8 refractory bricks besided several import substitute items.“To record

my impressions of this uisit is not easy, for Bhilai is one of those places, which

Have become embedded in the National consciousness as significant symbols of

new age in India. Long before one comes to Bhilai, one is powerfully conscious of it.

Still the impact of uisit of personal acquaintances with its manifold actiuities is

great ant what was once a dream, begins to take place and come true a symbol

and portent of India of the future.”