Is Stainless Steel Production India’s Bright Future

Stainless Steel is an alloy of Iron with a minimum Chromium content of 10.5%. Chromium produces a thin layer of oxide on the surface of the steel known as the 'passive layer'. This prevents any further corrosion of the surface. Increasing the amount of Chromium also increases the resistance to corrosion. Stainless Steel also contains varying amounts of Carbon, Silicon and Manganese. Other elements such as Nickel and Molybdenum may be added to impart other useful properties such as enhanced formability and increased corrosion resistance.

Stainless Steel is widely used in the form of bars. They are of different types, such as Round Bars, Square Bars, Hexagonal Bars, Flat Bars etc. These have various applications in architecture and engineering structures. Some major applications are:

• Domestic – Cutlery, sinks, saucepans, washing machine drums, microwave oven liners, razor blades l
• Architectural/Civil Engineering – Cladding, handrails, door and window fittings, street furniture, structural sections, reinforcement bar, lighting columns, lintels, masonry supports
• Transport – Exhaust systems, car trim/grilles, road tankers, ship containers, ships chemical tankers, refuse vehicles
• Medical – Surgical instruments, surgical implants, MRI scanners
• General – Springs, fasteners (bolts, nuts and washers), wire

India is one of the leading stainless steel producers in the world. Some of the major Stainless Steel manufactures in the country are listed below:

Steel Authority of India (SAIL) - Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is the largest steel-making company in India and one of the seven Maharatna’s of the country’s Central Public Sector Enterprises. SAIL produces iron and steel at five integrated plants and three special steel plants, located principally in the eastern and central regions of India and situated close to domestic sources of raw materials. The company has the distinction of being India’s second largest producer of iron ore and of having the country’s second largest mines network.

Mittal Corp. Limited (MCL) - MCL is an ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified organization. It is an established manufacturer of stainless steel billets, blooms, rolled flats of various thickness/width. To improve quality, yield and to reduce the ferro alloys consumption, the company has installed a Ladle Refining Furnace (LRF) of 35T to provide flexibility to produce alloy steel. It is the second largest steel producer in India.

Ambica Steels Ltd. - Producing over 80,000 tons/year, Ambica Steels is India's biggest "Specialty Stainless Steel" long products producer. Product range includes Bright Bars, Cold Drawn Squares & Hexagons, Angles, Flat Bars, Forging Ingots and Concast Billets in over 100 Stainless Steel grades. With Bright Bar processing facilities of 50,000 tons per year, Ambica Stainless Steel Producers of cold finished bars in India. Ambica Steels offers high-quality "Improved Machining (IM)" stainless steel bright round bars. The key to improved machinability lies in the special melting process adopted by Ambica Steels, with a greater control upon non-metallic inclusion in the liquid metal.

Apart from these three, other major players in India involved in stainless steel production are India Steel Works, JSL Limited, Chandan Steel etc. The stainless steel production business has been steadily growing over the years and is expected to thrive in the coming years.

Different Types of Stainless Steel Bars - Production and Applications

The main difference between stainless steel and ordinary steel, in terms of properties, is that the former does not rust, corrode or stain easily. In terms of composition, stainless steel has a higher chromium content, which allows it to have this resistance towards corrosion.

Stainless steel is widely used in the form of bars. These have various applications in architecture and engineering structures, such as beams, bridges, transmission towers, hoisting, ships, industrial furnaces and warehouses, to name a few.

The different types of bars commonly used and a brief description of each is given as follows:

• Stainless Steel Round Bars - Usually found in the size range of 4 mm – 100 mm (3/16 inch –4 inch). These are not only corrosion resistance but have been developed over time to cater to specific applications. To enhance machining of the steel into components, Improved Machining (IM) grades have been developed like grades for hardness (achieved by responding to heat treatment) and grades with high corrosion resistance (achieved by adding additional elements to give it the characteristics desired).

• Stainless Steel Hexagon Bars - Usually found in the size range of 12 mm –45 mm  (1/2-2 inch). They are available in Cold-drawn condition and Belt-polished  condition. Colddrawn bars have great dimensional accuracy, smooth surface finish, and increased mechanical properties.

• Stainless Steel Square Bars - Usually found in the size range of 12 mm –40 mm  (½ -1  ½ inch). They are ideal for all applications where greater strength and superior corrosion resistance is required. Square bars have a durable dull, mill finish and are widely used for fabrication projects that are exposed to environments such as chemical, acidic, fresh water and salt water.

• Stainless Steel Flat Bars - Usually found in the size range of 2 meters –7 meters  (8 feet  to 24  feet) in terms of length and in HRAP condition. HRAP stands for Hot, Rolled, Annealed and Pickled. Flat Bars have fairly sharp corners and tighter tolerances on thickness and width and are often used by fabricators where the finished project is polished.

• Precision Round Bars - Usually found in the size range of 6 mm – 100 mm (1/4 – 4 inch). Precision Round Bars are of two kinds - Pump Shaft Quality (PSQ) and Boat Shaft Quality  (BSQ). These are processed using the ultra-modern  combined lines  and state of  the art equipment, which ensures that the bars are free from any internal defects. The bars are then finished using the specially designed finishing machines for size tolerances and surface roughness, as desired.

• Hot Rolled Bars and RCS- Usually found in various bar sizes ranging from 16 to 125mm and RCS Round Cornered Square) sizes ranging from 50 to 115mm. Hot rolled bars have a wider tolerance than cold rolled bars and they are also less costly. These bars are widely used for all general fabrication and repairs in industrial maintenance, agricultural implements, transportation equipment, etc.

Producing over 80,000 tons/year, Ambica Steels is India's biggest Specialty Stainless Steel long Products Producer. Product range includes Bright Bars, Cold Drawn Squares & Hexagons, Angles, Flat Bars, Forging Ingots and Concast Billets in over 100 Stainless Steel grades.