The Steel Authority of India Limited Rourkela Steel Plant recently celebrated a significant achievement in its production capabilities. On October 12, 2024, the Steel Melting Shop-II department's Continuous Casting Machine-3 set a new record by completing a remarkable sequence of 380 heats. This achievement resulted in the casting of an impressive total of 60,200 metric tons of crude steel. The previous record of 309 heats was established earlier in January 2024, highlighting the plant's consistent efforts to enhance its production efficiency.
The continuous casting operation commenced on September 30 at 13:28 and concluded on October 12 at 9:55, marking a total casting duration of 11 days and 20 hours. This extensive operational period showcased the plant's ability to maintain high productivity while ensuring the quality of the steel produced. Throughout this record-breaking sequence, the CCM-3 demonstrated its flexibility and efficiency by undergoing five online size changes. The different dimensions cast included heats of 2,200 x 250 mm, 2,020 x 250 mm, and several others, underscoring the machine's adaptability to varying production requirements.
In terms of operational efficiency, the team utilized a total of 18 tundishes, achieving an impressive average of 21.11 tundish flights per operation. Each tundish operated for an average duration of 15 hours and 51 minutes, showcasing the meticulous planning and execution by the production team. The successful accomplishment of this record can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of various departments, including mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, research and control laboratories, as well as production planning and control.
