Tata Steel India has awarded SMS group the order to supply a slab conditioning line (scarfing line) for its Kalinganagar works.

Full-surface scarfing is a surface removal process used for eliminating surface and subsurface defects in slabs. Several car manufacturers specify this treatment as a requirement for steel used in car body applications. The new scarfing line will enable Tata Steel to open a new market segment for its Kalinganagar works by meeting the requirements of the automotive industry in the future. The slab conditioning line to be supplied by SMS group will be designed for approx. 1.02 million tons per year of scarfed slabs within a width range of 1,000 to 2,150 millimeters.

The scarfing line will be installed in the slab yard of the existing slab caster shop. It will scarf cold and hot slabs. The line will comprise a two-side scarfing machine - for the simultaneous processing of the upper and lower slab sides - and an in-line slab inspection system. Slabs charged into the line will be scarfed in two passes. Subsequently, they will run through a surface inspection system which checks them for any imperfections or defects.

An interface linking the X-Pact® level 1 automation system of the slab conditioning line with the production planning system assures the receipt of feedback on every slab that leaves the line after the treatment and before any further processing. The slabs to be processed will come from two SMS group-supplied continuous casters: a two-strand slab caster commissioned in 2016, and a brand-new two-strand slab caster to come on stream during 2020.

SMS group will supply the complete mechanical and electrical equipment of the slab conditioning line, including slab handling equipment and a fume extraction system that incorporates a wet electrostatic precipitator. Commissioning of the slab conditioning line is scheduled for the first quarter of 2021.