Special Bar Quality for Automotive Industry in Emerging Markets New Production Line and New Metallurgical Challenges for BISW

by Dr. Nantawatchai W., S. Kohl,P. Rivetti

Publisher - BISW Bangkok, Thailand, SMS Concast AG, Zurich, Switzerland

Category - General Novel

Automotive companies, among other engineering steel consumers, are shifting production facilities to emerging countries and subsequently are looking for cost-effective sourcing of state of-the-art engineering steel. Well established South East Asian rebar production companies are thus facing the challenge of transforming their process lines from presently low profitable rebar steel-grades to completely different products in terms of final product quality, productivity and last not least production cost issues. Special steels or “special bar quality”, as they are commonly named, comprise a wide range of final sizes from high quality wire like cold heading-, spring- and high carbon- steel wire to straight and coiled small bars, large bars for the application of case hardening, gear steel, suspension steel, spring-steel, railway axles and wheels and bearing steel. The Bangkok Iron and Steel Co., together with SMS Concast, has decided to take the challenge and move on this long and demanding road, making sure their products will be accepted by the downstream industry (i.e. high carbon steel production for tire cord, spring-steels, bearing steels produced by SMS Concast supplied equipment), which in fact are most prominent automotive OEMs. Changing from simple grades to sophisticated ones means to completely change attitude and mind of the commercial steel-producer in such way, that quality is the new focus and not only productivity as before. From the selection of raw materials to the final quality control all process steps must be first fully understood and then meticulously implemented into the new plant to realize the switch from rebar producer to elite steelmaker. Necessarily a certain high level of automation, but still human contribution by thoroughly trained and understanding staff is mandatory. The road to SBQ grades of BISW, the choice of state-of-the-art technological equipment, its special designs and features implemented in the new plant are discussed thoroughly in very detail in this paper.

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