Rail and Structural Mill

Rail and Structural Mill of Bhilai Steel Plant, SAL is the world's largest producer of rails with an
installed capacity to produce 500 000 tons of rails and 250 000 tons of structurals. Bhilai is also the
sole supplier of the country's longest rail tracks of 260 metres. The length of rails produced so far since
inception is sufficient to encircle the globe more than 8 times.
The major profiles produced in the mill are:
1. RALS 4. ANGLES
a. RS 52 Kg/m a. 200 * 200 * 20/16 mm
b. UC 60 b. 150 * 150 * 20/16 mm
c. Thick Web Asymmetric Rail Zu1-60

2. HEAVY BEAMS 5. CRANE RAILS
a. 600 * 210 * 12mm a. CR 120
b. 500 * 180 * 10.2 mm b. CR 100
c. 450 * 150 * 9.4 mm c. CR 80
d. 400 * 140 * 8.9 mm
e. 350 * 140 * 7.5 mm 6. CROSSING SLEEPERS
f. 250 * 125 * 6.9 mm
3. CHANNELS
a. 400 * 100 * 8.8 mm
b. 300 * 90 * 7.6 mm
c. 250 * 82 * 7.6 mm

The steel grades produced in these products are:

RaiIs:
W RS T-12/ 96 Grade 880 (90 UTS)
W Cu Mo corrosion resistant rails
W High Conductivity Metro Rails
W High YS/UTS Vanadium Micro-alloyed Rails
W Copper-Chromium alloyed High strength Rails
Heavy Structurals:
W S 2062 Grade A & B
W SALMA 300,350,410(with & without Hi)

) STEEL NPUTS OF RSM:
The Rail Steel making process at Bhilai Steel Plant is one of the most advanced. Rail steel is
made in BOF converters at SMS 2 and processed through RH degasser and ladle furnace etc.
The steel thus obtained is very clean and has hydrogen in liquid steel less than 1.6 ppm a world
benchmark. . t is continuously cast into blooms, which are flame cut to specified length &
weight, and sent to Rail and Structural Mill for rolling. Steel for structurals is made at SMS 1
in twin hearth furnaces and is cast into ingots, which are rolled into blooms at the blooming
mill.

) PROCESS FLOW AT RAL AND STRUCTURAL MLL:

















Reheating
furnaces
Roughing Stand
ntermediate
Stands
Finishing Stand
Hot Saws
Stamping
Machine
Cooling Bed &
Storage
Precambering &
walking beam
Cooling Bed
Rail Roller
Straightening
Rail Roller
Straightening
Structural Roller
Straightening
Non Destructive
Testing
nspection Non Destructive
Testing
End Cutting/ Milling Shipping End Cutting
nspection nspection
End straightening(if
reqd)
End straightening(if
reqd)
Dispatch Welding
SLrucLural flnlshlng llne
1. Reheating Furnaces
Blooms from BBM route and continuous casting route are supplied to charging roll table of
Reheating Furnaces, through 3 nos. of Bloom Feeders.
The blooms are the reheated in three reheating furnaces of 75 T / hr capacity each. These
furnaces are continuous pusher type, end-charging end-discharging type injection burner type
furnaces with three zones. These furnaces use a mixture of coke oven and blast furnace gas
of ~ 1900 Kcal/NM
3
as fuel. They use natural draft for air source and natural draft for flue gas
exit. The fuel gas is preheated in metallic recuperators and the combustion air is heated in
ceramic recuperators. The furnace instrumentation and control is automated with micro
processor based process controllers















The furnace is divided into three zones: the preheating zone, the heating zone and the soaking
zone. Bloom enters the preheating zone and in the process of passing through heating zone attains
desired temperature. n soaking zone (which has solid hearth) the temperature of bloom is equalized
throughout its length & cross section.

Slde vlew of 8SM furnace
co/d b/oom from b/oom yord
not b/oom to kouqhinq stond chorqinq end

Soaking

ischorqinq end
Heating

Preheating
8
2. Roughing Stand

The blooms after re-heating are first rolled in the 950 mm roughing stand. This is a 2 high
reversing stand and the reduction to the bar is given in forward as well as backward
directions. The roll gap for each pass is
adjusted by top roll screw down and the blooms
guided into the passes by manipulators. The rolling
schemes for different profiles employ different
number of passes and different pass
gaps in these passes. The maximum reduction to
the bloom is given in this stand and the rough
shape of profile is made. The distance between
the pinions of top and bottom rolls is 950mm
and rolls have a barrel length of 2300mm. The
rolls are driven by a 4000 KW DC motor by
thyristor converters. The working rolls have
water cooled and lubricated textolite bearings. n rails primary descaling of bloom is done
prior to its rolling in roughing stand.

3. ntermediate Stands
The 800 mm intermediate mill is the only one of
its kind in ndia in that, that it is a 3 high non-
reversing mill. The mill has two 3 high stands
coupled together and driven by a single drive
motor. The scheme employs 3 passes in
each stand. Lifting tables lift the rolling bar up to
the upper passes for reversal of direction.
The distance between the pinions is 800 mm and
a barrel length of rolls is1900 mm.

The top rolls are hydraulically balanced
for reducing the mill spring and along with the high rigidity housings ensure high degree of
consistency in the dimensional accuracy of the rolled profile. The drive motor is a fully
compensated DC motor power supplied by thyristor converters. The 930V, 7100 kW 100 /
180 rpm motor is coupled to the rolls by a 3 high pinion roll set. n rails secondary descaling
is done in some passes and roll pass lubrication is employed for better surface finish and
increasing pass life.



ntermediate and finishing stand
Roughing stand
4. Finishing Stand
The 2 high finishing stand provides the final shape and dimensional accuracy to the rolled
profile. Rails are branded with month, year, profile, grade of steel and manufacturer's
name at the finishing stand. The working rolls are mounted on anti friction bearings and
have hydraulic roll balancing and a closed top housing to minimize mill spring and roll gap
variations. The distance between the pinions is 850 mm and a

barrel length of rolls is 1200 mm. The drive motor is
a fully compensated DC motor supplied by thyristor
converters. The 750V, 1800 kW, 90/180 rpm motor is
coupled to the rolls by a 2 high pinion roll set.


Long RaiI finishing compIex constitutes of the foIIowing areas:
1. Precambering and walking beam cooling bed
2. Rail straightening
3. Online NDT
4. End finishing/ straightening and inspection
5. Welding
6. Rail Handling
1. Precambering and walking beam cooling bed
@he process flow llne sLarLs wlLh Lhe lnsulaLed roll Lables Laklng Lhe
hoL ralls Lo Lhe coollng bed 8all has asymmeLrlcal shape
Maxlmum mass ls aL head and Lhe fooL ls Lhln When Lhe hoL rall
cools down Lhe fooL geLs cold very fasL and Lhe head cools very
slowly uurlng coollng Lhe head shrlnks and Lhe fooL geLs
elongaLed @herefore Lhe rall acqulres a parabollc camber afLer
coollng ln longer ralls Lhls camber ls very large So ralls are glven a
precamber ln opposlLe dlrecLlon whlle Lhey are hoL so LhaL Lhey
become almosL sLralghL afLer coollng down @he reverse camber ls
glven Lo ralls by a seL of poslLlon conLrolled carrlages @he
programmlng of Lhe carrlages produces precamberlng of Lhe ralls
@he ralls are clamped flrmly llfLed from roller Lable and
placed on Lo Lhe walklng beam coollng bed wlLh Lhe help of
hydraullc cyllnders @hese ralls move on Lhe coollng bed are also


Precambering of rails at Bhilai
cooled ln Lhe process
2. Rail Straightening
To meet straightness requirement, the rails are straightened
by roller straightening machine wherein the rails are passed
through series of rollers The cooled rails are passed
through most advanced straightening machine of the world
supplied by M/s SMS MEER, Germany. This bi-planar
straightening machine has 9 horizontal rollers and 8 vertical
rollers. These horizontal and vertical roller machines
collectively are capable of straightening in vertical as well
as horizontal plane. The machine with off-line straightening
model enables development of straightening parameters
and straightening models. The straightening machine also
communicates online with laser straightness machine such that timely corrective action for
straightness can be taken up

3. Online NDT
Non-destructive test carried out for
long rail comprise of Ultrasonic,
Eddy Current and Laser Geometry
test. Ultrasonic test is carried out to
detect any sub-surface anomalies.
Eddy Current test is used to detect
surface defects. An integrated paint
marking station indicates the
position of the defect found.

The Laser Geometry test measures
the straightness and top flatness of the rail. Laser Geometry Station is used to measure the
body straightness and top flatness. This system comprises of a laser beam incident on the
railhead and a CCD as a receiver capable of highly accurate displacement measurement, and
generation of the test results. The top flatness of the rail is measured using thrubeam laser
sensor.

4. End Cutting/ Straightening & nspection

Straightening machine
Laser Straightness measurement
8alls are cuL Lo lengLh by carblde saws from M/s Llnslnger AusLrla @hese saws cuL downwards from
head glve a good flnlsh wlLhouL lnduclng any ouL of square defecL @hey are auLomaLed Lo cuL ralls ln
any lengLh

@hese ralls are Lhen vlsually lnspecLed and LesLed for dlmenslons wlLh gauges aL Lwo onllne vlsual
sLaLlons equlpped wlLh mlrror lnspecLlon

f required the rails are sent to hydraulic presses to ensure 100 percent straightness of the rail
ends in all directions.

5. Welding
8alls of m are welded Lo or m @he
weldlng machlne supplled by LSA8 Sweden ls
has lnLegral sLrlpplng sysLem ls fully
auLomaLed wlLh dedlcaLed mlcroconLroller
for Lhe weld process conLrol and LC for
sequenclng of operaLlons @he anLl LwlsL
clamps and auLomaLlc allgnmenL ensure
perfecL proflle maLchlng of rall ends whlle
weldlng @he dlsLrlbuLed clamplng ensures
hlghly rlgld and sllppage free clamplng of ralls
whlle weldlng @he profllegrlndlng machlne
grlnds boLh Lhe runnlng faces and Lop of Lhe rall wlLh a very hlgh preclslon and flnlsh ulLrasonlc
LesLlng ensures flawless [olnLs



6. Rail Handling
Pandllng and loadlng of ralls upLo quarLer a kllomeLer
requlres speclallzed equlpmenL @he ralls are handled by
an auLomaLlc compuLer conLrolled Lelphers @he ralls are
loaded ln speclal rakes of flaL boLLom wagons called
Lu8's(Lnd unloadlng rakes)


Welding of Rails