Surya Thermex Rebars, rolled out of billets only, was officially launched at a heavily attended conference venue in Mumbai on July 27. Leading companies from construction, engineering, structural/civil consultancy and contracting marked their presence at an event which unveiled the first Surya Thermex Rebar rolled at the company’s plant. The event also marked the official presentation of the Thermex Licence to Surya Ferrous Alloys Pvt. Ltd. amidst a resounding applause.
Surya Ferrous Alloys commissioned its bar mill in Wada, Sahapur Road, Thane in record 5 months. The company is part of the Surya Group, a 30-year old enterprise owned and operated by the Garg family. Besides rolling mills, the group has a presence in the supply of raw material for the secondary steel industry, ingot manufacturing and induction units.
The USP of the plant is undoubtedly the installation of the latest version 3 Thermex Quenching and Self-Tempering System. The patented German Thermex technology enjoys front-runner status in the world for ‘Quenching and Self-Tempering’ technology. The technology enables production of desired high-strength steel rebars which meet all requirements of civil construction and yield strength ranging from 500 MPa or more, toughness, ductility, weldability and excellent bend properties.
Hanuman Prasad Garg, Chairman, Surya Group, was joined by a sterling cast of industry professionals who made the event special. G. R. Madan, former Director, Mass Rapid Transit System, MMRDA and Principal Advisor, Projects, Louis Berger Group, was the chief guest. The key note speaker was Raj Kumar Markan, Chairman, H&K Rolling Mill Engineers Pvt. Ltd. Shailesh Bhandari, Managing Director Electrotherm, who has contributed immensely in designing and developing metallurgical equipment, also addressed the packed conference hall.
G. R. Madan congratulated Surya on joining the Thermex family. He noted, “I am delighted that yet another rolling mill with modern, relevant technologies has been commissioned. A large part of India falls within seismic zones 3, 4 and 5, making it imperative for steel rebars to have high ductility. From the enlightening lectures on earthquakes that Mr Markan delivers, it is apparent that some of India’s top cities are built on fault lines. Given this scenario we all will feel more assured when high-strength, high-ductile rebars with superior elongation values of 18-25 per cent, such as Surya Thermex rebars, are used in structures.”
Amit Garg, Director, Surya Ferrous Alloys, explained the quality control measures adopted at the plant beginning with procurement of raw material and concluding with rebars that meet the seismic requirements of India.
He added, “At every stage of the manufacturing process we keep an eye on quality. First our raw material is sorted and graded so as to review its quality. Sponge iron is procured from multiple sources to ensure the least percentage of sulphur and phosphorous content. Lollypop samples of the raw material in its molten form are checked in the spectrometer till we get the correct chemical composition. Only if the quality-in-charge signs the acceptance report will the raw material in its molten form proceed to the next stage where essential alloys like manganese, silicon and aluminium are added.”
“Further, temperatures are checked at all stages such as before pouring the molten raw material into the ladle, before casting, after casting, and finally when the material reaches the roughing stand.”
Mr Bhandari noted, “I am delighted that Surya has opted for the best equipment available in the industry such as induction furnaces and caster from the market leader, Electrotherm. Electrotherm furnaces are known in the industry for their efficient melting with the lowest power consumption coupled with a rugged design and perfect after-sales backup. The furnaces installed by us are of the 24-pulse type that is the latest in design and technology. Our caster — HSMC —is already creating waves in the market because of its high speed, sturdiness in design and features that have been incorporated to assist hot billet charging right from the word go.”
Mr Markan delivered an interesting presentation on destruction caused by earthquakes globally as well as on India’s seismic vulnerabilities. In his words, “A lot is known about earthquakes, but a lot more needs to be learnt. And unfortunately it is being learnt the hard way. Earthquakes are often described as natures’ weapons of mass destruction because earthquakes account for over 60 per cent of deaths caused by natural disasters. While it is impossible to build structures that are 100 per cent earthquake proof, one can impart high ductility in rebars so that they do not snap outright during an earthquake, thus giving residents time to escape the building instead of being crushed to death.”
“In this connection I am happy to note that Surya has installed the latest version 3 Thermex system at its plant. The design improvements brought about in the Version 3 systems enable improved heat transfer for more precise properties in the rebars. Thermex systems are installed worldwide ranging from Asia, Australasia, Europe, Russia, Africa, Americas, and the Indian sub-continent. The common aim of all these systems is to meet the civil industry demand for high-strength bars (YS ranging from 520 to 620 N/sq. mm) with excellent ductility (stress ratio ranging from 1.15 to 1.3 and elongation ranging from 18-25 per cent).”
He concluded, “Properties of a Thermex 500 grade rebar exceed those defined in the Indian standard and in fact meet international standards. This explains the success of the Thermex technology worldwide, with close to 200 Thermex installations in the Indian sub-continent alone.”
To accurately determine the yield strength of its bars, Surya has installed a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped with an electronic universal testing machine with NABL accredited Extensometer. Thermex quality auditors visit each of their installations twice every year to review the status of the proprietary Thermex equipment as well as to test the rebars.
All of the quality-control measures adopted by Surya ensure the following results:• Savings of up to 20 per cent in the usage of steel rebars• Bars with 30 per cent higher tensile strength• When the Indian Standard dictates minimum 14.5 per cent elongation, Surya Thermex Rebars will give higher elongation of 18-25 per cent, making these bars suitable for seismic zones 3, 4 and 5• Surya Thermex Rebars have high thermal stability and can be used even at high temperatures of up to 600 C without any significant drop in strength• Surya Thermex Rebars have an edge over other bars due to superior weldability on account of very low carbon content.
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