Industry Talk

ABB technology to improve quality and lower production costs for Tata Steel plant in India

ABB EMBR helps operators increase productivity, lengthen mold copper plate lifetimes, and reduce mold powder-related non-metallic inclusions

Global technology company ABB will provide electromagnetic brake systems (EMBR) for two compact strip production (CSP) casters at Tata Steel’s flagship plant in Jamshedpur, India, working under contract from engineering and construction organization SMS Group.

Jamshedpur, located in the eastern state of Jharkhand, is India’s first planned industrial city and was established following the founding of Tata Iron and Steel Company by Jamsetji Tata and his son Dorabji Tata in the 1900s.

ABB’s scope of supply also includes DCS800 DC drives, dry-type transformers, water cooling systems, commissioning services, and metallurgical performance evaluation. ABB is contracted through SMS which specializes in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry.

The contract builds on ABB’s large installed base with premier steel producers globally. ABB EMBR is installed on 40 percent of thin slab casting strands worldwide and allows for higher quality and faster throughput. This well-established technology, invented by ABB in 1985, enables steelmakers to achieve steel cleanliness similar to conventional vertical bending casters, improves casting speed, and increases mold copper plate lifetime. By generating a static magnetic field, which decreases meniscus metal flow speed and turbulence, the ABB EMBR provides a whole range of metallurgical improvements including elimination of mold powder entrapments, a more even molten mold powder layer, and a meniscus which is flatter, hotter, and less turbulent.

“The project at Tata Steel in Jamshedpur is a key order for ABB,” said Raghu Badrinathan, Area Sales Manager – ABB Metallurgy. “It builds on our large installed base with premier steel producers around the world.”

“Tata Steel is a highly-valued customer for ABB and it is our continuous endeavor to provide the best-in-class technology and solutions to them,” said Vipul Gautam, Group Vice President, Global Account Executive for Tata Group, ABB. “We believe that our metallurgy solutions and particularly the ABB EMBR solution will help them to achieve superior performance of their casters in minimum time, lowering their cost of production while improving quality.”

Find out more about ABB’s market-leading range of electromagnetic stirring solutions for slab casting here: Electromagnetic stirring and braking devices for slab casting – Metallurgy Products (ABB Metallurgy Products)

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation, and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification, and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our #1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team, and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations.