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An Overview
old-rolled coils, strips and sheets are versatile steel products that are used as critical inputs in various sophisticated industries which demand very stringent quality specifications, high level of surface finish and close tolerances in dimensions. Important applications of coldrolled steel products are found in the manufacture of automotive body, auto components, petroleum tankers, lube grease barrels, bitumen drums, agricultural and electrical appliances, earth

moving equipment, furniture, office equipment, precision tubes, bicycle components, fabricated parts of engineering machinery, railway coaches, locomotives, wagons, elevators, containers, trucks, cold formed sections etc. Beside these, the construction sector uses narrow CR Sheets for cable armouring tapes, press formed components and wided CR Sheets for building industrial construction tanks and containers. Major consumers of coldrolled steel products are the automobile sector, white goods sector, galvanized / coated steel manufacturers and the oil sector.

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Cold Rolling of Steel
The method of cold rolling points at the process of metal forming in which the shape and structure of steel is being changed by drawing, extruding, hammering, pressing, spinning or stretching at temperatures below the steel's recrystallisation temperature. These actions create alterations in the metal's work which increase its hardness and tensile strength while enhancing the surface finish, decreasing ductility and impact resistance. Cold Rolling is termed as a process by which the sheet metal or strip stock is being introduced among rollers followed by compressing and squeezing. The rollers rotate in opposite directions at a steady space and they are set apart so that their width is smaller than the metal sheeting that is passed through. When the metal goes through the cold mill process, it is pressed into a pre-ordered gauge for finishing. INDUSTRY GROUPWISE CONSUMPTION OF CR PRODUCTS Industry Group Auto / Tractor / Cycle Drums / Barrels / Containers Galvanized/Coated Sheets Tube Makers Furniture Makers Consumer Durables Agricultural Implements Other Eng. Units Machinery Manufacturers Electrical Manufacturers CR Units Oil Sector Total % Share in Total Consumption 24.0 12.0 12.5 5.0 6.5 6.2 4.0 3.0 2.6 2.4 3.0 12.8 100.0 TABLE 2 : PRODUCTION FOR SALE OF CR SHEETS / COILS : 2007-08 AND 2011-12 ('000 TONNES) Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12(P) Production for Sale % Change == 4439 4602 5914 6717 6933 3.67 28.51 13.58 3.22

2011-12 over the previous year is a commendable performance in view of a dismal growth of 2.9 percent in the manufacturing sector over 8.9 percent in the above comparative periods.

Leading Producers Products in India

of

CR

Advantages of Cold Rolling

The major advantages of coldrolling operation are as follows : l Cold-rolling refines the metal and goes on to develop the surface condition of the strips. It makes steel more strong. l The metal-on-metal procedure helps to stiffen and reinforces the properties of steel itself. While the steel thickness decreases most of the break down or variable patches that take place in the heating process are built-up or annealed by cold rolling.

rolled products are being produced by many leading producers. Many Indian cold-rolled producers have installed state-of-the-art world-class technologies and are now capable of producing DD/EDD and other stringent grades / specifications for high-end applications. Major Grade / Specifications Applications of CR Products Major Grade / Specificationwise of CR Products are Shown in Table 1.

The gross production of CR Sheets / Coils by leading Indian producers between 2009-10 and 2011-12 are shown in Table 3. In 2011-12, the above fine producers had a share of 42.02 percent in the total gross production of CR products in India.

Imports
Imports of CR products by India between 2007-08 and 2011-12 are furnished in Table 4. The drop in imports of 14.49 percent in 2008-09 was due to the adverse effect of the global crisis that

TABLE 1 : MAJOR GRADE / SPECIFICATION APPLICATIONS OF CR PRODUCTS Applications Grades / Specifications

Full Hard IS:513 Grade O IS:513 Grades O(SK) ID(K) IS:513 Grades D/DD/EDD IRSM 41 IS:513 O/D with Cu HSCR 26/35 Coated Sheets Packaging, Household Appliances, Precision Tubes Automobiles Railway Coaches, Wagons Corrosion Resistant Applications Load Bearing Components of Automobiles, Rolled-formed Sections, Industrial Storage System, Drums and Barrels. started from October, 2008. The higher imports of CR Sheets / coils between 2009-10 and 2011-12 was due to a robust demand from automobile, white goods, galvanised steel and oil sectors.

Cold Rolling Steel Industry in India

Leading Indian producers of coldrolled steel are now capable of producing high quality products comparable to global standards for high-end applications. They are continuously upgrading their technologies with the help of world majors in their eagerness to face the challenges of global competition.

Production for Sale of CR Sheet / Coils in India

Production for sale is arrived at after deducting Inter-plant Transfers (IPTs) and producers own consumption from gross production. Production for sale of CR Sheets / Coils in India between 2007-08 and 2011-12 are shown in Table-2. The growth of 3.22 percent in the production for sale of CR products in

New Application Areas

In the new application areas, cold formed sections are being successfully produced in India. Tailored blanks for automobiles and high tensile cold-

Exports of CR Sheets / Coils by India

Exports of CR Sheets / Coils by India between 2007-08 and 2011-12 are shown in Table 5.

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TABLE 3 : THE GROSS PRODUCTION OF CR SHEETS / COILS BY LEADING INDIAN PRODUCERS : 2009-10 TO 2011-12 ('000 TONNES) Gross Production During Producers 2011-12 (P) 2009-10 2010-11 574 SAIL 720 683 1041 1095 1084 Tata Steel 954 907 820 Essar Steel JSW Ispat 238 209 359 JSWSL 1498 2496 1625
TABLE 4 : IMPORTS OF CR SHEET / COILS BY INDIA : 2007-08 TO 2011-12 ('000 TONNES) Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (P) Imports 821 702 892 1148 1442 % Change == (-) 14.49 27.07 28.70 25.61 TABLE 6 : APPARENT CONSUMPTION CR SHEETS / COILS IN INDIA : 2007-08 TO 2011-12 ('000 TONNES) Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (P) Exports 4730 4966 6344 7614 8063 % Change == 4.99 27.75 20.02 5.90 Supplied by Hitachi of Japan. Its main features are : l Tandem Mill l 6 Hi UCM l Automated Gauge and Shape Method l Thickness Tolerance + 0.5 percent l Flatness 10 / units in blanking The input material, HR Coils get picked and are rolled to Cold Rolled Steel of desired thickness in a single continuous automotive operation. The Tandem Mill ensures guaranteed number of components per tonne, clean surface and high productivity. (ii) Bell Annealing Facilities Supplied by LOI of Germany. Its main features are : l Superior and uniform mechanical properties l Superior surface cleanliness l Dehumidated chamber for cooling and storage of annealed coils (rustfree surface) l Hydrogen Annealing The Bell Annealing facilities guarantee : (a) Superior formabilities for endproducts (b) Even point rust spots are avoided In the annealing process, the coils are imparted the desired properties to suit varying end applications ranging from auto appliance to drums and furniture. (iii) Single Stand 4-Hi Skin Pass Mill & Electro Discharge Texturing Machine, supplied by IHI of Japan and U.K. Annealed coils are given a small reduction (Less than 1%) in the Skin Pass Mill. The operation results in the desired surface roughness imparted in the strip surface as per customer specifications. Also, flatness of the strip is improved. Its main features are : l 4-Hi Configuration l Wide range of surface finishes with precise control l Control of surface, sharpness in a narrow band

TABLE 5 : EXPORTS OF CR SHEETS / COILS BY INDIA 2007-08 TO 2011-12 ('000 TONNES) Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (P) Exports 510 327 345 283 285 % Change == (-) 35.88 5.50 (-) 17.97 0.71

over the previous year. In 2010-11, the respective growths in production, domestic sales and exports were 27.45 percent, 26.17 percent and 29.64 percent over the previous year.

Projected Consumption of CR Steel Products upto 2019-20

The projections of World Steel Association (WSA) on India's consumption of CR products up to 2019-20 are shown below : l Current Consumption ('000 tonnes) 5.2 l Projected Consumption in 201112 ('000 tonnes) 8.0 l Projected Consumption in 201920 ('000 tonnes) 17.0 l CAGR (%) 2007-08 to 2019-20 10.4 Source : Article by Sushim Banerjee, Presently Director General, INSDAG, in ISR, December 2008

The negative growth in exports of 35.88 percent in 2008-09 was due to the global crisis that started in October, 2008. The negative growth of 17.97 percent in 2010-11 and the marginal growth in 2011-12 was as a result of the Eurozone financial crisis and lack of demand in the global market in general.

Apparent Consumption
The apparent consumption of CR Sheets / Coils in India between 200708 and 2011-12 are shown in Table 6. The high growth in apparent consumption of cold-rolled products in India in 2009-10 and 2010-11 was due to robust growths and higher demand from the consuming sectors particularly the automotive sector. India's automotive sector posted high growth of 25.7 percent in production, 26.41 percent in domestic sales and 17.90 percent in exports in 2009-10

Configuration of A Modern Cold Rolling Mill

Tata Steel's world-class CR Mill based at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand produces Tata Steelium which has been claimed as world's first branded Cold Rolled Steel. The Tata Steel CR Mill has the following facilities for the manufacture of cold-rolled steel. (i) 5-Stand 6-Hi Tandem Mill

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Skin Pass Mill Its main purposes : l To suppress yield point elongation l To impart roughness on strip l For better paintability l For improve the following mechanical properties : - Hardness - Yield Strength - Ultimate Tensile Strength - To improve shape (Removing waviness and centre buckle) CR Coils and Sheets recorded high growth of consumption in H1 of 201213 among major carbon steel products. The new Cold Rolling Mill at Bokaro has been scheduled to be operation by 2012-13. Downstream of the Bokaro PLTCM, SAIL has also invested in an Electrolytic Cleaning Line (ECL) to remove the remaining iron fines and oil residues from the tandem mill. The advanced technology of ECL at Bokaro will ensure outstanding coil cleanliness before the coils reach the downstream batch annealing furnace.

Special Features of Upcoming CR Mill at Bokaro Steel Plant

Among the features of the 1.2 Mtpy capacity Cold Rolling Mill at SAIL's Bokaro Steel Plant in Jharkhand to be supplied by Siemens VAI of Austria are the Siroll CIS CM and PL product line. The first link of the production chain will be the tandem cold mill coupled to a pickling line. For these products, all core equipment, critical for the line performances, are fully engineered, manufactured and tested at Siemens VAI's European plant, located in Montbrison in France. The state-ofthe-art PLTCM of 1.2 Mtpy capacity, will be the first of its kind in India, equipped with heavy gauge laser welder (LW21H), pickling section, horizontal loopers and side trimmer, 5stand 6-Hi cold rolling mill and a

Recent Innovations in Indian CR Mills

Two major innovations that are taking place in the configuration of Indian cold rolling mills are : l Installation of PLTCM l Installation of Continuous Annealing Line (CAL)

Performance of Indian Industry, in H1 of 2012-13

CR

The performance of the Indian Cold Rolling industry between April, 2012 and September, 2012 (H1 of 2012-13) are shown below :

Production for Sale

Production for sale of CR Sheets / Coils in India during H1 of 2012-13 are shown below :

Pickling Line Coupled Tandem Mill (PLTCM)

with

Products CR Sheets / Coils

Production for Sale ('000 tonnes) H1 of 2011-12 H1 of 2012-13 3490 (P) 4348 (P)

% Change 24.58

Despite various constraints, the Indian Cold Rolling industry has recorded a robust growth of 24.58 percent in production for sale during H1 of 2012-13 over H1 of 2011-12.

Imports
Imports of CR products during H1 of 2012-13 over H1 of 2011-12 are shown below :

carrousel coiler. This Cold Rolling at Bokaro Steel Plant will meet the highest Quality standards in terms of strip flatness, strip surface, strip cleanliness and dimentional tolerances. It has been designed to produce high strength automotive grades including, IF, HSLA, HSS And DP Steels as well as low carbon steel.

Products CR Sheets / Coils

Imports ('000 tonnes) H1 of 2011-12 H1 of 2012-13 716 776

% Change 8.38

Exports
Exports of CR production during H1 of 2012-13 vis--vis of 2011-12 are shown below :

Products CR Sheets / Coils

Exports ('000 tonnes) H1 of 2011-12 H1 of 2012-13 152 199

% Change 30.92

Apparent Consumption
Apparent Consumption of CR products by India during H1 of 2012-13 vis--vis H1 of 2011-12 are presented below :

Products CR Sheets / Coils

Apparent Consumption ('000 tonnes) H1 of 2011-12 H1 of 2012-13 4969 4114

% Change 20.78

Continuous pickling line coupled with tandem mill provides significant quality improvement, productivity, yield and cost advantages, thereby eliminating intermediate storages for pickled coils and the necessity of strip threading for each coil entering the tandem mill. The combination of these two lines is a mix of highly efficient features that ensure excellent quality results in terms of strip's flatness and thickness control. The continuous process eliminates the necessity to thread the strip head between two consecutive rolls resulting in higher line productivity, reduction of off-gauge materials and reduction of coil handling. SAIL's Bokaro Steel Plant is installing a PLTCM to be supplied by Siemens VAI. The main features of Bokaro's PLTCM have already been mentioned earlier. l Jindal South West Steel Ltd. (JSWSL) has placed an order with SMS Siemag of Germany for the supply of a PLTCM at its Torangall plant. The mill will have an annual capacity of 2.3 Mt of cold strips in widths up to 1890 mm and will be producing high grade cold rolled products particularly for the auto sector. The scope of supply by SMS Siemag includes entry section, equipped with two pay off real groups with a SMS Siemag welder which enables those strip of difficult weldability to be joined

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together. A tension leveler prepares the strip for the pickling process in the three downstream pickling tanks. The turbulence pickling technology allows optimum desealing with low consumption of energy and acid as well as reduced maintenance and operating costs. In addition, an integrated trimming shear sets the desired strip width and straightens the strip edges. Altogether, three horizontal strip accumulators are integrated into the line which ensures continuous strip travel. The 5-mill stands of the tandem mill are designed as a 6-high stand and are equipped with Continuous Variable Crown / enhanced shifting system (CVC Plus / Ess) technology. The rollgap adjustment range made available by this SMS Siemag technology allows optimum results as regards strip gauge and flatness, even when the product range is extremely broad. In the exit section, the strips are coiled by a carrousel reel at minimum final gauge of 0.3mm. A particularly compact design is achieved from the exit section of the tandem cold mill by combining the carrousel reel and the downstream in-line inspection system. The PLTCM of JSWSL is likely to be operational by the year 2013. horizontal and vertical inspection station, cooling section followed by coil delivery section. Tata Steel has signed a joint venture agreement with Nippon Steel of Japan for setting up a Rs. 2300 crore speciality steelmaking line the Continuous Annealing Process line to produce 600,000 tonnes per year of automotive grade cold rolled steel. Tata Steel will hold 51 percent share in the joint venture. According to Tata Steel sources the CAL will be located at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand state and is likely to be operational in 2013. This will be the first continuous annealing line to be set up in India. In 2010-11 and 2011-12, the autosector in India has posted robust growth. The while good sector, which was galvanized sheets, a downstream product of cold-rolled steel in the above two years has also recorded growth. In addition to many stringent applications of cold-rolled products, another major imporatance of these products is in their downstream products specially the galvanized steel segment including colour coated sheets. Major galvanized and colour coated steel producer have now installed state-of-the-art technologies and are producing highest quality products for high end application. Despite a difficult market with lower global demand and lower global prices, the Indian Galvanised steel industry's export was over 1 million tonnes in 2011-12.

Bhushan Steel
Bhushan Steel is a leading supplier of auto-grade steel in India. Expanding the company's current range of flat products for the automotive industry. It has signaled its intention to set up an advanced pickling line coupled with tandem cold mill and a continuous annealing line (PLTCMECAL) facility at Odisha, with a capacity of 2 Mtpy. This line will cater to the requirements of the automotive industry by increasing the strength of steel and producing thinner sections, this reducing weight which will help to reduce fuel consumption. The company has already finalized the technology side and are now working on the engineering aspect. Bhushan has planned to start the construction of the project in January, 2013. The company expects to complete the project in Odhisha in two and half years from the start of physical construction.

Conclusion
The Indian Cold Rolling Industry has developed quite significantly in the last 5/6 years. It is now capable of producing high grade products to stringent specifications required for various industries. In particular, the leading producers are keen to produce high grade automotive steels for the Indian automobile industry which has recorded robust growth in recent years. The setting up of PLTCM and Continuous Annealing Lines (CAL) will help the production of high grade materials in a cost-effective and ecofriendly manner. During the period from April, 2012 to September, 2012 (H1 of 2012-13), India's cold-rolling industry's production for sale was about 4.35 Mt of CR Sheets / Coils over 3.49 Mt during the same period of the previous year recording a robust growth of 24.58 percent. In the above comparative periods, India's apparent consumption of CR products at about 5 Mt has registered a very high growth of 20.78 percent over 4.11 Mt. Despite a low growth of the manufacturing sector, the performance of the Indian Cold-Rolling industry during H1 of 2012-13 is commendable. The industry will grow from strength to strength in near future.

Continuous Annealing Lines

The continuous annealing process represents the ideal solution for processing cold-rolled strip with high production rates, high yields and substantial energy savings as compared to the batch annealing process. These continuous lines ensure top material qualities and high process flexibility for the broad range of steel grades and dimensions. Excellent annealing results, especially in the automotive sector are achieved thanks to the fully automated temperature control, specific annealing cycles and rapid cooling system. The present generation Continuous Annealing Lines (CALs) for auto body quality strip production generally consist of coil receiving and entry section, a double entry pass section for strip joining, vertical looper, electrolytic cleaning section, annealing furnace, exit vertical looper, skin pass and tension leveling section,

Changing Pattern of CR Product Demand

In the last decade or so, the demand for cold-rolled steel, products has shown an accelerated growth. The requirement of the products are also changing fast. The change in the usage of cold-rolled products is evident in the following two areas in particular : l Galvanised / Coated Sheets l Newer sheets like interstitial free (IF) and brake hardening (BH) steels for the automobile sector.

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