TEMPCORE PROCESS

The Tempcore process is widely accepted as the best process for production of high quality rebars
since the technology uses low cost raw materials against costly alloy elements but results in the same
high mechanical properties ensuring excellent welddability ductility and bendability a notable saving in
alloy cost per ton.

The process involves heating of steel billets in a Reheating furnace and rolling them through a
sequence of rolling stands which progressively reduce the billet to the final size and shape of the
reinforcing bar As the bars leave the final mill stand. They are submitted to a special heat treatment
involving three stages.

QUENCH AND SELF TEMPERED HIGH STRENGTH TMT BAR

Premier TMT Bars exhibits properties of a low carbon hot rolled steel which obtains its high strength
from a mill heat treatment and tempering process.

Quenching: The hot rolled bar leaving the final mill stand passes through a water cooling line where
the surface layers are quenched to from martensite while the core remains austenitic.

Self Tempering: The bar leaves the cooling line with a temperature gradient through its cross section.
The natural heat within the core, which is still austenitic, flows from the center to the surface resulting
in self-tempering of the martensite which is responsible forthe high strength of these bars.

Atmospheric Cooling: Finally the austenitic core is transformed to a ductile ferrite pearlite structure
during the slow cooling of the bar on the cooling bed which gives higher bendability and ductility to
the bar.

Thus, Premier TMT bars exhibits variation in microstructure in its cross section with a tough tempered
martensite at the surface layer and a ductile ferrite-pearlite in core.

TATA TISCON, the new generation high strength ribbed reinforcement bar, is a product from
Tata Steel. It is different from traditional bars in its method of manufacture and
consequently, in its combination of properties.
TEMPCORE (TMT) TECHNOLOGY

TATA TISCON is produced using the worlds most advanced technology - the Tempcore
Process, introduced in India for the first time by Tata Steel under licence from Centre de
Rechaerche Metallurgiques (CRM), Belgium - inventors of the process. Tempcore bars are
being successfully used in most parts of the developed world.

The Tempcore Process imparts high strength to the bar using thelatest technique of
thermomechanical treatment (TMT) as against cold twisting, wh ich is used to manufacture
traditional reinforcing bars.

Steel billets are heated in a reheating furnace and rolled through a sequence of rolling
stands which progressively reduce the billet to the final size and shape of the reinforcing
bar. The Tempcore Process takes over and the bar is subjected to heat treatment in three
successive stages. The first stage of Quenching begins when the hot rolled bar leaves the
final mill stand and is rapidly quenched by a special water spray system. This converts the
surface layer of the bar to a hardened structure called Martensite while the core remains
austenitic. The second stage of Self Tempering begins when the bar leaves the quenching
box with a temperature gradient through its cross section, the temperature of the core
being higher than that of the surface.

This allows heat to flow from the core to the surface, resulting in tempering of the surface,
giving a structure called Tempered Martensite which is strong and tough. The core is still
austenitic at this stage.

The third stage of Atmospheric cooling takes place on the cooling bed, where the austenitic
core is transformed to a ductile ferrite-pearlite core. Thus, the final structure consists of a
combination of strong outer layer of tempered martensite and a ductile core of ferrite-
pearlite. This is what gives TATA TISCON its unique combination of strength and ductility.
SUPERIOR PRODUCT QUALITY

Why is TATA TISCON superior to traditional rebars in the market ? The answer lies in
Tempcore Technology, superior steel quality and the hi-tech Wire Rod Mill and Merchant Mill
where this process has been installed.The steel used to produce TATA TISCON is of superior
quality. Tata Steel owns its captive raw material sources, and has the perfect combination
of facilities like blast furnace, L.D.and continuous billet casting. The resultant steel is of
superior quality containing no harmful residuals. As a result, properties of TATA TISCON are
consistent and predictable.

TATA TISCON (12 mm dia and below) is produced in a high speed

Wire Rod Mill which is the most technologically advanced mill of its
kind in India.This mill has a walking hearth furnace, where the
unique method of uniform heating, leads to uniform properties in the
product. The mill proper has a modern sophisticated No Twist-Block
with 10 stands arranged at right angles to one another. This
arrangement ensures excellent dimensional tolerance and surface
quality free from scratches and other rolling defects.

In addition, a fully modernized merchant mill processes billets into

TATA TISCON bars of larger sizes (16 mm and above).

PRODUCT SUPERIORITY

High Ductility No cold twisting Higher and uniform strength

Elongation 18- No residual Yield strength 460 N/mm2 (min)*

25%* stress Uniform properties all through due to TMT
process.
*(Typical values for 90% of cases)