Tata Steel has successfully rolled the first coils at its Jamshedpur compact strip production (CSP) plant following an extensive upgrade carried out by SMS group. The revamp included the installation of a new F7 finishing stand and a comprehensive upgrade of the X-Pact automation systems, enabling the mill to produce thinner gauges and higher-quality products.
Originally commissioned in 2011, the CSP plant has an annual capacity of about 2.5 mln tons, producing strip widths of 900-1,680 mm and thicknesses down to 1.0 mm. The addition of the F7 stand optimizes rolling load distribution for harder materials and thinner gauges, reduces bottlenecks in the finishing mill, and allows casters to operate at optimized thicknesses for improved efficiency.
The modernization also upgraded mill stands F1-F5 with new hydraulic pass line adjustment, replaced cooling sections with reinforced units featuring edge masking, and enhanced the exit area with new measurement systems.
Automation upgrades across Levels 1 and 2, including advanced process models for pass scheduling, cooling control, and profile/flatness, have improved process stability, flexibility, and product consistency. Post-revamp performance was strong: fourteen coils were rolled without cobbles from day one, and thicknesses down to 1.2 mm were achieved by day six, reflecting effective preparation and commissioning.
Tata Steel is among the world’s leading steel producers, with annual crude steel capacity of around 35 mln tons.
