TPi July 2008

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July 2008 Tube Products International 45
Tube makingRaw mater ials for
The main activities of the Gopal Group,
India, are focused on stainless steel,
alloy steel and mild steel.
The company’s plants have 15 tonne
capacity induction furnaces, a 20-tonne
argon oxygen decarburiser (AOD),
and a 9/16 meter continuous caster,
providing capacity and flexibility.
Furnaces at Delhi have a 6-ton melting
capacity induction, the facility at
Chennai has 8-ton melting capacity
induction, and the company has a
20-ton heat capacity with AOD at
Ahmedabad.
Different types of stainless steel scrap
or mild steel scrap, along with other
alloying metals and ferro alloys, are
melted together in the induction furnace
in the required proportion to produce
the desired grade of stainless steel
and alloy steel. The input materials are
sourced locally as well as imported
from other countries.
The molten material then is refined in
the argon oxygen decarburiser.
By this process, the carbon levels in
the material are brought down and the
quality is improved.
To achieve the desired chemistry of
the finished steel, ferro alloys and
other alloying metals are added at this
stage.
The refined liquid metal is cast into
ingots and billets of different sizes by
pouring into moulds.
The cast ingots are then hot rolled
or forged in a rolling/forging mill to
produce products such as plates, flats,
round bars, hexagonal bars, bright
bars, square bars, wire rods, angles,
channels and forged rounds.
Gopal Group – India
Stainless steel from India
. . . THE trade
magazine for
tube & pipe
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