Ranchi, Feb. 18: Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is all set to improve its quality of production.

Its Research and Development Centre for Iron and Steel (RDCIS) has successfully “upgraded” the power track installed at steel melting furnaces. This would significantly improve the quality of steel produced here, raising the operational efficiency of various steel plants.

In fact, SAIL stressed it would go ahead with its massive modernisation and expansion plan worth over Rs 11,000 crore despite the economic meltdown. The development would bring good news for the steel major, which has been recording profits for the past three quarters, though in the last quarter its profit before tax stood at Rs 1,257 crore, a drop of 57 per cent as compared to last year.

Executive director in-charge Jagdish Singh pointed out that the existing power track has been completely upgraded and refurbished by RDCIS, which would ensure temperature uniformity and would raise the efficiency of melting.

Supply of uniform power and temperature to various furnaces is a vital component to ensure efficiency in the quality of steel produced in terms of strength, hardness and ductility. The furnaces are supplied with power from a common source known as the common power track.

A temperature measuring device that functions in liquid steel under the induction furnace has also been developed in the unit’s melting and solidification laboratory. This device is linked to the controller for maintaining uniformity in temperature.

Sources revealed that research on power track was conducted at the melting and solidification laboratory at RDCIS. For research work 100kg and 300kg air induction furnaces and a 50kg vacuum induction furnace were used. These furnaces have been used extensively for the development of various SAIL steel plants. Power supply to all furnaces is from a common power track, which has now been upgraded to improve steel melting and quality of output.