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Thermo-Mechanically Treated( TMT) bars are essential for reinforcing concrete structures in buildings, bridges, highways, and other critical infrastructure
Program and Housing for All. These programs are creating a significant demand for Thermo- Mechanically Treated( TMT) bars, products which are essential for reinforcing concrete structures in buildings, bridges, highways, and other critical infrastructure. With these projects in play, India’ s projected consumption of steel is set to surpass 206 million tons by 2030, solidifying the need for increased domestic production.
Faced with increasing demand in the market and the need for greater operational efficiency to produce more using less energy and fewer resources, ABB set about the project to update and enhance operations at the mill, leveling up Tata’ s efficiency at the Jamshedpur site. Building on the deep integrated knowledge that a partnership of this kind necessitates, this project not only addressed the challenge of the Jamshedpur mill’ s obsolete controllers and input / output( I / O) modules on the way to greater production levels and significant downtime reductions, but continues the principles of
Accuracy is vital in bar mills where high operating speeds mean small errors can lead to defects
driving innovation, efficiency and sustainability across Tata’ s global operations.
The need for modernization
Tata Steel’ s Jamshedpur bar mill is a crucial component of its production network 4. As India’ s first steel plant, Jamshedpur holds historic importance, but it is also a major contributor to Tata Steel Jamshedpur’ s output today, producing around 11 million tons of steel annually 5. With the rising demand for high-strength TMT bars – especially for infrastructure and construction projects across the world – the mill needed to enhance its operational efficiency and system reliability to stay competitive and continue to serve a rapidly evolving market.
This growing demand highlighted several areas for improvement for Tata Steel. Firstly, the mill’ s outdated control systems were becoming a bottleneck, limiting performance and hindering productivity. The reliance on hardware-based shear control
complicated diagnostics, making it difficult to proactively identify areas for maintenance. Furthermore, aging legacy systems meant that expertise and support were becoming increasingly scarce, reducing the mill’ s ability to respond to market changes and capitalize on opportunities. Modernizing these systems was critical not just to address these technical limitations but to ensure Tata Steel could meet market demands for high-quality TMT bars, increase its production capacity, and maintain energyefficient operations.
To meet these challenges, Tata Steel sought to modernize its bar mill by implementing a superior system for rolling mill control than the existing, obsolete system already in place. The
Advanced AC800 PEC controller and IOs will boost efficiency and reliability at Tata’ s Jamshedpur bar mill
Green Steel World | Issue 17 | April 2025 17