WITH A DASH OF COLOUR

DR ASHISH BHADURI, CHIEF OPERATION, COATED STEEL BUSINESS, TATA BLUESCOPE STEEL, KNOWS PAT DOWN THE INTRICACIES OF MAKING COLOUR COATED STEEL. HE TELLS MANUFACTURING TODAY HOW.

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Could you detail the manufacturing process of making colour coated steel?

Cold rolled steel of desired chemical composition, dimension and mechanical properties is processed in hot dip aluminium zinc bath for manufacturing metal coated material. Metal coated coils are subsequently cleaned, pre-treated and subjected to various layers of organic coatings to make colour coated steel. Metal coated steel is produced by hot dip metal coating process of 55% aluminium - 45% zinc alloy which is primarily used as a substrate for the colour coating process. The steel thus produced is pre-painted, prefinished and ready for further processing into finished products or components. Tata BlueScope uses 100% metal coated substrate for its colour coated products.

Considering the extensive process, what is the kind of machinery used at the plant?

Coated steel’s state-of-art manufacturing facility is designed by BlueScope Steel, Australia. Metal Coating Line plus Colour Coating Line have an online automated coil packaging line. Both Metal Coating and Colour Coating Lines have been supplied by Siemens-VAI-France. Colour Coating line can produce colour coated coils having thicknesses ranging from 0.25-1.3 mm, by using different types of paint system as per requirement. Colour Coating Line is equipped with an automated Force Control Coater for uniform and precise paint coating, closed loop temperature controlled clean oven coupled with automated pack line and express laboratory. To operate the line safely, the entire process is well planned with control access system.

How did you source your equipment and what is their precise function?