Editorial – February 2024 :
Special steels, crucial in & steel sector, demand the iron profound metallurgical knowledge and expertise. The production and processing of these steels pose steep challenges to metallurgists, technologists and process experts.
Emerging concepts like Micro Alloyed Steels, Digitalization, and Green Steelmaking are reshaping the industry, while developments like EV present potential challenges to its growth. In case of Micro Alloyed steels, though they offer significant advantages like precise properties, elimination of heat treatment process thereby reducing the cost, every company follows the specification of there principal/collaborator adding to the confusion at the customer’s end and also adding to inventory carrying cost. I strongly feel that there is a need to prepare a national specification for Micro Alloyed steels This will not only simplify the process, reduce the number of grades to be handled but also reduce the inventory and it’s carrying cost Ministry of Steel can take up this project with the help of industry experts. Green Steelmaking, in my opinion, is still at a very preliminary stage not only in India but worldwide. To categorize steel as ‘Green, one has to make the complete process chain ‘Green, including the sources of power, all the equipment and components etc. This will naturally take a long time. Also, presently there are no proper parameters set for Green steels. A long way ahead!
The Indian economy has performed quite well in the past few years and is expected to continue It’s upward journey in the future too. The emphasis on infrastructure development is going to boost the steel demand in the country. The special steels industry is going to benefit from the new scrapage policy Also the defense is a new emerging customer sector. The present government’s policy of “Make in India will surely give a forward push to special steel demand in the defense equipment sector. But mind well, supplying to defense is not as easy as supplying to a private OEM. There are lot of hurdles. It requires that the supplier should satisfy many beurocratic procedures and compliances. I hope this long chain will gradually reduce with time and aiso the volumes would increase. On a long term basis, defense is of course a big consumer of special steels.
‘Steelworld has been organizing the ‘Special Steels Convention for years, fostering dialogue among industry stakeholders. The 13th edition, featuring a full-day webinar saw an active participation from the industry, trade bodies and also the Steel Ministry in this important
industry gathering!