The Hindu Business Line : RSP steel plates find use in rocket launch

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Kolkata Jan. 22 Special quality steel plates manufactured by Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) have been used in the indigenously built rocket, which launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-7 into orbit from Sriharikota Space Centre recently.

The plates used in the four stages of the rocket were rolled and processed at RSP's plate mill and were supplied to MIDHANI (Misra Dhatu Nigam Ltd, Hyderabad). After fabrication, assembly and further ageing treatment at MIDHANI, these plates were despatched to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

According to a company press release, plates used in the launching of rockets need to be very tough and resilient since a huge amount of stress develops during the launching process. Significantly, RSP is the only steel plant in Asia to process such plates. Every year, it despatches 50-60 plates to MIDHANI. In the current financial year till date, the company has despatched 64 such plates.

Meanwhile, RSP concluded the calendar year 2006 by surpassing the two-million-tonne-mark production of hot metal in any calendar year. In 2006, the company produced 2.16 mt of hot metal, 2.01 mt of crude steel, 1.98 mt of saleable steel and despatched 1.97 mt.

The production volumes represent a 108 per cent, 106 per cent and 119 per cent utilisation of rated capacity during the calendar year, besides a growth of 27 per cent, 26 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively, compared with 2005.

Rourkela Steel Plant also ended the first nine months of the current fiscal with an all-time best performance in major production centres. While sinter output reached 2.33 mt, hot metal crossed 1.62 mt, crude steel surpassed 1.51 mt, saleable steel touched 1.47 mt and despatch of steel stood at 1.44 mt. The figures represent a growth of between 31 per cent and 36 per cent compared with the April-December 2005 period.