The enterprising employees of Shops-Mechanical of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) have successfully carried out the dismantling and reconditioning of a Coiler Mandrel of Hot Strip Mill-2 (HSM-2), achieving a significant cost saving and reinforcing self-reliance in maintenance activities. The Coiler Mandrel, which has a designed working life of 1 million tons (MT) of coil production, had been in continuous operation since the inception of HSM-2 and had processed 2.5 MT of hot rolled (HR) coil. Due to prolonged usage and impaired coiling ability, the mandrel was taken out of service for reconditioning.
As the detailed procedure for dismantling and reconditioning was not available within the department, initial plans were made to outsource the job to reputed vendors. However, after meticulous study of General Arrangement (GA) drawings and manuals, a joint effort was undertaken by the Mechanical Shop, Design Department, and HSM-2 team to execute the task in-house. The Mechanical Shop team, with technical support from the Design Department, took up the challenge of dismantling and refurbishing the Coiler Mandrel utilizing in-house resources.
One of the most critical activities was the careful dismantling of the head flange, which housed multiple advanced grease distributors. Since any incorrect dismantling method could have damaged these sophisticated components, GA drawings and manuals were extensively referred to at various stages of the process. The head flange was successfully removed, marking a crucial step in the reconditioning process.
Some other challenging jobs carried out by the collective included, complete refurbishment of all four segments of the Coiler Mandrel, removal of the 7-meter-long wedge rod from the Coiler Mandrel assembly, the meticulous reassembling, and manual testing. Within 25 days, the fully reconditioned Coiler Mandrel was successfully assembled and delivered to HSM-2.
This in-house reconditioning initiative resulted in a direct cost saving of Rs. 60 lakh, which was the estimated cost of outsourcing the job (excluding spare costs). Additionally, the Design Department developed detailed spare part drawings of the Down Coiler Mandrel using a 3D scanner, ensuring future self-reliance and reducing dependency on external agencies for similar refurbishment requirements.
