Steel Melting Shop-II (SMS-II) of SAIL Rourkela Steel Plant achieved a major operational milestone on 12th May 2026 when Converter ‘B’ established a new record in converter lining life of 7,890 heats by surpassing the previous best of 7,685 heats achieved in May 2025. The converter, relined and maintained by M/s RHI Magnesita India Ltd., remained in continuous operation for 358 days from 19th May 2025.
The remarkable enhancement in converter lining life was made possible through stringent process control, scientific refractory management practices, and consistent adherence to standard operating procedures during converter operations. The achievement highlights the operational excellence, technical competence, and dedicated teamwork of the entire SMS-II collective, including the operating crew, blowers, lance operators, and shift personnel.
Several key operational initiatives contributed significantly to this achievement, including optimized blowing practices, effective utilization of laser scanner technology, improved slag regime management, accurate end-point control, and timely gunning and patching of the refractory lining. Continuous monitoring of thermal load, bath agitation, and slag chemistry by the Area In-charge and Shift In-charges, along with disciplined control over hot metal and scrap quality, played a crucial role in minimizing localized wear and extending the converter campaign life.
The achievement also reflects the close coordination and collective efforts of the Refractory eng.dept and Operations,, Mechanical Maintenance, Electrical Maintenance of SMS-II and RCL teams, which ensured stable and consistent converter performance throughout the campaign period. The accomplishment was achieved under the overall guidance of Mr. S. S. Panda, CGM (Flux and Refractories) and Mr. M. G. Srikanth, CGM (SMS-II).
The converter lining life achieved significantly exceeded the guaranteed lining life of 6,000 heats, resulted in an estimated direct savings of approximately ₹1.5 crores. The extended campaign life of Converter ‘B’ has also contributed towards enhanced converter availability, higher productivity, and overall cost optimization of SMS-II.
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