Steel can be called the pillar of civilisation. Driving industrial, commercial and residential growth, modern civilization is not recognisable without steel. This means that steel production has not just served as the backbone of human progress for centuries, but also is one of the key reasons behind a particular country’s economic growth & prosperity. In India, the iron and steel industry is the most important reason behind the recent boom that the economy is experiencing. Comprising not just the primary steel producers in India, but also small businesses and stakeholders, the iron and steel industry here although contributing to various other industries like engineering, locomotives, infrastructure, locomotives etc is first and foremost dominated by construction. Construction, thus is key for both the present and the future. Thus, construction is a sector where all the plants or manufacturing units operating play a key role. Out of the many manufacturing systems, integrated steel plants and mini steel plants are the most common ones.
Through this blog, we aim to help you understand the details, meanings, and differences that these two predominant manufacturing provisions of such a critical industry have and share with each other.
Integrated steel plants are also referred to as integrated mills. These are large-scale operational units where well-reputed TMT bar manufacturers carry out the entire process of production right from scratch to the finish. Thus, it is here that raw materials like iron ore are used to result in what is now the backbone of the country- thermo mechanically treated (TMT) bars. Primary steel producers in India like us use such big provisional units for the purpose of ironmaking, coke production and steelmaking. Processes like casting and rolling of reinforcement steel bars also take place here. Massive in terms of area size and employee number, finished products such as all reinforcement steel bars such as TMT, steel channels, coils, plates etc are all prepared and manufactured here.
Some of the primary functions carried out in integrated steel plants are:
Operating as secondary steel producers, mini steel plants are facilities where instead of raw materials, scrap metal is used to manufacture products. Thus, using scrap metal as their primary feedstock, these smaller-scale operational units rely a lot on materials such as pig iron and sponge iron. They mainly create products such as stainless steel and alloy steel. All the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that are a part of this flourishing economic surge are equipped with mini steel plants for their own requirements.
Now, let us discuss the differences between these two types and try to figure out which one which one has more advantages over the other:
Quality of Raw Materials Used: Premium quality raw materials such as limestone, iron ore, coal and coke are all used in integrated steel plants. Mini steel plants are not equipped to finely pile and mix raw materials in correct proportions, This is a major advantage that integrated steel plants hold over mini steel plants as raw material processing is actually what is critical in improving the performance, chemical and mechanical properties of steel.
Process of Production: While mini steel plants are more focused on processes such as steel melting and refining, integrated steel plants have continuous production processes where through large steel mills, blast furnaces and cooling systems, the whole process from start to packing and delivering is carried out.
Cost: Quite expectedly, the capital required to run mini steel plants is a lot less than what it takes to run integrated steel plants. Thus, mini steel plants need a lower capital investment but are miles away from the quality of steel products that integrated steel plants are capable of making.
The Scale of Operations: Integrated steel plants encompass every aspect of production and thus can operate on a large scale to not just produce quantity in bulk but also top-notch quality. This is something that mini steel plants are not capable of. They are instead more specialised and cater to specific processes and products.
Environmental Benefits: The construction industry has to be become more environmentally conscious as historically it has been popularly known to generate pollutants and impure particulates in bulk. Since mini steel plants or mini-mills are smaller in size, the environmental impacts they cause are fewer than the integrated ones. However, integrated steel plants have the means to incorporate raw materials and production techniques that lower the released carbon footprint significantly.
SEL Tiger TMT is one of the leading primary steel producers in India that through stringent quality control and an elaborate all-inclusive manufacturing process creates products including the best TMT bar in India. One of the most prominent manufacturers in the iron and steel industry of India, our integrated steel plants don’t just produce materials of high yield strength, durability, ductility, corrosion and earthquake resistance but also ensure complete ecological awareness through the usage of environment-friendly raw materials and production techniques. Committed to sustainable practices, our integrated steel plants don’t just create the most commercial, residential and industrial architecture in India, but also safeguard our country’s land and air for future generations.
Generally, it can be said that mini steel plants are more eco-friendly than integrated steel plants. However, big manufacturers are now using production methods and raw materials that are reducing the negative impact of integrated steel plants on the environment. This is to make sure quality, quantity and eco-sensitivity can all be optimised together.
It takes more capital to run integrated steel plants than mini steel plants. But as a consumer or a small business you must keep in mind that the quality which integrated steel plants produce is so superior that your maintenance, downtime and renovation expenses in the long run are reduced to almost zero. This means that in integrated steel plants you have more chances of getting the best value for money.
Firstly, mini-steel plants do not use raw materials; instead, they use scrap metal. Secondly, these are specialised steel plants that only execute a few processes. Thus, the quality and range of products that integrated steel plants are capable of producing can’t be replicated by mini steel plants.
About Author: Bishan Mukherjee has a decade of experience in the construction industry, working as a surveyor in different kinds of steel plants all across India. Guided by hands-on experience, his writings share real-time insights that are of value to the consumer.
