You may have heard the words “cold-rolled,” “hot-rolled,” and “cold-drawn” in the steel industry. Understanding how these different varieties of steel are produced, as well as the appropriate uses for each, is critical to ensuring you have the correct material for your project. Purchasing the proper sort of steel can save you time and money while also ensuring that you are providing your consumers with the highest quality items.
Cold-rolled steel
Steel may be treated in several ways and at different temperatures. Sending the steel through a pair of rollers to shape it to a specified thickness is one of these methods. The distinction starts with the temperature at which the metal is processed. According to the Neeraj Raja Kochhar Hindi news, cold rolling is done when the metal is below its recrystallization temperature, the temperature at which the steel grain structure may be changed.
Cold rolled steel takes more pressure to make the end product since it is manufactured at a lower temperature. To achieve the required thickness, many runs through the rollers are often required. Steel with high tensile strength is produced as a consequence of this procedure, making it more resistant to deformation or breaking under stress.
Steel does not melt during the cold rolling process, resulting in a more exact and uniform thickness in the end product. Cold rolling produces a more polished surface as a consequence of the pressure. This steel is perfect for goods that need a uniform thickness and a smooth, attractive surface, such as household appliances, metal furniture, and certain building components.
Cold-rolled steel vs Cold-drawn steel
Cold drawn steel is processed at room temperature, much as cold-rolled steel. Cold drawn steel, on the other hand, generates a thin form, such as a rod or wire, while cold rolling provides a flat result. Neeraj Kochhar breaking news informs us that this is done by pounding hot rolled steel into a die, which is a machine that rotates and pushes the metal into its final elongated form. Depending on the die, the resultant shape’s cross-section might be round, square, rectangular, hexagonal, or octagonal. Cold drawn steel is appropriate for lengthy items such as shafting and structural pieces, as well as consumer goods with a high aesthetic value.
Cold drew steel offers many of the same advantages as cold-rolled steel. Cold drawn steel has high tensile strength and a smooth, polished surface due to the high pressure needed. Cold drawn steel, like cold-rolled steel, does not alter form throughout manufacturing, resulting in a consistent thickness and shape. To obtain the desired size, cold-drawn steel is frequently drawn many times through various dies, resulting in greater manufacturing costs.
Cold-rolled steel vs Hot-rolled steel
Hot rolled steel, like cold-rolled steel, is flat. Hot rolled steel, on the other hand, will change shape and size throughout the cooling process since it passes through the rollers at a considerably higher temperature, making it less suitable for projects needing consistent thickness. Hot rolled steel is also less robust than cold rolled steel and has a coarser surface.
There are certain advantages to employing hot-rolled steel rather than cold-rolled steel. Hot rolled steel is more pliable than cold rolled steel, making it simpler to deal with during and after the rolling process. Lastly, Neeraj Raja Kochhar latest news throws light at the subject matter and tells us that because of its malleability, hot rolled steel is less expensive owing to fewer stages in the hot rolling process.
For example, the metal does not need to be cooled before being pushed through the rollers, and it may be reduced in thickness greatly with only one pass (compared to cold rolling, which requires multiple passes). Rail tracks and I-beams are examples of hot-rolled steel items that are manufactured in large numbers and do not need a good finish.
Conclusion
When selecting a kind of steel, numerous aspects must be considered, including manufacturing costs, strength requirements, and aesthetics. Understanding the distinctions between these three kinds of steel can assist you in selecting the appropriate steel for your next project.
In the last few years, people have started talking about the number of benefits that are associated with the managed workspaces i.e. Neetish Sarda’s Smartworks. In fact, several studies and surveys have been done where results amazed everyone. As per the outcomes, almost 80% of the organizations said that collaborative tools offered by these spaces are quite helpful in optimizing their business operations while more than 75% employees said that teamwork and collaboration with others helped them a lot. These are a few reasons why the HR department is now encouraging remote work or work from home/managed workspace even more.
In addition to this, there are some more good reasons why human resources are now embracing flexible workspaces live never before:
Happier employees are productive employees
It is believed that employees who are more confident at the workplace are more loyal as well as they are more productive. And you will be amazed that managed spaces like Smartworks by Neetish Sarda have mind boggling impact on this. If you do not believe us, then we have some strong stats to back up this which are from the 2018 that revealed that 84% people who use flexible workspace are more motivated and engaged. In simple terms, when a person is happier, more engaged, and satisfied, he or she will perform better which ultimately help their organization.
Better work flexibility
Most collaborative workspaces like Smartworks (Neetish Sarda’s venture) offer their facilities to the members 24/7 and 365 days. This much of flexibility will lead to decreased outcomes. So, what companies will get from it? Well! If you run a business, then you might have members working from the different corners of the world. In this case, they may not available as per your specific time zone many times. In this case, you can allow them to finish the given task during weekends or odd hours (if they are not available during working hours for any reason). This will not only strengthen the trust but your employees will also put their more than 100% in completing the task.
Extensive social networks with varied expertise
Managed workspaces are majorly visited by different and young professionals who are from different fields. Whether you believe it or not but it can actually benefit your organization in several ways. Firstly, if your employees or freelancers come across any issue that requires expertise, they can easily reach out to one without any hassle. Secondly, it is quite impressive as you can expand your professional network that can give your business more clout. So, it is like a win-win situation for a company if it allows its employees to work remotely or from a managed/ flexible workspace like Smartworks by Neetish Sarda.
Conclusion
These are a few but definitely solid reasons why some HR teams are already moving their employees outside the office premises and helping them work remotely or from collaborative work stations i.e. one that is set up by Neetish Sarda. If you are still in a dilemma, then keep all your worries and doubts aside and help your employees work freely and you will surely going to see some surprising benefits.
Renowned industrialist Ghanshyam Sarda is the founder of Sarda Group of Industries, headquartered in Kolkata and a pioneer of India’s jute industry. He is a visionary leader and businessman with ambitious plans for the Jute industry in India. When conglomerates were moving away from the jute industry due to widespread labour issues, Ghanshyam Sarda foresaw a bright future for this eco-friendly and biodegradable material. His revival of the nine jute mills resurrected the dying industry and provided much-needed employment to Bengal’s workforce during the crisis, and also made people start believing once again in the tremendous potential of Jute!
Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable. Also known as the ‘Golden Fibre’, Jute is the most versatile natural fibre used across textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. Mr. Ghanshyam Sarda notes that the jute industry provides employment opportunities to millions in India, especially in the eastern states like West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and contributes substantially to the country’s GDP. Therefore, it is crucial to revive the jute industry to support and bolster our rural and urban economies. He also emphasised the need for training centres and skills upgrades for increased productivity and improved jute products.
He envisions a strong revival of the jute industry to its glorious formal days. Mr. Ghanshyam Sarda says, “For far too long, the jute industry has been dependent on obsolete technology and has lacked innovation. The need of the hour is to upgrade and adopt new technology, new manufacturing standards and evolve with time”. He further added, “Jute needs to diversify its offering into non-packaging segments because it has tremendous potential and uses apart from packaging.”
Ghanshyam Sarda also suggests handlooms, handicrafts and products made from Jute to be mainstreamed and adopted on a mass scale in our society. He further shares that Jute made products are eco-friendly and can be used to manufacture shopping bags, furnishings, clothing, etc., on a small scale in the rural and sub-urban areas. He opines that with the Government’s help or the help of various self-help groups and NGOs, these jute-based lifestyle products can be produced on a large scale and then sold online across e-commerce companies in India and even exported to neighbouring countries. It will help the ailing industry and support the rural economy and empower women, feels Mr. Sarda.
Mr. Sarda welcomed the various steps taken by the Government of India over the years, like the decision to mandatorily pack 100% food grains and 20% sugar in jute bags. Speaking about the Government of India’s decision to replace single-use plastic with Jute, Ghanshyam Sarda says, “I wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s decision. It is commendable that the Central Government has appreciated the role of the jute industry in the socio-economic development of the country, especially in the light of environmental concerns over the widespread use of plastic. Jute is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative, and we hope people switch from plastic to Jute based products now. Small steps like these will go a long way to revitalise the jute industry.”
Mr. Ghanshyam Sarda firmly believes that all stakeholders, including governments, industry bodies, media, and the jute mill associations, have to work in tandem to revive the industry and create public awareness about the use of jute products. As a veteran with over forty years of entrepreneurship legacy, he believes that the modernisation of jute mills and introducing technology for efficiency will revive the jute industry. While the Government can bring forward a policy to aid jute production, we all need to promote products made from Jute to make it more mainstream. In contrast, industry bodies and workers need to adapt to new technology and diversify product offerings.
In today’s era, where everyone wants to be successful and rule the globe, it’s vital to have a mindset that can set you apart from others. Hence, Jignesh Barasara is the key business entrepreneur and the roadmap to successful entrepreneurship has emphasized how to change your mindset to become a successful entrepreneur. Jignesh Barasara is a renowned business entrepreneur and the CEO of Alpha MD.
As per Jignesh Barasara, changing the mindset can help you in huge ways to be a successful business entrepreneur. Changing your mindset automatically tunes you to completely detoxify your body, mind and soul. This further opens up new horizons and widens your thought process. This will help you concentrate and analyse things in a better way. There are three major mindset shifts which when you undergo will change the course of your entrepreneurship. They are listed as follows:-
It’s a marathon, not a sprint:-
Make your mind understand that earning five figures or six figures a month is not the end story. It’s way beyond that. It’s about doing something useful which is sustainable as well as financially prosperous. Train your mindset to understand that building a single room can be done in a month, but building that huge skyscraper can take years or even more. Building something that lasts forever takes time and patience. The mindset should be to enjoy the process and the results would follow automatically. Appreciate the process just as much as would appreciate the results. Results without enjoying the process would be so incomplete on the entrepreneurship journey. Entrepreneurship is a journey where there are low and high experiences at every stage in between. So do more about embracing this process and stop looking for the end destination.
Be Comfortable:-
As said before entrepreneurship is a journey, and when you are a part of it, you will not be pleasantly pulled out of your comfort zone but will be brutally thrown out of your comfort boundary. So, earn to be comfortable in the discomfort of the highs and lows. Learn to adapt to this as soon as possible because this will happen to you daily as an entrepreneur. So, instead of running away from this kind of discomfort, learn to embrace it and grow around it. Once you normalize it, you will be able to move much more quickly through all of it.
It’s only you:-
Your experiences, your stories, your learnings can be brought in only by you and no one else. That’s what your positioning is. It’s all about you and your energy and the way you drive things and turn them around. No one else can do it. It’s only and only your attribute and you excel at it. Following your uniqueness and your relevant attributes will help you reach new heights and become a successful entrepreneur.
Various successful business entrepreneurs such as Jignesh Barasara have reflected upon the same and have attained great success.
He remains very optimistic about the future of our country
Ghanshyam Sarda
Ghanshyam Sarda is India’s renowned businessman and the Chairman of Sarda Group of Industries, headquartered in Kolkata — which operates in jute industries, real estate, IT/ITES and other diverse sectors that employ more than 80,000 people in West Bengal and across India. He is a veteran with more than forty years of impeccable entrepreneurship legacy. Mr. Ghanshyam Sarda’s rich and extensive experience has given him a unique perspective on India. He is committed to contributing to the cause of the development of society and putting India on a global map of prosperity. He remains very optimistic about the future of our country.
Ghanshyam Sarda believes that India needs to address three central “pillars of change” to emerge as a global power in the near future. These are skill development and employment for the future workforce, rural India’s socio-economic inclusion, and a healthy and sustainable future. To tackle the challenge of adequate skill development in the country, he believes that interventions need to come up at national, state and local levels, including public-private partnerships that can be a game-changer to prepare our youth for the future of workforce disruption and innovation. On the other hand, India’s rural population has lagged for far too long when it comes to employment and employability. In view of this, Ghanshyam Sarda proposes comprehensive infrastructure reforms in rural India on a high priority basis, both physical and digital, and the supporting infrastructure to uplift the agrarian-based rural economy through incentives to bridge the rural-urban disparity in terms of development.
Given that industrial pollution is one of the biggest challenges plaguing India today, Mr. Sarda opines there needs to be a policy change at the highest levels, adopting the sustainable and eco-friendly development model to minimise or neutralise the impact of development on the environment. “Once we put the policy and framework in place to tackle the challenges that bog India down, we would be much better positioned to delve into the future. We need to think of it as a foundation on which we can build futuristic India,” says Mr. Ghanshyam Sarda.
Based on research, it is estimated that if India continues on its present growth trajectory, it could have a US $5.6 trillion economy in the next two decades. The future of India will depend on the policy, strategy and decisions taken and implemented today. Hence, while sharing his two cents on building a ‘Futuristic and Future-Ready India’, Ghyanshyam Sarda suggests, “To build India 2.0 and usher in a new era, we need to adopt a few strategies. First, we need to use traditional techniques to solve current challenges, adopt new and innovative emerging technologies that have already proven to work for other developed nations, and finally innovate with policymaking, business models and so on to leapfrog the country’s developmental agenda.”
Ghanshyam Sarda hails India’s space programme, digital push, development and research in science and tech and profoundly admires home-grown start-ups that are driving India’s growth. The future of the nation, he envisages, will be an India that is self-reliant, powerful and progressing at a rapid pace. He believes India will embrace a ‘founder-first’ mentality, wherein start-ups will thrive and India will become the new frontier of manufacturing, technology and job creation in the coming decade. Lastly, Mr Sarda believes that for inclusive and sustainable growth and to build India 2.0 – the India of the future, businesses, policy and civil society leaders and all other stakeholders have to all come forward and work in harmony for the betterment of the country.
“Our high-quality products are well known amongst companies operating in steel, defence, construction & structural buildings, power, petrochemical, and marine industries.”
Equipped with integrated manufacturing facilities and trust of delivering premium quality for two decades, Viraj Profiles Ltd. has emerged to be one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of stainless steel long products globally. With a turnover of USD 1.5 billion, the company exports its stainless steel products including wire rods, wires, welding wires, and flanges to more than 1300 customers based across 90 countries spread over 6 continents. Wire & Cable India magazine interviewed Mr. Neeraj Kochhar, Chairman & Managing Director – Viraj Profiles Ltd., wherein he talks about the business journey, specialised products, prestigious projects, and technological advancements of the company.
Wire & Cable India: Could you please take us through the business journey of your company?
Neeraj Kochhar: Viraj Profiles was founded near Mumbai in 1991. Initially, the company started manufacturing utensil-grade steel for the domestic market but it always kept its eye on the international market which was growing significantly. To make an international presence a possibility, in 1995, Viraj started increasing its production capacity, diversifying into new grades and product ranges, and enhancing its production processes. Since then, Viraj Profiles has transformed itself into the world’s second-largest stainless steel long products manufacturer with a capacity of 528,000 tonnes per annum, over 9,000 employees and an annual turnover of close to USD 1.5 billion.
Today, the company marks its strong presence amongst global competitors, with its products being exported to more than 1300 customers in over 93 countries. The company recently completed more than two decades of its exports and this was possible with the diligent effort of esteemed clientele, partners and employees who left no stone unturned in establishing Viraj as the global leader in SS long products. Our high-quality products are well known amongst companies operating in steel, defence, construction & structural buildings, power, petrochemical and marine industries.
The company has the unique ability to do complete backward and forward integration across the product lines starting from sourcing scrap, making billets and using these to manufacture other products like wires, fasteners, bright bars, profiles and flanges etc.
Viraj Profiles manufactures a wide range of products using austenitic, ferritic, martensitic and duplex stainless steel grades. Products include wire rods, wires, fasteners, flanges & fittings, bright bars and sections & profiles. In the wire and wire rod section, we manufacture different types of wires like welding wire, cold heading wire, fine wire, electropolish wire, spring wire, rope wire, redraw wire, tie wire, nail wire, conveyor belt wire in size ranging from 0.07 to 13.5 mm. We also manufacture wire rods in the size ranging from 5.5 to 39.5 mm. we also produce flanges in size ranging from 0.5” to 40”. In addition to this, we also manufacture cold-drawn bars, peeled and polished bars, rolled bars, forged bars in various shapes such as round, hexagon, and square and in various sizes ranging from diameter 3 mm to 600 mm.
WCI: Tell us about some of your specialized products along with their USPs.
NK: Our products have many applications in industries including petrochemicals, oil & gas, shipbuilding, structural designs, high-tensile cables and springs, boilers, pressure vessels, liquid storage terminals, liquid cargo ships, and automobiles, to name a few. Viraj Profiles is today one of the world’s largest manufacturers of flanges.
The company also has its range of stainless steel welding wire, which finds application in fabrication work, the chemical industry, food processing equipment, pressure vessels, the automotive sector and various other industries. The wires – manufactured in various grades and compliant with global standards – are produced as per customer requirements for specific applications. The MIG wires come with various packaging options in plastic or metal spool options. The TIG wires, which are used in gas tungsten arc welding and whose surface is cleaned for hassle-free welding, have a marking or embossing done on each rod. The TIG wires are packed in plastic and paper tubes, allowing for convenient and safe transportation. The company also produces SAW wires – used in submerged-arc welding.
Currently, we are producing over 30 grades of stainless steel to global standards, and are supplying to more than 93 countries worldwide. We have an established and approved quality system ISO 9001:2008 in place and we have over 90 certificates of approvals for supplying stainless steel flanges to our global customers.
While the company is resolutely international in its outlook – with exports accounting for around 90 percent of its production – the manifold rise in domestic SS consumption in recent years raises new opportunities in the domestic space. Such growth has come off the back of a spurt in infrastructure projects, new and upgraded airports, metro railways and bus shelters, as well as stainless steel wall cladding, household applications like stainless steel modular kitchens, furniture, outdoor application, and transportation, among others. What is heartening is that government institutions have realized the long-term benefits of using stainless steel and its potential growth in India is huge.
In terms of stainless steel production, India’s healthy ramp-up of output in recent years has earned it a global ranking along with other major global producers of stainless steel. This growth, however, has its limitations, and in order to fully expand its capacity, India should take care of issues like resistance to the use of stainless steel due to high initial cost, endemic power shortages, and high price volatility of nickel, alongside clamping down on the unrecognized sector producing cheap quality products, and also the issue of a shortage of scrap in the country.
WCI: What are your targets for the next two years with regard to market reach, R&D, and technological advancements?
NK: We have installed a material tracking system, one-of-its-kind in India, which gives accurate data about the movement of raw material and finished goods on a real-time basis. On the packaging front, Viraj has added new options such as Spool SH460 and SH390 for spring wire and also developed a larger coil weight for spring wire. As a value addition to our packaging solutions, we have developed plastic strapping instead of metal strapping up to 1MT coils for easy handling and also to avoid damages.
In the past few years, the company has also acquired a new ring-rolling machine, a 2,000-tonne forging press and a 10-ton pneumatic hammer to enhance its production capacity, alongside having installed 15 new CNC machines and a big diameter machine for flanges. The company is already in the process of installing a few more drawing machines and high-efficiency grinding machines too. With such equipment in place, the company aims to meet the increasing demand for quality stainless steel flanges.
With much investment in its operations over the years, Viraj Profiles today boasts six manufacturing plants – each facility producing stainless steel (SS) wire rods, SS bright bars, SS fasteners, SS profiles, SS wires, SS welding wires and SS flanges. Our six plants boast a combined production capacity of 528,000 TPA, while the company also benefits from a 180,000 TPA section rolling mill.
WCI: Share your outlook on the Indian steel sector.
NK: The building and construction sector is expected to witness the fastest growth in the future. Elsewhere, with the developed world focused on light-weighting automobiles to reduce global warming and emissions, the demand for stainless steel is expected to accelerate over the next couple of years, with its excellent formability behaviour combined with high strength leading many to tout SS as a suitable lightweight material for auto components.
We have already been exporting our fasteners and bright bars to some leading global automobile companies and are currently discussing the development of new products for other companies. Our range of welding wire products – new to our stable – has been received well so far in the Indian market and we are very hopeful to carve a niche for ourselves with such solutions in the international domain too.
The household sector is also expected to witness a good demand while expanding and emerging applications in renewable energy, construction, healthcare and cryogenic industries will likewise provide good opportunities, and we are fully geared to respond to those market trends.
As for the future, with a tremendous range of around 50,000 SKUs across various product categories, Viraj Profiles will not be looking for horizontal growth, but will rather be focusing on vertical growth. This is being done keeping in mind the requirement of our customers and the strategy is being developed in constant consultation with them. Viraj Profiles has nonetheless not ruled out new product development. With myriad markets and an ever-expanding range of applications, stainless steel is well known for being incredibly versatile – over a quarter of a century down the line, few could argue that Viraj Profiles Ltd. shares that valuable characteristic.
