International Steels Limited (ISL) was incorporated in 2007 by the International Industries Limited (IIL) with the vision to be the number 1 producer of steel products in Pakistan with the current capacity of 250,000 tons of cold rolled coils out of which 150,000 tons is Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel. The project has started commercial operations in January 2011.
ISL is a $130 million investment, with equity contributions from Sumitomo Corporation and the International Finance Corporation, will unlock the dormant potential for developing the country’s engineering and hi-tech manufacturing industries. This bold investment will create thousands of jobs, both as direct employment by ISL and related job opportunities in associated support industries. As a leading indicator of economic growth, the production of high quality cold rolled and galvanized steel will lead the economic development in Pakistan where the per capita steel consumption has to grow from a current low of 40kg per person to the world average of 200kg thereby boosting the enormous potential for economic development in the country. The Products:
100,000 tons of cold-rolled products will be offered to the industrial, engineering and manufacturing industry as a premium raw material for transformation into any number of value-added products for the domestic and export markets. The balance 150,000 tons will be hot-dip galvanized for similar industries for applications that require excellent corrosion resistance and for exposed outdoor applications. Both products will be offered as coils or sheets as per the customer's needs.The facilities are capable of producing 1220 mm wide sheet in a range of thicknesses suitable for a variety of construction, appliances, automotive, agriculture, packaging, and several additional engineering and manufacturing industries. Cold roll steel will be available in thicknesses ranging from 0.27 mm to 1.6 mm while galvanized sheet will be available in thicknesses of 0.27 mm to 1.2 mm. Each product category will provide a range of strength levels from drawing to structural and surface finishes from bright to matt to satisfy a spectrum of customer specification. With planned expansion, the production annual capacity can be increased to 0.5 million tons. Downstream integration will provide additional products which will serve to catalyze the country’s industrial production for export and domestic consumption. The initial production capacity will substitute at least 30% of Pakistan’s steel imports thus conserving valuable foreign exchange for the country. The Process:
ISL is the first large scale steel manufacturing unit with a capacity of 250,000 tons per annum out of which upto 150,000 tons will be converted into Hot Dipped Galvanized [HDGC] Coils or sheets to be marketed to industries for applications that require excellent corrosion resistance and for exposed outdoor applications. The remaining cold rolled and metal coated steel sheets conforming to international standards (ASTM, JIS, etc.) Pickling the hot band is the first step to remove the oxide layer from the surface prior to cold reduction in a reversing mill where the thickness will be reduced to the desired range of 0.27-1.6 mm. The HDGC (hot dip coated galvanized sheet) is produced on a highly automated continuous hot dip coating line where the cold rolled steel sheet is cleaned and annealed in a continuous NOX furnace before being immersed in a molten zinc bath under an inert atmosphere. The molten zinc forms a metallurgical bond with the steel and protects the substrate by sacrificial protection mechanism; the zinc sacrifices itself to protect the steel against corrosion.
