KOLKATA: SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant’s Plate Mill has managed to roll maraging steel 'MDN 250' on Thursday November 15, 2018. This special variety of steel is used in outer motor casing of satellite launch vehicles. Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), which achieved this feat for the second time in succession this year, rolled around 10 slabs weighing 42 tonnes supplied by Misra Dhatu Nigam Ltd ( MIDHANI ), Hyderabad. These slabs were reheated and rolled into plates of 9.3 mm thickness.The successful rolling of maraging steel was achieved through meticulous planning in association with MIDHANI & Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), according to SAIL officials.SAIL-BSP has bagged a fresh order of around 420 tonne for conversion of MDN 250 slabs into plates at Bhilai’s Plate Mill and it is planned to take up such rolling on regular basis. This is expected to fulfill India’s space programme to launch one satellite every month.The forged slabs are made of special steel of very high strength and high temperature resistance consisting of high percentage of expensive alloying elements were rolled at BSP's Plate Mill in presence of senior officials from MIDHANI. The 9.3 mm gauge plates will be heat treated at MIDHANI later for use in outer motor casing of PSLV and GSLV satellite launch vehicles.Overall, this is fourth time that BSP has rolled slabs supplied by MIDHANI into plates of required specifications for use in satellite launch vehicles. The first lot of slabs from MIDHANI were rolled at Bhilai’s Plate Mill was in 2009.