Archive: May 2019

4 Great Benefits of Using Recycled Steel

Recycled Steel

Combined metals of Chicago deals with all sorts of metal including brass, copper, stainless steel, thin aluminum strips, and so much more. These metals are important for aerospace engineering and other manufactured metal parts across various industries. Today we wanted to discuss the benefits of going with recycled steel. In fact, nearly 70% of the steel in the U.S. is recycled steel, which is a pretty big testimony to how great recycled steel actually is.

Sometimes there is a misconception that recycled goods are not as high quality, or don’t have as much durability as their “newer” counterparts. In the case of steel, that just isn’t true. Here are a few advantages of recycled steel:

Using Recycled Steel is Environmentally Responsible: Keeping the planet a little greener and healthier is important. Using recycled steel on your next project is a great way to help reduce your carbon footprint and go green. Just how eco-friendly is recycled steel? Using one ton of recycled steel will save a half a ton of coal and one and a half tons of iron. Additionally, it saves thousands of gallons of water! This is absolutely one of the best ways to better maintain the world we live in.

Quality Retention After Recycling: Combined metals of Chicago are rigorously tested to ensure only the top quality goods are utilized throughout industries. This is especially true with steel. Steel, even when recycled, doesn’t lose any of its strength because it retains its natural qualities. It doesn’t matter if the steel is being used for construction or for ornamentation, its durability and appearance is always preserved.

Super Easy to Recycle: Steel is very easy to recycle and doesn’t need to be sorted by size or color. Additionally, steel can be recycled many times over, meaning that it’s easy to re-recycle your own recycled steel when the need arises.

Massive Waste Reduction: Waste reduction is a big deal. Rather than let scrap metal take up space in a junkyard, have it recycled. This will put all that metal to good use. No need to unnecessarily clutter landfills with scrap metal when it is so easy to recycle.

If you want to learn more about combined metals of Chicago, give Thin Metal Sales a call today!

Why Manufacturers Should Make the Switch to Recycled Metal

There are some great benefits to utilizing recycled metal, and right now 40% of steel production in the world is doing just that. However, that number could become greater if more manufacturers decided to make the switch from new to recycled materials. This would have a great impact on things like resources, energy use, and even production costs. Stainless steel, as well as copper and brass, can all be reused while maintaining a viable level of durability.

Quality and Affordability

Reclaimed metals such as brass and copper maintain a large percentage of their original durability and value when they are redistributed. This means that you are still receiving quality materials, but usually at a more affordable price. The price difference isn’t always drastic, but it does make a difference when you are buying large amounts of thin sheet metal or thin aluminum strips. You don’t have to sacrifice the durability or life of your materials to cut back a little on costs.

Energy Efficiency

Mining new metals for manufacturing purposes uses up a considerable amount of energy. The more efficient choice is to use recycled metals because this can use upwards of 60% less energy. This also helps to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions and gives already mined materials a second life. Up to 90% of energy can be saved by recycling copper alone.

Resource Conservation

Metals are a finite resource. However, materials such as copper and brass have infinite recyclable lives. This means that resources that are likely to eventually run out can be turned into infinite resources through the use of recycling. With the metal fabrication industry only continuing to grow, this an important factor to consider. If materials are continuously used more and more but aren’t replaced, the world will eventually run short of its resources. This will cause costs to rise and raise competition between manufacturing facilities.

With the ability to infinitely recycle already mined metals, it is possible for companies all over the world to utilize these benefits. Consumers can also bring forth these changes by switching from plastic to metal and recycling items such as aluminum cans. This allows for these materials to be reused in manufacturing processes and will eventually create a sustainable cycle.

How to Choose a Stainless Steel Sheet Provider Near You

Are you looking for a new supplier for your durable, stainless steel sheets? The stainless steel market is flourishing and it is important to find the right supplier to meet your unique business needs.

Per the Grand View Research stainless steel trend report, the global stainless steel market is growing. In 2018, it was valued at close to 94 billion and it is expected to grow at 5% annually through 2025. This rising demand will be driven by several key industries including petroleum, automotive, building and construction. Stainless steel is also used in the manufacturing of a variety of products for both commercial and government applications.

Stainless steel is known for its preferable corrosion and stain resistance. In addition, compared to other building materials, it has low maintenance costs. Many manufacturers of large, durable elements with few detailed features use the ams 5510 and other stainless steel sheets.

Did you know that stainless steel is recyclable? More than 60% of stainless steel, more than 80 million tons, is recycled in North America yearly. This is fantastic for the environment.

Your objective should be to find a supplier that is an expert in every variation and grade of stainless steel and combined metals. A reliable supplier will offer brass and copper, the ams 5510, the 300 series and 17-7 precipitation hardened steel.

The Grand View Research stainless steel, 2018 trend report mentioned the popularity of the 300 series. This series is composed of between 18 percent and 30 percent of chromium and between 6 percent and 20 percent of nickel. The product’s popularity is driven by its high corrosion and high temperature resistance, as compared to the 200 grade stainless steel.

Some of the more popular stainless steel and thin metal strips options are:

• The ams 5510 annealed
• The ams 5517 quarter hard
• The ams 5518 half hard
• The ams 5519 full hard
• The astm a666

A reputable thin steel sheet supplier will be happy to assist you with any job, large or small. They will offer stainless steel sheet quantities from a few pounds to many thousand pounds.

An industry leading combined metals supplier will stay up to date with the newest metal trends and be able to advise its customers accordingly. You must also check to see if a stainless supplier is ROHS compliant and ISO 9001 certified.

Thin Sheet Metal: What Is it and What Is it Used For?

Thin sheet metal is one of the most commonly used materials throughout construction. In fact, it’s used across so many different industries it’s likely the most widely-produced construction material in the world. And there’s a reason for that. Let’s take a look at a few different industries that use thin sheet metal and why it’s so popular.

What Industries Use Sheet Metal Most Often?

As we said before, there are many different industries that make use of sheet metal, Whether it’s stainless steel, thin aluminum strips, or copper brass, here are a few industries that make frequent use of this material.

• Automotive – The automotive industry uses sheet metal to make the bodies of cars. The bodies of trailers, RVs, and other vehicles also make use of this material during fabrication.
• Aerospace – Planes wouldn’t get very far without sheet metal. In fact, most of a plane is covered in protective sheet metal. This is particularly important for parts like the wings and fuselages.
• Construction – Sheet metal is incredibly important in the construction industry. From ducts to roof flashing and gutters, this is an essential building material for homes and commercial buildings alike.
• Equestrian – Though this particular use of sheet metal is strictly decorative, it’s still interesting! The equestrian industry typically uses sheet metal to create decorative breastplates and other tack items for horses.

Why Use Sheet Metal?

Sheet metal comes with a whole host of benefits. The first of which is how easy it is to transport this material. Sheet metal is lightweight and can be conveniently stacked. That means shipping is no problem, even in large quantities.

Sheet metal is also very weather resistant as a result of the chemical solution it’s treated with post-fabrication. This chemical solution helps prevent corrosion and even helps with UV resistance. This also means sheet metal is extremely durable. In fact, many homeowners choose metal roofing as a direct result of its durability.

The most commonly purchased metals include aluminum sheets and stainless steel. In sheet form, these metals have a whole host of good uses.