Category Archive: Steel

What Are Tin Metal Strips Used for?

According to Global News Wire, sheet metal accounts for about $30 billion in United States revenue. This is probably because it has so many uses. For instance, this material is a great insulator and is also highly pliable. This makes it perfect for applications in transport, architecture, and a variety of other industries. Here are five uses of tin metal strips.

Transportation Industry Uses

Sheet metal has a lot of uses in the transportation industry. Primarily, these metal strips are used to manufacture the bodies of vehicles. They are also used to make railroad cars and airplanes. Did you know that some airplane wings are made using tin metal strips? This material is very light, and as mentioned before, it’s quite pliable. This enables it to fit into many applications in the transportation industry.

Architecture

Tin metal strips are also used in roofing. In fact, they are fantastic roofing materials. They are also very practical as a roofing option. Rain and flashing gutters are also made using sheet metal. Additionally, you will find that conductor pipes that direct water from buildings use the same material. These metal strips add a rich aesthetic appeal to designs. They are also highly efficient and functional. As mentioned before, tin is an excellent insulator.

Jewelry

Silver, platinum, and gold jewelry usually contain metal strips. In some instances, these strips are made using a combination of metals. These are commonly known as alloys. Tin alloys often go by different names. This includes Pewter, Britannia, and Levalloy. These three contain between 60% and 92% tin. You’ll also find smaller amounts of antimony, copper, and cadmium. The aim is to generally increase the hardness of metals and their strength as well. This is why combined metals that contain tin are perfect for jewelry; they preserve the luster of the pieces and strengthen the jewelry.

Did you know that tin metal strips can be combined to create sheets of metal that are an excellent fire retardant? Because of its insulating capabilities, sheet metal is highly fire resistant. It can also be utilized as an insulator in furnaces and ductwork for HVACs. Are you wondering whether tin metal strips would be perfect for your application? Get in touch with us today.

What Is Stainless Steel Used for?

As far as materials go, stainless steel is a versatile alloy used for a variety of functions. It has sheer strength, non-corrosiveness, cleanability, and remarkable heat resistance. That being said, there are several steel grades classification, all ranging in composition and practical use. The categories include martensitic, ferritic, duplex, precipitation-hardened, and austenitic. Excellent chemical and physical properties propel its universal nature in almost all sectors. Carry on to understand what stainless steel is used explicitly for in each industry:

Households Appliances

Generally speaking, an ordinary person interacts with stainless steel products regularly. For example, stainless steel is employed in making cutlery, cookware, and sinks for the kitchen. Kitchenware made from stainless steel is eye-catching and non-collusive, pushing its wide use in kitchenware manufacturing. Further, its high resistance nature does not damage the food with high acidity.

Transportation and Infrastructure

In transport, stainless steel is commonly used in manufacturing car bodies, ships, and trains due to its strength and durability. Railroad tracks, bridges, and ports are some more of the infrastructure made of stainless steel. Globally, car manufacturing industries have incorporated the use of stainless steel. According to Statista, in 2020, there was a sound production volume of over 1.86 billion metric tons of crude steel worldwide compared to 2019. As the demand goes high, there is an increase in steel purchases.

Building and Construction

Different steel grades can be customized and welded to meet the desired specifications for any project. In a standard building, steel is mainly used for attractive roofs, HVAC systems, and finishes for rails, stairs, and shelves. Of course, builders look forward to constructing quality homes for their clients. They use stainless steel due to its flexibility and strength — all things great for a durable build coveted by contractors.

Healthcare

Most healthcare equipment is made of stainless steel, thanks to effortless sterility and resistance. The list is endless, ranging from hemostats, dental crowns, IV stands, wheelchairs, operation stands, hospital beds, and surgical implants.

Storage Tanks

Corrosive chemicals and gases are a threat if not properly stored. Stainless steel tanks are used to hold corrosive substances, thus reducing the risks. When they keep food or water, they add no flavor or taste.

Aerospace

Stainless steel is light compared to other manufacturing materials. Hence, the alloy is used to make aero-related parts and screws. Maintaining an airplane with a steel body is easy since the steel components can withstand extreme temperatures.

You cannot make a life without using one or two items made from steel. Reach out to us for detailed information about stainless steel and its services.

Why the Sheet Metal Market Continues to Grow

According to recent research by Yahoo Finance, the sheet metal market is growing at a continuous average growth rate of 4.09%. The growing trends are mainly toward increased demand and more profits through various niche markets. More research conducted by a number of industry experts continues to highlight a range of meaningful insights into the current situation within the sheet market industry. Here are some things you may need to know.

Increased Demand in Various Industries

One of the reasons why the sheet metal industry keeps growing is increased demand. There are several industries that depend on thin sheet metal. Some of the high-demand industries include medical, industrial, aeronautics and construction. These are the main industries that are fueling the need for reliable thin sheet metal and related products. The more these industries require sheet metal products, the more the producers are pressed to keep delivering. This leads to increased revenue and profits for the involved players.

Another factor leading to the increase in demand for thin sheet metal is the rapid increase in automobile production worldwide. Thin sheet metal plays a huge role in the manufacturing of vehicles. The same trend can be observed in the aerospace and defense industries, as well. These industries, together with the consumer electronics industry, are placing a huge demand on sheet metal manufacturers. This product is used in a vast variety of different consumer electronics applications — for instance, you’ll find thin sheet metal used for washing machines, microwaves, stoves, and pipelines, just to name a few. The increase in the manufacturing of these products has positively impacted the sheet metal market.

Urbanization and Its Role

Another reason why the sheet metal market keeps growing is the rapidly increasing urban population. This, coupled with an ever-increasing manufacturing sector, is leading to some serious market growth. With more people in urban areas, there is more construction, and that requires a lot of thin sheet metal. As highlighted by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the sheet metal industry is expected to add over 12,000 jobs to the sector in the next couple of years, which will help meet the demand and increase market growth even further.

These are just a couple of the reasons why there’s continuous growth in the sheet metal industry and market. Are you interested in knowing more about the sheet metal industry, or maybe you need help finding thin sheet metal products? Get in touch with our team today, and we will help you find what you are looking for.

How Does 17-7 Stainless Steel Differ From Its Counterparts?

According to the USGS, iron and steel constitute about 95% of all the tons of metal produced yearly in the U.S worldwide. This indicates a high demand for iron and steel in various industries. For instance, 17-7 stainless steel has various applications in the aerospace and general metal working industry. It’s also used for food processing, chemical processing, and oil and petroleum refining equipment. In this article, we explore 17-7 stainless and it’s differences from its counterparts.

What Is 17-7 Stainless Steel?

17-7 stainless steel is often compared to 304 stainless steel, but what’s the difference between the two? This type of steel has a mixed chemical composition that includes chromium, nickel, aluminum, manganese, silicon, carbon, phosphorous, sulfur, and iron. Heat treatments are often applied to harden this type of stainless steel, and the process typically involves conditioning with austenite, cooling, and then precipitation hardening. 17-7 stainless steel is regarded as having a high amount of strength and corrosion resistance. These properties make it suitable for manufacturing a wide range of products, such as springs, diaphragms, and washers. It’s the material of choice whenever highly specific and precise parts are required.

Why Choose 7-17 Stainless Steel?

It’s not hard to see why this type of stainless steel has a wide range of elaborate applications in various industries. For instance, 17-7 stainless steel is ideal for aerospace applications because of its high corrosion resistance, strength, and ability to be formed into meticulous parts. This type of stainless steel also meets aerospace requirements because of its ability to maintain its form even when exposed to high heat temperatures. 17-7 steel is also popularly used in food processing equipment, chemical processing equipment, oil, and petroleum refining equipment because it’s resistant to rust even with heavy use, it has high fatigue properties, and doesn’t wear and tear quickly.

Finding the Right Supplier

If you wish to benefit from the great qualities inherent in 17-7 steel, it’s important to ensure that you’re using the best steel for whatever purpose you may need it for. You should look for a supplier that produces quality steel with high corrosion resistance and high strength. The right supplier will ensure that the stainless steel on offer is precipitation hardened so that it also has high hardness and doesn’t get fatigued or distorted when exposed to high temperatures. If you’re looking for such a supplier, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Thin Metal Sales today.

Why Domestic Raw Steel Production Continues to Rise

There’s no doubt that domestic raw steel production will keep rising. According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, as of April 9, 2022, the United States produced 1,739,000 net tons of steel, with a capability utilization rate of 79.7%. Why does steel production continue to rise? Here are some things you may want to consider.

Demand for Items Made Using Steel Keeps Increasing

Steel is used in many different applications. As the demand for things made of steel like cars and machinery keeps rising, the domestic steel industry has to rise to the occasion. There is increasing demand for things like vehicles, appliances, and construction products. All these are made using steel, and unless people find alternative materials to use, the demand will keep rising. It’s almost impossible to imagine a world without steel. In fact, making steel in large quantities and thin steel sheet structures is commonly considered as the beginning of the modern industrial era.

Steel Is the Basis of Modern Industry

Today’s world depends on the reliability of steel for almost every aspect of progress. This is why steel is one of the most important materials for developing an orderly modern lifestyle. Closer observation reveals that the need for steel intensifies as society develops. As such, it will be right to assume that modern society will continue to utilize large amounts of steel for the foreseeable future. Steel has survived the test of time because it remains one of the materials with the broadest range of applications.

The Future

As a product, steel has shown itself to be quite versatile. After centuries of being in use, it still excels in areas like strength and excellent value. One of the reasons why domestic raw steel production keeps increasing is that the industry believes that new opportunities for using steel will keep materializing. In fact, some are already in the process of development. A good example would be the use of lightweight steel netting to capture the so-called space junk. There are already prototypes of fully automated cargo ships that are being tested. Apart from such activities, there are also prototypes of modularized dwellings made from thin steel sheet-like sides that will be developed in factories and transported to sites where they will expand into dwelling sites.

The demand for steel keeps rising because the material has many applications. It only makes sense for the industry to keep producing more raw steel to meet the demand. Are you looking for a thin steel sheet supplier? Contact our team at Thin Metal Sales today, and we will point you in the right direction.

How is the Price of Stainless Steel Determined?

The main role a surcharge plays in the purchasing of stainless steel. It is used to offset how the costs of raw materials incorporated in an alloy fluctuate. It is an added charge that gets summed up with the overall price. There are some differences as to how the charges are calculated depending on mills or nickel and stainless alloys, but a common attribute they all share is the fundamental approach used in it. Let’s find out how these prices are determined.

How is the Base Price of Stainless Steel Determined?

The base price of individual alloys and the size range of the product get determined by paying attention to its alloy content, the price of creating the specific size, form, and the factor involving yield as well as the demand or supply in the market of metal sales near me.

Materials that are easy to make may only need a 15% extra weight to create the amount needed after the processing of normal losses such as trimming or grinding before it reaches its final size. Difficult alloys and combination sizes might make 50% or lower. The price used in the production of a plate differs from the prices used in the production of a bar contained in the alloy. In general, thin areas carry a high price since it takes longer processing to create a small size.

The base cost finally gets determined with the alloy content targeted and the referred cost for each alloy element. The surcharge gets calculated by using the difference in the calculation between elemental prices and referred prices. The real surcharge for a specific alloy size combined gets adjusted depending on what elemental percentage is in an alloy and also the expected yield after production.

The high demand for specific alloys often leads to base prices that are low because of the scale of an economy which then leads to an increase in competition. Apart from the effects arising from supply and demand in metal sales near me, there are types of alloys that are more challenging to create than others.

How Do Metal Sheet Workers Assemble Stainless Steel?

An important part of the process other than creating the surcharge and base price is how metal sheet workers assemble this metal. Metal sheet workers specialize in the fabrication of sheet metal and use specific types of equipment in the formation and welding of sheet metals as well as in creating useful items to be used for commercial purposes and industrial usage.

According to statistics, there were about 138,900 sheet metal workers in the United States in 2016. They assemble the pieces needed for parts of a product and join them together by using welds, bolts, screws, etc. You can research metal sheet mills by searching online “metal sales near me.” They are an important element in the succession of a mill.

For more information or to purchase your own stainless steel, reach out to us today to see what we can do for you.

Is Stainless Steel Recyclable?

Stainless steel is one of the most widely used construction and manufacturing materials across various industries. Its distinctive stainless properties and exceptional endurance make it ideal in construction and medical equipment manufacturing. But what occurs when stainless steel approaches the end of its useful life? Can stainless steel be recycled? Yes, it is actually the world’s most recycled material.

Over 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year in North America, representing 69% of all steel. One ton of recycled steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone, according to the Steel Recycling Institute. These figures stand in striking contrast to the ecologically damaging procedures required to produce materials such as fiberglass or polyvinyl chloride conduit, which are sometimes chosen as less expensive alternatives to stainless steel in electrical conduit systems. Let’s look into how stainless steel is recycled and why it’s so important.

How is Stainless Steel Recycled?

Stainless steel meant for recycling can be categorized into reclaimed scrap and industrial scrap. Reclaimed scrap is obtained from finished items, such as chemical tanks, structural pieces, equipment, or demolition debris. Industrial scrap consists of the byproducts of manufacturing, fabrication, and construction of stainless steel. This includes reports of sheets, trimmed rods, and other scraps.

While you can recycle any quantity of stainless steel, collecting them until you have enough for a recycling service is much more cost-effective. Professionals will then take the scrap to their facility for shredding, sorting the smaller pieces by composition to form new alloys used for other purposes.

Advantages of Recycling Stainless Steel

Environmental factors or concerns play a significant role in the modern economy. Businesses and industries can reduce their carbon footprint and actively participate in environmental conservation by recycling. Using recyclable materials is not only environmentally friendly but also cost-effective. In a perfect world where all stainless steel was produced from 100% recycled stainless steel, the global energy consumption for the production of stainless steel would decrease by an additional 51%.

Since the process of recycling stainless steel does not degrade the material, the recycled content in the final product is often determined by the availability of scrap. Using more recycled stainless steel means less pollution, lower energy demands, and lower costs for stainless steel producers and consumers.

Recycled stainless steel offers great social and environmental benefits. Increased adoption of stainless steel products will promote a healthier and cleaner environment. Reach out to us today to learn more about recycling stainless steel.

Brass vs Bronze: What to Know

You may not immediately notice a stark difference between brass and bronze. Despite the fact that sheet metal in itself currently accounts for about $30 billion in American revenue, much of that sheet metal is made up of bronze and brass. Aesthetically, they look quite similar, and they can potentially be used for similar purposes. But of course, we should know what separates brass from bronze, and what would be best to use under certain circumstances.

With that being said, we’re delving into what brass and bronze are made of, what separates the two of them, and what makes each one the right material for certain projects.

What Are They Made Of?

Firstly, let’s look into what brass is made of. Brass is made up of copper and zinc, which is why you’ll sometimes hear it referred to as copper brass. It has that distinct coppery look, but it’s stronger and more useful than copper. Brass is an alloy (a combination of multiple metal materials), as is bronze.

Bronze is also has a base of copper, but it’s made up of copper and tin. Phosphorous and aluminum have been added in with that cooper as well. The copper base of both brass and bronze is why they look so similar, but they function very differently.

What Is The History Behind Them?

Copper brass and bronze have both been in existence for quite some time. It’s estimated that copper brass was first created around 500 B.C.E., and at that time it was largely used for decorative purposes. Bronze is actually even older, dating back to 3,500 B.C.E. This product was actually used to create sculptures, some of which still exist to this day, which attests to the strength of the metal. Right now, brass and bronze are used for everything from plumbing to ammunition.

What’s Better, Bronze Or Brass?

There isn’t a particular advantage to using brass or bronze. It depends on the project you’re undertaking. Bronze is harder and therefore has often been used on ships and fittings. However, it’s more brittle. Brass is more malleable, on the other hand, and more easily manipulated, which is why it serves as decorative projects better. You can look at bronze being better in terms of durability, and brass being better in terms of its creative qualities.

Know the difference between bronze and brass to make sure you know what you’re using. If you want to learn more about these metals or others, contact us today!

Understanding Combined Metals & Alloys

Currently, the sheet metal market is already expanding and it will only expand more in future years. It’s been estimated that the market’s average growth rate is 4.09%. The growth was projected to occur between 2018 and 2022. This growth is reliant in part on the usage of combined metals and alloys. Combined metals and alloys differ from the metals that we are able to find naturally in the ground. True metals are actually pure elements, while alloys are blends of metals.

What can we get from combined metals and alloys? How can they benefit us? Let’s look into some of the things you should know about these metal products.

Why Do We Use Combine Metals And Alloys?

We create combined metals and alloys for multiple purposes. For one thing, metals can become stronger if we combine them. This allows us to, for example, combine the flexibility of one metal with the strength of another, creating a metal that better serves all of the purposes required.

Other times, metals are combined to approve the appearance of the end product. A metal may be combined with another in order to create a final product that is shinier, or perhaps a specific color. Metals may also be combined to create a product that is less prone to corrosion.

In some cases, a product that is made of combined metals performs similarly to another metal but is less expensive. This makes combined metals quite frequently more convenient to use and procure than pure metals.

What Are Some Common Combined Metal Products?

You might be surprised by how many metals you encounter in your daily life are combined metals and alloys. For example, stainless steel, one of the strongest metals in the world, is a combined metal. One of the main reasons why stainless steel is so often used is that it’s rust-proof. Therefore, it’s perfect for damp climates, and ideal to use for products like sinks, which are often in contact with water. Low levels of chromium and carbon are combined with iron to create stainless steel. Other common combined metal products include gold, which is utilized for jewelry, and solder, which is used for its binding properties.

There are so many benefits to using combined metals. You just need to know exactly what each one should be used for. Get in touch with us today to learn more about combined metal and alloys.

What Makes Aluminum So Sustainable?

Aluminum is one of the most-used metals in the world. This durable but lightweight metal is made from bauxite and has a variety of applications in transportation, construction, and packaging. The best part is that it is completely recyclable. In fact, three-quarters of all aluminum created in history is still in use today. So, why is aluminum so sustainable?

Lightweight

Because it has a lower atomic weight than other metals, aluminum has a low density. Its density is between 2.6 and 2.8 grams per cubic centimeter. Aluminum has a density of around one-third that of steel, which is why it is often known as a light metal.

Resistant to Corrosion

One of the key reasons for aluminum’s exceptional corrosion resistance is this oxide layer. When left untreated, aluminum corrosion resistance is excellent in most conditions. This is due to the fact that aluminum generates a thin but efficient oxide coating on its surface that prevents further oxidation. Aluminum oxide is impermeable and sticks strongly to the parent metal, unlike the oxide coatings on many other metals. The oxide layer of aluminum repairs itself promptly if it is mechanically damaged.

Durable

Aluminum has the potential to become one of the toughest metals on the planet. Aluminum alloys are utilized in a variety of applications that require strength and durability. High-strength aluminum is used in the construction of planes and automobiles as well as some of the world’s tallest buildings. The strength of aluminum is increased by adding components like silicon, magnesium, and lithium to the pure metal. This method can produce a metal that is as robust as, if not more so than, steel.

Affordability

Aluminum metal used to be more valuable than gold when it was first discovered. Although aluminum is now the most abundant metal on the planet, it is still a costly metal. This is due to the significant quantity of electricity consumed in the extraction process. However, when compared to other metals for production, the price of aluminum might be considered as reasonable due to its many favorable features.

The metal fabrication industry is expected to add 12,000 jobs over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means that more and more workers will be using metals like aluminum. Thankfully, aluminum is also called a green metal because of its sustainability. It is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, durable, and affordable, among other reasons. Get in touch with us today to learn more about aluminum.