Cara, Author at National Material Company - Steel Processing Facilities

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So far Cara has created 5 blog entries.

14 03, 2022

Metals Processing: Advantages of Cold Rolled Steel

Cara2022-08-05T16:30:32+00:00March 14th, 2022|News Blog|

There are many steps required in metal processing in order to achieve a high-quality product. American steel processor, National Material Company (NMC), believes there can be no exception to this rule. Steel is an alloy that is a mixture of both iron and carbon and it is durable, sustainable, and highly desired by many industries. Formal specifications and different grades of steel can affect the performance and use of the metal, but there are additional techniques within the metals’ processing that can alter the strength and finish. In this article, we will focus on one technique known as cold rolling.

Engineers and designers alike must decide on the type of metal they will need to begin work on their projects. Cold rolled steel for many reasons might be the ideal metal. “Cold rolled” refers to the process the steel undergoes before becoming the final product. The temperature is not what we may consider “cold.” Instead, the entire process occurs at room temperature and involves applying great pressure to the steel. However, this does not mean cold rolled steel never experiences its recrystallization temperature. In fact, cold rolled steel endures extreme temperatures and compression rollers just like hot rolled steel. Cold rolled steel simply undergoes more processes once it has cooled down to get exact dimensions and better surface qualities. In many cases, steel may undergo processes like rolling, turning, grinding, and polishing. Each one gives the steel a unique finish.

There are many advantages of cold rolled steel, such as increased strength. (Read about Advanced High Strength Steel, or “AHSS” here.) The compression of the steel at room temperature hardens the strain, giving the metal significant strength when compared to other types of steel. That being said, the steel is not needlessly thick to create this strength. Cold rolling allows for tighter tolerances not found within other steel manufacturing. In other words, the metal will have thinner walls without sacrificing integrity.

One of cold rolled steel’s most desirable aspects is its aesthetics. The cold rolling process enables metal processors like National Material Company to improve the surface finish. It leaves a smooth surface with few imperfections that are ideal if a project requires visual appeal. An excellent surface is great not just for its beauty, however. Cold rolled steel is used in the construction of bridges due to fewer visible surface flaws.

Additionally, cold rolled steel is ideal for projects that require more precision and need to be durable. Bars created with this technique have well-refined edges, and tubes are very straight with excellent concentric uniformity.

Cold rolled steel can be found across many industries today. It is used in parts for home appliances, roof and wall systems, metal furniture, aerospace structural members, and a wide scope of applications too numerous to list. Despite the many steps within the cold rolling process, cold rolled steel has a short manufacturing time and can be delivered promptly so customers can begin work on their projects quickly.

National Material Company […]

14 02, 2022

National Material Company as Your North American Metals Service Partner

Cara2022-08-05T16:29:24+00:00February 14th, 2022|News Blog|

The North American Metals Service: Service and Quality

Service and quality. As the guiding principles to our work, these two words inform our daily activity as a North American metals service provider. Fortunately, the secret to attaining both service and quality is the same: close attention to detail.

At National Material Company, this attention to detail means not missing any opportunity for innovation, efficiency, and performance. That’s why NMC’s comprehensive steel service processing capabilities come backed with state-of-the-art supply chain management and inventory control systems. These systems are augmented by a network of locations throughout the United States and Mexico that offer a logistical advantage for our customers.

The practical application of these concepts means implementing best-in-industry practices such as total freight cost in 1 invoice, EDI, and multiple pricing options. It also means giving our customers the peace of mind in knowing that all their steel & metal service needs can be met within our factory or network of partners, who provide everything from pickling, stamping, blanking, slitting, galvanizing, and a wide range of other processes & services.

Standing out in the North American Metals Service

Like many other North American metals service providers, we provide steel slitting, cold rolled steel, hot rolled steel, advanced high strength steels, blanking, pickling, and galvanizing, among other services. However, our just-in-time inventory and warehouse storage capabilities mean that we’re not only the best choice in quality and excellence, but also in convenience.

National Material Company affords our customers an “ease of doing business” unmatched by our competitors. The individuals that lead our operations and logistics strategies are some of the most experienced businesspeople in the world, bringing their professional histories to your table. Never changing ownership or strategic focus since the company began, NMC continues to deliver a quality product efficiently and consistently, holding ourselves to the highest possible standards in American steel processing.

National Material Company as Your North American Metals Service Partner

For all your toll processing services, you can count on the experience and quality for which NMC is renowned. Servicing the needs of the steel industry and prominent industrial and consumer product manufacturers, NMC is a company that leads the way through efficiency, innovation, and performance. When attention to detail matters, choose NMC.

About us

Visit our company profile page to learn how National Material Company continues to further increase our stake on the domestic and international steel service industry by providing only the highest quality products you need to ensure the success of your next project. You may also visit our website or call us at 847-806-7200.

14 01, 2022

A Deeper Dive into Steel & Steel Processing

Cara2022-08-05T16:28:02+00:00January 14th, 2022|News Blog|

In an ancient Greek myth, Prometheus steals fire from the gods so that humans may escape their wretched situation on Earth. A modern rendition of this myth may have Prometheus bringing us steel rather than fire.

It is steel, strong and versatile, which releases modern humans from the constraints of nature. It is a stalwart in everything from medical equipment to structural elements, to specialty parts in aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, military, and infrastructure industries. Today, our steel researchers, metallurgists, technicians, and engineers put on the garb of Prometheus as they continue to perfect different grades and specialty steel.

What are some of the aspects that go into steel processing?

Steel Grades Make Steel Processing Easier

In the modern world, there is a specialist for every job. It’s no different with steel. The “grade” of steel is a descriptor that identifies both the physical properties of the steel as well as its composition, among other descriptors. Currently, there are more than 3,500 grades of steel, each tailored towards a specific task. Of these, the grand majority were developed just in the last 25 years.

Thanks to this variety, steel processors can offer their clients the perfect “specialist” for the job.

Steel Processing: Earth-Friendly

No modern industry can claim to be for the benefit of mankind without being sustainable. For this reason, steel sustainability has made huge leaps in the last decades towards social responsibility.

Fortunately, as a material, steel is very compatible with sustainable goals. Steel is 100% recyclable. It is also very long-lasting and improves the performance of transportation vehicles, which makes for greener rides. Recently with the increased prominence of electric arc furnaces, more and more steel recycling has given new life to old steel. All this is done without reductions in quality or performance.

Creating Better Steel for Steel Processing

The creation of new grades of steel involves transformation of the chemical composition of steel alloys as well as using different physical processes to transform steel.

Steel can be categorized into four basic groups based on the chemical compositions:

Carbon steel
Alloy steel
Stainless steel
Tool steel

Check out this page to learn more about each of those categories.

Steel Processing: A Huge Enterprise

2020 saw the production of 1.88 billion metric tonnes (Mt) globally, which was actually 0.3% above the pre-pandemic 2019 production numbers. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused many industries to grind to a halt, which – in turn, decreased the demand for steel. However, in 2022 demand promises to bounce back. The Worldsteel Association predicts that “steel demand will grow by 4.5% in 2021 and reach 1,855.4 Mt after 0.1% growth in 2020. In 2022, steel demand will see a further increase of 2.2% to 1,896.4 Mt. The current forecast assumes that, with the progress of vaccinations across the world, the spread of variants of the COVID virus will be less damaging and disruptive than seen in previous waves.”

Steel Processing of Advanced High Strength Steels

A thematic characteristic of steel and steel processing is that it’s a forward-looking industry […]

7 10, 2021

Steel Supply Chain Management: National Material Company

Cara2021-10-07T18:09:59+00:00October 7th, 2021|News Blog, NMC Media|

As a leader in supply-chain management, just-in-time programs, and inventory control, National Material Company is the perfect choice for any customer in search of the best experience possible. A skilled workforce, state-of-the-art metals processing machinery, and warehouse storage capabilities make NMC the company to compete with.

National Material Company has a particularly strong focus on delivering additional value to their customers — delivering excellence at every step in the supply chain — maximizing quality, cost, and speed.

Metal Processing:

Slitting
Pickling
Blanking
Galvanizing

Learn more

Logistics Optimization:

Materials from A to B at lowest possible cost for the Customer

- Cost-efficiently linking 22 plants, steel mills, and a certified processor network
- Total freight cost in 1 invoice: mill to processor to OEM
- Custom-designed for all NMC programs

Pricing Programs:

NMC provides numerous pricing options

CRU-indexed contracts allow price to change
Directed-buy pricing – OEM negotiates price with mill, NMC buys metal at “directed” price
Firm price for a defined period
Resale option– OEM negotiates price with mill, processor “resells” back to OEM at a price that includes value-added services
Spot pricing– one-time purchase with quick turnaround
Hedging/futures— eliminates price volatility

Value Added / Value Engineering:

Providing value over & above the price of the steel

Part appraisals
Mass reduction—light weighting
Product & process training
And more…

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI):

Increases accuracy and efficiency of transactions

Automated transaction processing
Eliminates keystroke errors

Outsourced parts:

Using a network of partners, NMC can provide

Stamping
Laser
Roll form
Press break
Welding
And more…

About Parent Company National Material L.P.

Since its founding in 1964, National Material Limited Partnership has grown to over 30 business units and is now one of the largest suppliers of metals in North America. The National Material group of industrial businesses consists of the Steel Group, Stainless and Alloys Group, Raw Material Trading Group, Aluminum Group, and Related Operations.

Please visit us at www.nationalmaterial.com or call (U.S.) 847-806-7200 to […]

8 07, 2021

Sustainable Steel Industry: Build Using Steel

Cara2021-07-08T17:15:17+00:00July 8th, 2021|News Blog, NMC Media|

The steel industry, as one of the globe’s premier industries in size and history, has taken its place of leadership in transforming itself towards sustainability. Previously identified as a smokestack industry, the steel industry has introduced new technologies and practices in becoming a green industry of sustainable steel.

Elon Musk has stated that environmental concerns “supersede political parties, race, creed, religion, it doesn’t matter. If we do not solve the environment, we’re all damned.” Or as Cameron Sinclair put it, “For 90 percent of the world, sustainability is a matter of survival.” For historian Thomas Fuller, the idea is very simple, “We never know the worth of water ‘til the well is dry.”

One way to see the huge strides the steel industry has taken is by looking at structural steel used in green construction. In particular, the “wood versus steel debate” sheds light on all the different aspects that need to be accounted for when considering sustainability and carbon neutrality.

For example, care must be taken to examine all the details involved with a product’s complete lifecycle. The extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of the materials must be calculated, but also the longevity, disposability, and reusability. Furthermore, all derivative processes must be considered. If the electricity used in steel plants is solar or wind energy, the steel industry becomes more sustainable without directly changing itself, just by modifying tangential processes. The same goes for the wood industry. Not all forest management practices are created equal, and the care taken in logging and replanting trees can radically change the sustainable nature of a material like wood.

By paying attention to all these details, the structural steel industry has decreased its carbon footprint per ton by 36%, lowered energy intensity per ton by 31%, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions per ton by 45%.

One of the most promising aspects of modern American steel processing is recycling, with steel being 100% recyclable. As reported by Architect Magazine, “The American Institute of Steel Construction estimates that 98% of structural steel from demolished buildings is recovered and recycled into new steel products. As such, domestically produced structural steel, which comes from electric arc furnace (EAF) mills, boasts a recycled content of 93%.” Because of steel’s longevity, in fact, one of the major bottlenecks in steel recycling is that, despite 98% of structural steel being recycled, finding enough scrap globally for the potential output of electric arc furnaces can be a problem.

Through innovation and design, the steel industry hopes to reach the ultimate goal: carbon neutrality. It is a fitting goal for an industry with a trajectory as important as steel. If we indeed turn this next century into the “Green Century,” the innovators of our times will become the heroes of the future. That, NMC believes, is a goal worth fighting for.

At NMC our steel slitting, cold rolled steel, hot rolled steel, and all our steel processes aim to continue the tradition of […]