slitting Archives - National Material Company

The Role of the Steel Service Center for OEMs

joe2024-08-21T19:50:57+00:00August 8th, 2024|News Blog|

For companies that make original equipment (OEMs), finding the best materials is more than just important — it gives them an edge over others. Steel service centers for OEMs, like National Material Company (NMC), are essential. They ensure OEMs get the best steel that fits their needs, helping them work better, make more profit, and improve operations.

Steel service centers like NMC bridge the gap between steel mills and OEMs, offering precision cutting, slitting, and processing. This partnership allows OEMs to focus on core activities while trusting service centers for consistent, ready-to-use materials. This blog explores the role of a steel service center for OEMs, highlighting how NMC streamlines operations, improves product quality, and reduces costs.

What Does it Mean to Be an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)?

An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) produces parts or components that another company incorporates into its products, which are then sold under that company’s brand. OEMs are common in industries such as automotive and computing.

For example, a branded laptop might source processors or memory modules from an OEM. OEMs typically produce parts for value-added resellers (VARs), focusing on manufacturing rather than the final product design.

Historically, OEMs have sold primarily to other businesses rather than directly to consumers. However, some OEMs now also sell parts directly for consumer repairs.

What are Alternatives to OEM Parts?

Ensuring a steady supply of cost-effective spare parts is critical for any manufacturing operation. Managing spare parts inventory represents a significant and inevitable cost for companies utilizing industrial machinery.

While OEMs might be the go-to for all necessary spares and components, the market offers other alternatives such as OE, ODM, and aftermarket parts.

OE Components:

Produced by a different company but meet the same factory standards as OEM parts.

ODM (Original Design Manufacturer):

An original design manufacturer (ODM) is distinct from an OEM. ODMs create products based on a client’s specifications, which the client then sells under their brand. ODMs have less design leeway than OEMs because they work within client-provided specifications. However, this model benefits from reduced R&D costs, lowering consumer prices.

Aftermarket:

While OEMs produce original equipment, aftermarket manufacturers create products compatible with OEM parts. In essence, aftermarket parts are non-original replacements made by companies — either local or international — without the authorization of the original manufacturers. These parts are often less expensive but may not guarantee the same level of performance as OEM products.

What are the Advantages of Purchasing OEM Products?

• Superior quality: OEM products, crafted by the original creators, offer unmatched quality compared to alternatives. The premium price reflects their superior construction.

• Longevity: Built to last, OEM products, such as spare tires, ensure the material’s quality and durability.

• Extended service life: OEM components generally have a longer service life […]

Steel Processing at National Galvanizing

andre2020-09-30T19:24:37+00:00September 30th, 2020|News Blog|

Today, modern chemists must face the same problem that one element posed to the Egyptians thatshould have destroyed the pyramids. It’s that ubiquitous element that threatens everything made by humans: water. As frost formed inside the stone structure at night and expanded with the morning, slow cumulative damage should have been done to the pyramids. For many years, this mystery defied the explanation of archeologists, however was eventually solved. A detailed study concluded that ancient Egyptians relied on technology to defy the power of water: they had invented a primitive form of cement.

Water threatens the integrity of modern structures. Steel, the very backbone of modern civilization, rusts when it comes into contact with water. Technology has been the answer for modern man, just as it was for the pyramid builders. Various techniques have been developed to prevent steel from corroding. One of the most sought after by leading industries is galvanizing. Both long-lasting and cost-friendly, galvanized steel can resist rust for 70 years or more. The characteristics of the environment where it is used, and the thickness of the protective coat can influence the lifespan of the steel. Today, a sophisticated process known as hot-dipping is used to galvanize steel. Essentially, galvanizing adds a zinc-iron coating to the metal, forming a protective layer. The multi-step process described below gives galvanized steel its protective qualities:
1) The steel is cleaned in a degreasing solution.
2) After being cleaned, the steel is pickled by running through various tanks containing hot sulfuric acid.
3) The steel is then fluxed in an aqueous solution (typically zinc-ammonium chloride).
4) After the flux, the steel is galvanized through immersion in a vat of molten zinc.
5) Afterward, the steel is inspected for consistency and a complete coating.
Galvanized steel has a low, initial cost, and no need for maintenance. It also provides other important advantages:
• Rust resistance: The iron elements in steel are incredibly prone to rusting, but the addition of zinc acts as a protective buffer between the steel and any moisture or oxygen.
• Easy inspection: It is easy to tell how strong a galvanized coating is just by looking at it. There are also quick stress tests that can determine how thick the zinc coating is.
• Sacrificial anode: This ensures that any damaged steel is protected by the surrounding zinc coating. It does not matter if the steel section is completely exposed; the zinc will still corrode first.
• Longer life: With galvanization, a piece of industrial steel is expected to last 70 years in average environments and can last over 20 years with severe water exposure. No maintenance required.
Galvanization is part of a larger framework in steel preparation. Clients can benefit through facilities that can apply various processes to steel including hot-dipped galvanizing. That’s why National Galvanizing’s state-of-the-art facility enables pickling, galvanizing, galvannealing, and slitting, all in one location. As a joint venture between National Material L.P. and Heidtman Steel, National Galvanizing has an unparalleled structure for quality, high-speed supply that serves the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural, garage door hardware, and HVAC industries, among others.

NMLP […]