AHSS Archives - National Material Company - Steel Processing Facilities

6 05, 2025

The Next-Generation of Home-Grown: Metal Processing in Agricultural Equipment

jane2025-06-16T14:50:48+00:00May 6th, 2025|News Blog, NMC Media|

Key Takeaways:

Metal processing in agricultural equipment is essential for durability, efficiency, and sustainability in modern farming machinery.
Steel remains the backbone of agricultural equipment due to its strength, cost-effectiveness, and resistance to wear and tear. Galvanized steel offers superior corrosion resistance, while AHSS enhances fuel efficiency by reducing weight without compromising strength.
NMC provides high-quality metal solutions, including steel service center expertise and aluminum processing, ensuring OEMs receive top-tier materials for next-generation agricultural equipment.

Enhance Your Projects with Expert Steel Processing Solutions

Metal processing in agricultural equipment is driving the next generation of farming, ensuring the durability, precision, and efficiency of modern machinery. As farmers push for higher yields and sustainable practices, the right materials — advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), galvanized steel, and aluminum — are essential for building reliable equipment that meets these demands.

From next-generation tractors to heavy-duty harvesters, manufacturers rely on high-performance metals to enhance strength, reduce weight, and improve longevity. NMC delivers top-quality metal solutions to keep agricultural equipment at the forefront of innovation.

The Role of Advanced Technology in Modern Agriculture

The agricultural sector has shifted from relying solely on plows and harvesters to utilizing autonomous machinery, drones, and IoT-enabled systems that enhance productivity and sustainability. According to Plug and Play Tech Center, innovations such as autonomous tractors and AI-powered crop monitoring are revolutionizing farming practices. These machines rely heavily on durable, high-performance materials to withstand harsh conditions while maintaining precision and reliability.

Steel remains essential for heavy machinery, valued for its strength and resistance to wear. Galvanized steel provides superior corrosion resistance, ideal for components exposed to moisture and soil. Meanwhile, aluminum components for agricultural equipment are gaining popularity, offering lightweight durability that reduces soil compaction — critical for sustainable farming.

Material choice directly impacts innovation. AHSS is now widely used in tractor frames and plow blades, delivering exceptional tensile strength while reducing weight. This enables manufacturers to build more fuel-efficient, lower-emission machinery that aligns with sustainability goals. NMC supplies the high-quality metals driving these advancements in modern agriculture.

Why Steel Remains King in Agricultural Machinery

Metal processing in agricultural equipment continues to evolve, but steel remains the undisputed backbone of heavy machinery. Its versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness make it an essential material for everything from plows to combine harvesters. However, not all steel is created equal. Innovations in steel processing have led to the development of specialized grades tailored for specific applications.

Galvanized steel is widely used in the industry due to its ability to resist rust and corrosion caused by exposure to fertilizers, pesticides, and weather conditions. Similarly, AHSS is becoming a preferred choice for manufacturers seeking to balance strength and weight. These materials ensure that farm equipment can handle heavy loads while remaining agile […]

6 04, 2025

How Metal Processing Impacts Key Sectors

jane2025-06-16T14:39:34+00:00April 6th, 2025|News Blog, NMC Media|

Main Takeaways

Metal processing impacts key sectors such as aerospace, automotive, construction, and renewable energy, driving innovation and efficiency.
Lightweight metals like aluminum alloys and AHSS enhance fuel efficiency, structural integrity, and performance in industries like EV production and aerospace engineering.
Precision steel slitting, galvanized steel processing, and aluminum extrusion are crucial for manufacturing durable, high-performance components across multiple sectors.
National Material Company (NMC) provides tailored metal processing solutions, leveraging cutting-edge expertise, supply chain efficiency, and sustainability initiatives. Partnering with NMC ensures access to industry-leading capabilities in steel processing, aluminum extrusion, and supply chain management to support your next project.

Enhance Your Projects with Expert Steel Processing Solutions For engineers, procurement specialists, and industry leaders, selecting the right materials isn’t just about meeting specifications, it’s about driving innovation and solving real-world challenges. Whether you’re designing fuel-efficient aircraft, lightweight electric vehicles, durable infrastructure, or sustainable solar energy systems, one thing remains clear: metal processing impacts key sectors in profound ways.

From advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) to aluminum extrusion, modern metal processing techniques are shaping the future of aerospace, automotive, construction, and renewable energy. This article explores practical applications, industry advancements, and emerging trends like green steel production, providing insight into how these innovations can drive efficiency and sustainability.

Lightweight Metals for Soaring Innovations

The aerospace industry relies on lightweight yet durable materials to optimize performance and efficiency. Aluminum alloys, titanium, and specialized steels are essential for reducing aircraft weight while maintaining structural integrity and safety. As metal processing impacts key sectors like aerospace, advancements in material science and manufacturing techniques continue to push the boundaries of innovation.

For example, aluminum extrusion techniques allow manufacturers to create complex shapes that optimize aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. According to Taber Extrusions, alloys in aerospace applications can withstand extreme temperatures and pressures, ensuring safety at 35,000 feet.

One fascinating insight is the growing use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) in aerospace metal processing. By layering metals like titanium and stainless steel, engineers can produce intricate components faster and with less waste than traditional methods. This shift also supports sustainability initiatives, demonstrating how metal processing impacts key sectors by minimizing material consumption while enhancing precision and performance.

Galvanized steel also finds its place in aerospace infrastructure, such as hangars and maintenance facilities. Its corrosion-resistant properties ensure longevity even in harsh environments. These innovations underscore how metal processing impacts key sectors by enabling safer, more efficient air travel.

Paving the Way for Electric Vehicles

As the automotive industry accelerates its shift toward electric vehicles (EVs), the need for advanced metal processing is more critical than ever. Metal processing impacts key sectors like automotive manufacturing by ensuring the production of strong yet lightweight materials essential for EV design and performance.

Steel processing remains essential for producing […]

8 02, 2024

New Year, Great Outlook for Metals Processor National Material Company

jane2024-02-04T19:21:16+00:00February 8th, 2024|News Blog|

So what exactly makes National Material Company a top-of-the-line metals processor? Read on to find out.

The world we live in today has been greatly influenced by the steel industry, a legacy that all began in the Iron Age, when humans discovered the power of iron. During that time, steel production was still initially time-consuming and expensive. However, a significant turning point arrived with the introduction of the Bessemer converter. The game-changer came in the mid-19th century, revolutionizing steel manufacturing by making it more accessible and cost-effective. This innovation spurred rapid growth and enabled steel’s critical role in constructing everything from skyscrapers to intricate machinery, profoundly impacting society.

The modern steel industry is a sophisticated and advanced sector, characterized by numerous processes. Over the years, multiple advancements have significantly enhanced the efficiency, sustainability, and affordability of metals and steel processing.

National Material Company: Your Leading Metals Processor

National Material Company is North America’s leading metal processor and service provider with a rich history dating back to 1964. What was once a steel service center for electrical grade steel in Chicago, NMC has impressively expanded its capabilities to all types of flat-rolled steel processing. Over the years, they have built several processing facilities in the United States, making their mark in the flat-rolled steel processing and supply chain management sectors.

Today, National Material Company is recognized as a top choice for customers seeking high-quality metal processing services. Their reputation as a reliable metal processor is strengthened by a skilled team, state-of-the-art equipment, and extensive storage capabilities. With multiple locations across the U.S., they efficiently and cost-effectively meet the diverse needs of their clients. NMC’s commitment to excellence, combined with nearly six decades of experience, makes them an invaluable partner in the metals & steel service industry.

Discover a vast array of solutions, offerings, and expertise that NMC can bring to the table:

Galvanized Steel

NMC’s galvanized steel processing capabilities produce a high-quality metal products treated with zinc to make it corrosion and rust-resistant. Therefore, it will last longer than regular steel. The zinc coating helps to protect the steel from harmful elements that can cause corrosion and rust. This makes it a reliable and durable material for any project. Its durability in withstanding harsh weather conditions makes it so popular to an array of industries. These include automotive, construction, wind and solar, energy, and telecommunications.

Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS)

Secondly, one of NMC’s most exciting capabilities is the ability to process advanced high-strength steel (AHSS). Engineers have crafted this special steel to exhibit remarkable strength and lightness by utilizing chemical compositions and manufacturing processes. AHSS can form into complex shapes, thereby enabling manufacturers to decrease the number of individual parts required to create a product. It’s perfect for meeting the automotive industry’s strict regulations and helping manufacturers reduce emissions, improve safety, and enhance fuel economy.

Steel Supply

[…]

30 09, 2020

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 […]

6 08, 2020

Steel and Recycling: Fun Facts!

andre2020-08-06T19:53:22+00:00August 6th, 2020|News Blog|

Here at National Material Company, we thought we’d pause, reflect, and share some good news and fun, interesting facts about the steel industry.

In 2016, Azo CleanTech reported that steel is the most recycled material in North America. The metal comes not only from cans but also from construction scraps, automobiles, and appliances, and it can be turned right back into steel that can be used in the same applications.

Recycling is at the core of the steel industry’s commitment to sustainability. According to steel.org, the North American steel-making furnaces “consume nearly 70 million tons of domestic steel scrap in the production of new steel.” By using steel scrap to make new steel, the North American steel industry conserves energy, emissions, raw materials, and natural resources. This commitment drives the reduction of steel’s environmental footprint, while producing advanced, highly-recycled steel products that meet an advancing society’s needs.

Here are some fun facts about steel and recycling:

Steel products can be recycled repeatedly without loss of strength.
Recycling steel saves the equivalent energy to power about 18 million households for a year.
More than 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year in North America.
For every ton of steel recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.
Almost 69 percent of all steel is recycled in North America each year – more than paper, aluminum, plastic, & glass combined. North America’s average steel recycling rate has been in excess of 60 percent since 1970.
More than 95 percent of the water used for making steel in North America is recycled.
One scrapped car produces more than four steel utility poles.
95 percent of the steel taken from commercial construction demolition sites was recycled and made into new steel products in 2002.
100 percent of a steel roof can be recycled. Asphalt roofs – zero percent. (Steel roofs provide your family with excellent protection against wind, water, snow, ice, and fire and are even hail-resistant. Asphalt roofs actually weigh twice as much as steel roofs. Steel roofs can last over 50 years, while traditional roofs last only 17 years!
Steel food cans are the most recycled food package. 24,000 community recycling programs in North America collect steel cans. Canned food is as nutritious as its fresh and frozen counterparts upon preparation! Canned goods do not contain preservatives!!
All 99 pounds of steel in the average major appliance can be recycled to make
new steel products.

Also, according to Utah Recycles, there are many more encouraging examples of how the steel industry’s commitment to recycling is helping to save the planet. Steel only takes up to 100 years to fully decompose in a landfill, whereas it takes plastic 1000 years to break down (aluminum can take 200 years, tin can take decades)! Recycling steel takes 25% less energy and creates only 25% of the water and air pollution required to produce steel from raw materials. About 70% of all metal is […]

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