galvanizing Archives - National Material Company

8 08, 2024

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 […]

8 05, 2024

When to Use Pre-Galvanized Steel: A Comparative

jane2024-07-10T14:51:56+00:00May 8th, 2024|News Blog, NMC Media|

Choosing the right steel product is imperative, and considerations such as “galvanized steel,” “pre-galvanized,” and “hot-dipped galvanized” are part of the decision-making process.

This guide is intended to break down the key differences between pre-gal and other galvanized options, including hot dipping, electrogalvanizing, and galvannealing. Our goal is to extend our expertise – sharing benefits, uses, and when it’s better than other galvanized metals.

Pre-Galvanized Steel: What You Need to Know

What gives a steel sheet a shiny, almost silvery finish? The power of galvanization. It’s a process where steel gets a zinc coating which protects the steel from its biggest enemy—rust. But in the world of galvanized steel, there are different types.

Inside the steel processing plant, steel is zinc-plated early on before it’s cut. This “in-line galvanizing” process creates an even zinc layer, making pre-galv a great choice for applications that expose most of the surface.

Here’s how pre-gal stacks up against its familiar competitors:

Hot-Dipped Galvanized — This tough competitor gets dipped in molten zinc. This results in a thicker coating, which is ideal for harsh places. But, if we expose cut edges, we must make the process more suitable for complex shapes.

Electrogalvanized — This uses electricity to create a thin, super-uniform zinc layer. It is great for small parts and tight spaces, but it might not hold up well in areas with a lot of wear and tear.

When Does Pre-Galvanized Steel Shine Brightest?

Manufacturers use pre-galv steel in many applications. They use it for its mix of low cost, good rust resistance, and formability. Here are some of the most common uses:

Construction

Roofing and other building applications. Manufacturers use it to make roofing sheets, gutters, flashing, and downpipes. It offers a lightweight, durable, and weather-resistant solution for roofs.

Furniture

Pre-galvanized steel is a great material for constructing furniture due to its high-quality 3D designs, accurate steel designs, and affordability. It may also utilize nano-environmental technology, which provides additional benefits. This material is commonly used for making outdoor furniture, such as lounge sets and benches, due to its excellent resistance to rust and corrosion, making it ideal for outdoor usage.

Appliance Parts

Many appliance components such as washing machine tubs, dryer parts, and refrigerator components can all use pre-galvanized steel. Manufacturers choose it for its rust resistance and formability.

Automotive Parts

Pre-galvanized steel is also used in vehicle manufacturing. Manufacturers can make fender panels and other parts from it, which fights rust on parts exposed to the elements.

Galvanizing vs. Galvannealing

Now that we’ve explored the major points of pre-galvanized steel, you might be curious about other ways to add a zinc shield to steel. Let’s take a look into the world of galvanizing…

Think of galvannealing as a two-part origin story for steel. First, it goes through the familiar galvanizing process — a zinc bath dip to create a protective […]

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 […]

7 02, 2020

Galvanizing vs. Galvannealing 101

andre2020-02-11T00:38:14+00:00February 7th, 2020|News Blog|

Galvanized and galvannealed steel are popular and useful steels because of their flexibility, durability, and ability to be applicable to a variety of projects. Both steels can be a good match for many industries. See our infographic for their primary differences and applications.

For more information, visit our Galvanized Steel page. National Material Company continues to further increase our stake on the domestic and international steel industry by providing only the highest quality products to ensure the success of your next project.

About National Material L.P. – National Material L.P. (“NMLP”) and its affiliates have a long history of quality and service dating back to 1964. Since its founding, the company has grown to over 30 business units and is now one of the largest privately held suppliers of metal related products in North America. NMLP currently consists of the Steel Group, Stainless and Alloys Group, Raw Material Trading Group, Aluminum Group, and Related Operations.

If you believe your company can benefit from our services, please visit us at nationalmaterial.com or email us at nmcsales@nmlp.com to discuss how we can be of service.