Maintaining precision railway machinery requires know-how and high-quality rail parts.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a real challenge to find those parts.

It’s important to find an honest, reasonably priced supplier to form a relationship with.

Keep reading to get a quick overview of the parts and supplies we offer.

Wear Materials

Manufacturers make modern railway equipment to higher standards than at any point in history. The machinery lasts longer and provides better service than those in the past.

Having said that, there are still certain rail parts that wear down through regular use by design. Identifying these parts and setting up a schedule of repairs can help you keep all your equipment at maximum efficiency.

We offer a wide range of wear parts in a number of different materials. These include:

• Equalizer seats
• Vertical liners
• Center plates
• Rigid and phenolic wear pads

We have the facilities and know-how to fabricate a wide range of custom rail parts. Just send us your specifications and we’ll do our best to meet your needs.

It’s very important to maintain safety and maintenance standards as required by federal regulations. Replacing all wear materials at the right time within their operating lifespan can prevent incidents and help you stay in compliance.

Rubber Rail Parts

We use rubber in a variety of railway applications, from shock absorbers to gaskets and diaphragms. Rubber, whether artificial or synthetic, eventually breaks down.

Several factors can cause this.

Wear and tear is a big one and the friction of day to day use taking its toll. The biggest factors are usually UV radiation from the sun and oxidation.

Any products exposed to the outdoors will need to a more stringent monitoring program than an enclosed product. The same goes for a product that will experience high pressures or frequent changes in pressure.

We have the capability to create custom rubber parts to meet your needs.

Molded and Friction Facings

We specialize in fabricating or machining custom friction products. These products are designed to work in high-stress situations.

We can create a range of parts for a railroad, oil derrick, and several other industrial applications. We have a range of materials to choose from. These include:

• Mid-co materials
• Hi-co
• Kevlar
• Specialty

We can also machine facings to meet the needs of your locomotives and machinery.

We can either supply parts to standard manufacturer specifications or customize them to match your needs.

Miscellaneous Parts

If you’re looking for more standardized parts we are happy to oblige you.

We carry shims, wheel chocks, springs, and seals. These are available in every size and configuration you might require.

As long as we have the specifications for the parts you need, we can likely machine them for you.

Learn More

Our inventory includes many more products than those described above.

Our true value is our ability to create custom parts for just about any industrial or mechanical need.

Check out our full list of products to see how we can help you keep your machinery on and locomotives running.

North America is rich with resources. Today, we mine everything from carbonate rock, like marble, to minerals, like Uranium. These substances can be used to make items, from lazy susans to nuclear power reactors. That’s why mining is one of the oldest and most important professions in the contemporary United States, stemming back to the original colonies.

But with the power and reach of technology growing, today’s mining industry is very different from that of as little as 10 or 20 years ago, and Americans can sense it.

There hasn’t been a time in recent history that miners have come into the spotlight as much as they did in the political climate of election 2016. With a changing outlook for their industry, miners are looking for answers as to what’s next.

And if you’re wondering the same thing. Keep reading for an outlook.

What’s Next For the Mining Industry in 2018 and Beyond?

Contrary to what some may believe from listening to waves of recent news coverage on the subject, the mining industry is actually already making a comeback. Data from UK’s FTSE 100 shows the value index for the top 7 mining companies has doubled in recent years. Meanwhile, United States stock trends show gold up 13.5% in mid-October.

And while miners are having a good year there are still many issues that affect the outlook.

Issues That Impact the Industry

Global Issues

Global Issues like the recent Brexit referendum have a profound effect on the industry. Luckily, the industry is based on American dollars and therefore strengthened by the decentralization of European money.

Environmental Impact

Environmental risks prove to be a stumbling block for miners. The legislation is frequently changing providing new protections for the environment and sometimes taking them away.

A risk associated with deregulated mining includes toxins being released into the air and water supply. In recent news, the Dakota Access pipeline has sparked controversy around this subject, with many in the Sioux Tribe of Standing Rock feeling displaced as the pipeline pumps through their water supply.

Health Risks

Health risks associated with being in the mining industry vary depending on what substance is being mined. But across the board, mining can be dangerous with risks that include inhalation of sediment, falling rocks, and exposure to toxins.

Workforce Attrition

North American miners are starting to age. Research shows over half the miners in Canada are over 50 years old. As young people coming out of college are often looking for the next best sci-tech or environmental engineering job, fewer are interested in the labor-intensive lifestyle of a miner. If the sector is going to continue to grow and attract new talent, there will need to be a talent acquisition strategy.

Technology

Technology is a driving force changing the mining sector. Innovative technology has been widely accepted to reduce fatalities and injury and make processes more efficient. With no shortage of mining companies collecting research and data, the next big advancement could be just around the corner in 2018 and beyond.

The Mining Sector is Healing

Trends suggest the mining sector isn’t going down without a fight. And in fact, it’s getting better.

Never has the industry been safer or more innovative than it is today. These trends in workforce safety and efficiency will continue as more research is used to the industry’s advantage.

If the sector can withstand new environmental legislation, overcome workforce attrition and mitigate overall health risks, the mining sector will likely grow in the coming years. With over two centuries of history to infer from, our outlook suggests the mining industry will be just fine.

For information on what Kor-Pak does for miners, check us out here.

How Your Business Can Benefit from Our Many Custom Machining Services

You’ve got an incredible idea. You’ve designed it from top to bottom but need to find a certain part to make it all come together.

Nothing quite fits. You get frustrated. Your idea feels like it’s out of reach.

Does this sound like you?

If so, custom machining is the surprising solution that’s going to give your dreams the finishing touch they deserve!

Not sure that going custom is what your business needs? Think again. We’re going to break down all the ways you’re going to benefit from custom parts.

Express Your Creativity

One of the biggest benefits of custom machining is that it’s custom – you design it from top to bottom.

Even 60% of CEOs understand that being creative is the thing that drives a business forward. When you have the ability to craft a custom part, you’re free to dream as big as you’d like.

Offering your customers exclusive products are what’s going to increase your success. Why be like everyone else?

Higher Quality

When you try to make do with a product bought off the shelf, it will never be just right. Custom machining allows you to get what you want, exactly how you want it.

This includes choosing high-quality metals or other materials to match your needs. Once you’ve got the design, the materials you desire, and the craftsmanship to match, naturally your product’s quality goes up.

Better quality products mean more customers. What’s not to like about that?

Save Time And Money

It might seem incredibly convenient to simply order a pre-made part from a catalog and that’s that. In reality, it could end up costing you in the long run.

You have to modify your own design around the part you’ve found that might work. If your needs change, you’ve got no flexibility.

The part that you thought was just good enough might cause problems with your original design. Maybe it will even cause your product to fail.

Now you’ve got to go back to the drawing board. Going with a custom part might take some effort in the beginning, but long term, it’s a great investment.

Many Applications

There’s a reason the machining industry is a source of steady work; there are many applications the industry provides.

For example, laser cutting is a reliable method of custom machine work. Lasers can cut through many materials of various thickness.

Horizontal machining is fast and can craft the same piece over and over without fail. With its many axes, vertical machining offers an endless array of custom abilities.

Enjoy The Benefits Of Custom Machining

You think you have to settle for whatever is out there, but you don’t. Now that you’ve seen everything you stand to gain by going custom, what are you waiting for?

Show us your ideas and we’ll bring them to life. You dream it, we help you do it.

It’s about time you enhanced your products with custom parts. Check out our wide array of services and then contact us to see your vision become a reality.

Are you in need of high-quality hydraulic clamps for your components? You’re in luck.

These devices can help you increase productivity, reduce cycle times, and keep your machines running well for years to come. But in order to maximize your machine efficiency, you need to use the best equipment.

These materials need to be able to balance psi, adjust clamping position, and be durable for tough job demands. Kor-Pak has spent years making relationships with only the finest of manufactures to create product lines that are suitable to all of your needs.

We use different types of hydraulic systems and innovative technology to create unparalleled quality in our designs. Read on to learn why our hydraulic clamps will perfectly suit your components.

All Metal Hydraulic Clamps

Hydraulic clamping provides far better clamping than manual fixtures. The tightening threads between the two connecting sides create an impenetrable seal.

One of the most popular designs is the all-metal fitting. These are designed to help eliminate maintenance and decrease the amount of leakage.

Relying only on metal-to-metal contact, these clamps are much more effective than leaky pipe threads. Our all-metal designs use a form-fitting design that makes the clamps easy to assemble and nearly impossible to penetrate. These reliable fixtures suffer from very little to no leakage.

Flare-Type

Our top of the line manufacturers have spent years perfecting their flare-type fittings. These designs are popular industry-wide for their durability and incredibly strong seal.

Our flare-type fittings use compact tubing that still provides enough strength to handle thousands of pounds of pressure. The flare-type hydraulic clamps use the strongest material factors that are able to withstand extreme working conditions. They have the ability to handle a rise or drop of several hundred degrees.

In addition to strength and durability, the flare-type system is also economical. The compact design and form fitting material will reduce your costs.

Flareless-Fitting

Our flareless-fitting product line is growing in both popularity and size. It’s becoming a wanted hydraulic clamp because it simplifies the tube preparation process.

Flareless-fitting hydraulic clamps are able to withstand more vibration than other metal fixtures. They can also handle thousands of pounds per square inch.

Their design also helps to create a strong seal. This occurs as a result of the fitting nut compressing the cap, which in turn pushes through the tube circumference.

O-Ring

By now, you’ve surely heard of the O-ring. Niels Christensen’s legendary design has been a go-to tool since patented it in 1937.

Our O-ring fittings place an O-ring between threads and wrench flats. The result? A tight-seal around the connecting port.

Our O-ring hydraulics come in both adjustable and non-adjustable design. The rubber and metal seal creates a tighter, more sturdy seal than some of the metal to metal designs.

This increasingly popular design can help reduce maintenance requirements and ensure your machines don’t experience downtime.

Your Hydraulic Clamps

Selecting the right kind of hydraulic clamp can make all the difference.

Are you interested in learning more about our products? We can help. Contact us to request a quote today.

5 Ways Our Rubber Parts Can Benefit Your Machines

Rubber has been regularly used by humans for more than 1,000 years. In the modern world, a common application for the material is in rubber parts for machines.

Whether you’re the owner of a manufacturing business or an engineer who needs custom parts for a robotics project, you’ll probably need rubber. Using well-crafted parts made from good quality rubber can make all the difference in getting the job done.

What sets our rubber parts apart? We offer the great quality you need for many different applications, including custom parts. Here are just a few of the unique ways our parts can meet your needs.

1. Custom Molded Rubber Parts

We know that the parts you’re looking for might not be on the market yet. We offer custom molded parts to for the customer who needs something unique or hard to find.

Maybe you’re an engineer who needs special parts for their latest project. Whether you’re working on robotics, transportation, or something else, the parts for your groundbreaking project might not be in the stores.

Contact us to get high-quality parts make to the specifications you need.

2. Metal to Rubber Bonding

Sometimes, the parts you need require more than one material. It’s important to know that your bonded rubber and metal parts are going to hold up to the task at hand.

We manufacture long-lasting parts with strong bonds that will stand up to the job. We’ll even make the custom rubber and metal parts you can’t find anywhere else.

3. Choice of Natural or Synthetic (Neoprene) Rubber

Today, synthetic rubber accounts for 70 percent of the rubber used in manufacturing. But that doesn’t mean natural rubber doesn’t also have its place.

With our parts, you can choose between natural rubber and neoprene rubber, depending on what you need.

Synthetic rubber, for example, is more resistant to oil and to temperature extremes than natural rubber is. However, natural rubber has excellent grip and is very durable in the right conditions.

4. Prototype Parts

You might not be using rubber in a standard application at all. If you’re trying to design the next great technological advancement, you’re going to need a prototype.

We can make custom rubber prototype parts to meet your exact specifications, so you can do the testing and experimenting that you need to.

Without product testing and inspection using the right parts, your projects can’t move forward. We’ll support your innovative work by providing the parts you need.

5. Specialty Rubber Diaphragms

One of our specialties is making rubber diaphragms in the exact size and length that you need. Many of our customers have ordered end-of-car diaphragms for railway cars.

Whatever your need is, we can meet your unique size specifications as well as supplying supplementary materials as needed.

Order Rubber Now

We provide not only standard rubber parts, but custom solutions for a wide variety of projects. When you need high-quality parts, we are here for you.

Learn more about our rubber parts here, and don’t hesitate to start that new project or process, knowing that you can find what you need at Kor-Pak.

What does an assembly line make you think of? If you answered “sameness”, you wouldn’t be alone. Repetition, huge orders, a factory producing one product.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with assembly lines. They’re helpful and efficient. But the one thing they don’t do is a custom job.

When it comes to metal parts, custom is the way to go. Here are the 5 advantages of custom metal fabrication:

1) You Choose What You Want

Not all parts will work for all jobs, and all metal parts can’t be bought in a store. With custom metal fabrication both problems solve themselves.

On top of getting the ability to choose exactly what the part is going to look like and what it’s going to be made out of, you’re also given the opportunity to save time.

In deciding how you want a part, you’re also making the decision how that part gets made.

2) Get Your Job Done More Quickly

Will it be a cut-and-roller job, or will it be a cast-and-form job? This factors into how quickly you’ll get your part. For all you know they’re out of your part at the store.

For all you know they’re out of your part at the store, and by the time they’re able to order a new one you could have had one that would haven’t just been a better fit for your project, it would have quite literally been the perfect fit.

3) Custom Metal Fabrication Means Handy Metal

Though some companies have the ability to work with other metals like aluminum, cast iron, and manganese steel, plate or sheet metal is most commonly in custom metal fabrication. This durable metal means several convenient things.

Sheet metal is lightweight. That means the product you get fabricated will be light as well. That will cut weigh down on transportation costs.

4) There’s Strength in Custom Jobs

Additionally, sheet metal doesn’t wear down easily and will look the way you want it to, or act the way it needs for a good long while. This has both aesthetic and practical implications.

Though it’s strong and light, perhaps the reason it gets used so often is its durability. It withstands heat and corrosion, meaning the thing that you built is built to last.

5) It Requires Its Laborers to Have Skills

This is no ordinary job! Much the same way your set of skills has landed you where you are, it takes a group of highly-skilled laborers to pull off custom metal making, which means you’ll work with the best.

It comes highly recommended that you find one company to work with for the majority of your transactions so that you can build up trust. The custom fabricated metal industry is a highly specialized industry.

This means, find someone you’re ready to spend a career partnered with.

Perhaps among the most important things to do is to find a company today that has the capabilities of taking on odd, often last-minute requests.

You’d be surprised (or maybe you already know…) just how often this kind of thing occurs.

When your equipment breaks down or needs repairs, you don’t have time to wait around for shoddy workmanship and multiple services visits. You need it done thoroughly, promptly, and correctly, the first time.

You have a lot of options to choose from when you’re looking for equipment repair services, but how do they all stack up? Do they have the expertise to get you back up and running in a timely manner? Can they meet all of your needs?

We know you take your business seriously, so we do too. This is what you can expect when you use our technicians and repair services.

Factory Trained Experts

Our service techs are trained to factory standards, and have years of experience in their respective fields. They know how to find what’s wrong, repair it, and get it running again good as new.

They can spot potential problems, meet factory and safety specs, and ensure your machines are running in optimal shape. They offer you professional, thorough repairs and solid piece of mind.

Repairs, Rebuilds, and Custom Solutions

In the time it takes to get a new part for your equipment, such as an EMG Thruster, we can do a complete tear-down and rebuild of the part for you.

We strip it completely down, clean it thoroughly, and do an inspection and testing of all parts. We then replace everything with factory parts, re-apply the factory paint job, do extended testing, and certify that the part is safe, working, and good as new.

We’ve also got your electrical needs under control. We repair VFD Drives, control panels, limit switches, and motors. Don’t worry if your VFD Drive is older or obsolete, we support a wide range of brands and models.

If we can’t find the solution you need, we’ll make you one! We can custom-make parts to your specifications through a variety of techniques including laser-cutting, riveting, and water-jetting, to name a few.

We Handle Hard-To-Find Parts

We pride ourselves on being a distributor and OEM for several industries, and we love the challenge of providing the parts that you need. If you need something that’s obscure or obsolete, that’s no problem at all. Bring all of your unusual needs to us, and we’ll get you taken care of.

Our ability to source these parts for you also helps us ensure that the repairs and rebuilds we do are done right, will last, and be safe. We make sure that we give you the best equipment repair services possible.

We Warranty Our Repairs

We stand behind our work. All of our repairs, rebuilds, and custom solutions are backed by a 1-year full warranty. If something goes wrong or breaks in that time, we’ll do everything we can to make it right and get it back up and running.

We Can Modernize Older Equipment

Not only can we get your equipment running smoothly again, we can also make stronger, safer, and more secure. We offer structural enhancements, brake upgrades, and electrical control solutions, just to name a few.

Let Us Handle Your Equipment Repair Services

We care about your business and your equipment. Contact us today and we’ll work together to get you running in top shape!

Not only can changing out rope drums be time-consuming, but it can also be difficult to tell when the right time is to have your rope drum serviced.

Not to worry. Below are the five telltale signs your rope drum needs maintenance.

1. Wearing Down of the Grooves

A study conducted in connection with the steel industry showed that the number one reason for changing out rope drums was that the grooves were worn.

Having worn grooves can be dangerous, which is why it is important to keep maintenance a top priority. There is a risk that it could pinch or damage the rope. It could even potentially cut the wire rope.

The best way to avoid these issues is to pay attention to both the material of your rope drums and the heat treatment.

2. Rope Looks Worn or Damaged

Another major sign that your rope drum needs maintenance is that the rope itself is worn or frayed.

Small particles can be abrasive to the rope, causing wear and tear that weakens the rope. If anything gets caught in the rope, that can cause damage too.

A weak rope means a weak rope drum. Ensuring that the rope is in good condition will greatly prolong the life of your rope drum. This is an important step in every rope drum maintenance effort.

Cleaning your rope from time to time can help combat this wearing down of the rope. Taking preventative measures like these is an important part of extending the life of your rope drum.

3. Rope Is Loose

It may be time to do some maintenance on your rope drum if the rope has come loose at all. If the rope is loose or out of place on the rope drum, the rope drum will not function properly and will need to replaced much more quickly.

Ensuring that the rope is properly in place on your rope drum will help it continue to function properly. If this is not the case, it is time to do some maintenance on your rope drum.

4. Groove Surface Is Crushed

Another issue that may come about with your rope drum is that the drum surface becomes crushed, leaving it flat and smooth. There should be grooves holding the rope in place on your rope drum. If these become worn down or even crushed, your rope drum will not work properly.

Check the groove surface regularly to ensure that your rope drum is still in good working condition. If it’s not, chances are it’s high time for maintenance.

5. You Don’t Have A Rope Drum From A Kor-Pak Supplier

Kor-Pak offers a full range of rope drum material and heat treatments. Our TSP-carburized rope drums virtually eliminate the need for maintenance. They also significantly improve the performance of your wire rope.

Kor-Pak carries rope drums that are carburized and hardened to 60-65 Rockwell C. They virtually eliminate the crushing and corrugation of the rope groove surface, which greatly helps to extend the life of your wire rope and your rope drum overall.

Contact us today if you have additional questions about rope drums.

Stainless Steel Fabrication: How Is It Made?

Stainless steel is well known for its ubiquitous practical uses — making appearances in a range of commercial and industrial applications.

Since stainless steel contains chromium, it’s highly resistant to rust and corrosion.

Its ability to withstand high temperatures, high pressure and still be ductile and malleable makes it ideal for a wide range of oxidation resistant applications.

Stainless steels, by nature, are alloys of iron with a chromium content of at least 10.5 percent.

Other alloying elements in stainless steel include copper, titanium, nickel, molybdenum, nitrogen, and carbon. These elements are added to enhance its properties such as toughness and formability.

Due to its versatility, there is a wide range of stainless steel fabrication techniques.

The Importance of Chromium in Stainless Steel Fabrication

Chromium is a hard, corrosion resistant element that gives stainless steel its corrosion resistant properties. It’s an essential element in the manufacture of stainless steel and has no viable alternative.

In the presence of oxidizing agents, the stainless steel forms a passive film (chromium oxide) invisible to the naked eye on the surface.

As the film adheres strongly to the surface of the steel, it protects it from interacting with the environment, stopping the electrochemical reactions that cause corrosion.

How Stainless Steel is Made

The Manufacture of Stainless Steel Involves a Series of Processes.

1. Melting and Casting

The alloy materials are melted in an electric furnace for around 8 to 12 hours until the metals become molten.

The molten mixture is then decarburized in an Argon-Oxygen Decabuliser (AOD) to remove excess carbon. This involves blowing argon, oxygen, and nitrogen into the molten steel.

At this stage, other alloying elements such as nickel and molybdenum can be added enhance the properties of the stainless steel.

2. Tuning and Forming

Tuning involves stirring the steel slowly to remove unwanted elements and maintain the right chemical composition.

After tuning is complete, the molten steel is cast into forms. This is done by passing the refined stainless steel through a casting machine to form slabs, billets (round or square shapes), blooms (rectangular shapes) and tubes.

3. Hot Rolling

Hot rolling involves heat treatment of the final products after the forming process. It involves heating the slabs to between 1,100 to 1300 degrees Celsius, depending on the type of steel.

Through the heating, billets and blooms are further formed into bar and wire while slabs are formed into strips, sheets, and plates.

The plate thickness can range from 3mm to 60mm.

4. Cold Rolling

Cold rolling involves subjecting the rolls to a relatively low temperature. The process not only reduces the thickness of the rolls but also produces smooth, shiny finished, and cold rolled stainless steel.

5. Annealing and Pickling

Annealing is the process used to soften the stainless steel and improve its ductility. The annealing process results in a scale build up on the steel, which is often cleaned through a process called pickling.

Pickling involves bathing the steel in nitric hydrofluoric acid. Alternatively, the scale can be removed through electrocleaning — a process that involves the use of electric current to get rid of the scale.

6. Cutting

Cutting operations are necessary to give the final product the desired shape or size.

Mechanical cutting involves the use of guillotine knives for straight shearing, circular knives for circle shearing, or steel blades. Other methods of cutting include nibbling and blanking.

7. Finishing

In applications where the appearance of the stainless steel is important, applying a surface finish can give the steel an attractive look.

Some surface finishes also make the stainless steel easier to clean, which is important for kitchen appliances.

Surface finishes are in most cases the product of the stainless steel fabrication process. For example, annealing, hot scaling, and descaling result in a dull finish.

A combination of annealing and cold rolling in controlled temperatures produces a reflective finish. Abrasive belts and grinding wheels can also be used to polish steel.

To Sum Up

Currently, there are over 60 grades of stainless steel, all categorized by the alloy elements of their microstructure. Within these grades are the three most popular types of stainless steel, namely, austenitic, ferritic, and duplex.

Each type of stainless steel differs depending on the percentage of chromium and the proportion of other elements.

Contact us today for all your iron and steel supplies. We’ve been a successful supplier to the iron and steel industry for over 30 years, and have successfully designed hundreds of overhead crane industrial braking systems for the steel industry.

Stainless steel is well known for its ubiquitous practical uses — making appearances in a range of commercial and industrial applications.

Since stainless steel contains chromium, it’s highly resistant to rust and corrosion.

Its ability to withstand high temperatures, high pressure and still be ductile and malleable makes it ideal for a wide range of oxidation resistant applications.

Stainless steels, by nature, are alloys of iron with a chromium content of at least 10.5 percent.

Other alloying elements in stainless steel include copper, titanium, nickel, molybdenum, nitrogen, and carbon. These elements are added to enhance its properties such as toughness and formability.

Due to its versatility, there is a wide range of stainless steel fabrication techniques.

The Importance of Chromium in Stainless Steel Fabrication

Chromium is a hard, corrosion resistant element that gives stainless steel its corrosion resistant properties. It’s an essential element in the manufacture of stainless steel and has no viable alternative.

In the presence of oxidizing agents, the stainless steel forms a passive film (chromium oxide) invisible to the naked eye on the surface.

As the film adheres strongly to the surface of the steel, it protects it from interacting with the environment, stopping the electrochemical reactions that cause corrosion.

How Stainless Steel is Made

The Manufacture of Stainless Steel Involves a Series of Processes.

1. Melting and Casting

The alloy materials are melted in an electric furnace for around 8 to 12 hours until the metals become molten.

The molten mixture is then decarburized in an Argon-Oxygen Decabuliser (AOD) to remove excess carbon. This involves blowing argon, oxygen, and nitrogen into the molten steel.

At this stage, other alloying elements such as nickel and molybdenum can be added enhance the properties of the stainless steel.

2. Tuning and Forming

Tuning involves stirring the steel slowly to remove unwanted elements and maintain the right chemical composition.

After tuning is complete, the molten steel is cast into forms. This is done by passing the refined stainless steel through a casting machine to form slabs, billets (round or square shapes), blooms (rectangular shapes) and tubes.

3. Hot Rolling

Hot rolling involves heat treatment of the final products after the forming process. It involves heating the slabs to between 1,100 to 1300 degrees Celsius, depending on the type of steel.

Through the heating, billets and blooms are further formed into bar and wire while slabs are formed into strips, sheets, and plates.

The plate thickness can range from 3mm to 60mm.

4. Cold Rolling

Cold rolling involves subjecting the rolls to a relatively low temperature. The process not only reduces the thickness of the rolls but also produces smooth, shiny finished, and cold rolled stainless steel.

5. Annealing and Pickling

Annealing is the process used to soften the stainless steel and improve its ductility. The annealing process results in a scale build up on the steel, which is often cleaned through a process called pickling.

Pickling involves bathing the steel in nitric hydrofluoric acid. Alternatively, the scale can be removed through electrocleaning — a process that involves the use of electric current to get rid of the scale.

6. Cutting

Cutting operations are necessary to give the final product the desired shape or size.

Mechanical cutting involves the use of guillotine knives for straight shearing, circular knives for circle shearing, or steel blades. Other methods of cutting include nibbling and blanking.

7. Finishing

In applications where the appearance of the stainless steel is important, applying a surface finish can give the steel an attractive look.

Some surface finishes also make the stainless steel easier to clean, which is important for kitchen appliances.

Surface finishes are in most cases the product of the stainless steel fabrication process. For example, annealing, hot scaling, and descaling result in a dull finish.

A combination of annealing and cold rolling in controlled temperatures produces a reflective finish. Abrasive belts and grinding wheels can also be used to polish steel.

To Sum Up

Currently, there are over 60 grades of stainless steel, all categorized by the alloy elements of their microstructure. Within these grades are the three most popular types of stainless steel, namely, austenitic, ferritic, and duplex.

Each type of stainless steel differs depending on the percentage of chromium and the proportion of other elements.

Contact us today for all your iron and steel supplies. We’ve been a successful supplier to the iron and steel industry for over 30 years, and have successfully designed hundreds of overhead crane industrial braking systems for the steel industry.