Have you ever considered what materials make up the parts you purchase? All of them bring different benefits and can serve multiple purposes.
An industrial material refers to any substances used to make goods, such as machinery and tools. For example, the building materials industry is responsible for mining, quarrying, and processing raw materials. Meanwhile, the material handling industry is vital for movement, storage, control, and protection.
In some cases, companies perform both distribution and fabrication.
But what are the different types of industrial materials, and how are they all used differently?
1. Supplies and Consumables
Supplies and consumables are one category of industrial material that all industries use. These supplies include coal, natural gas, electricity, and other forms of fuel.
In particular, the steel industries use a lot of coal for their furnaces. In addition, restaurants and charcoal makers burn wood in their daily operations.
The oil industry is one of the most well-known that capitalizes on producing fuel oil and gasoline. However, you can also find petroleum used for other purposes, such as creating plastic and synthetic materials. These plastics can then be turned into industrial friction material or even used in the construction industry.
2. Ores and Minerals
Ores and minerals are other industrial materials used for various products. For example, raw materials in this group are smelted down or otherwise converted into parts that go into building machinery, tools, and more.
Lead, tin, copper, and iron are some common ores consumed by industries worldwide.
Computers manufacturers use copper wire along with plastics and other metals. Food cans are often made of either steel, aluminum, or tin alloy. The hammers used by construction workers are made of high carbon, heat-treated steel.
Furthermore, the properties of an end product like steel depend on its carbon content, allows, and heat treatment. Low carbon steels have higher toughness and ductility, while the high carbon variety has lower toughness and ductility. However, tensile strength increases with higher carbon content.
3. Organic Natural Resources
While organic natural resources like crops are often used in the food industry, you can also find them in other areas. For example, the lumber industry uses millions of trees every year for lumber that goes into making paper, fuel, and building material. In addition, rubber trees produce raw latex, which is used in different types of rubber products.
Although bamboo isn’t technically wood, it is commonly used for scaffolding in countries where it’s a natural resource. Some industries also use insects as raw materials for things like color pigments.
Industrial Material Turned Into Parts
At Kor-Pak, we partner with all the best industrial equipment manufacturers, from Aeromotive to Yale Hoist. As a result, you can find parts for the agriculture and farming industries, the iron and steel industries, and more.
Contact us if you have any questions and look at our products online.