Steel coils are an important commodity for most industries. In this article we look at the 7 uses of steel coils in various industries and the reasons why they play a critical role in manufacturing and construction.
Steel is an extremely important commodity for most industries, especially the engineering and machinery industry. World crude steel production reached 1,950.5 million tonnes (Mt) in 2021, according to the World Steel Association. There are more than 3,500 different grades of steel with many different physical, chemical, and environmental properties. Steel once processed is rolled to form steel coils which are then sent as raw materials for different purposes. Uses of steel coils are countless. From cars to houses, uses of steel coil in manufacturing modern day commodities are many.
There are two main types of steel coils: hot rolled steel coil and cold rolled steel coil. Considering the variety of ways steel coils can be used across sectors, there is a significant rise in the demand for steel in India and worldwide.
In the following sections, let us have a look at the different uses of steel coil.
Many want insight into what steel coils can be used for to get solutions to various upgrades and solutions businesses are looking to achieve in their factory. The type of steel coil needed depends on the purpose it is being used for. For example, hot rolled steel coil uses include railway tracks and construction projects while cold rolled steel is used to build structures like beams, columns, and sections.
Why is the automobile industry using steel coils?
Steel is a hard and strong metal with a high strength to weight ratio making it the perfect material for vehicle bodies.
Steel coils are a major element when it comes to manufacturing automobiles. Nearly every new vehicle design feature Advanced High-strength Steel (AHSS). 60% of today’s automobile body structures are made up of AHSS. AHSS has paved the way for lighter, optimised vehicle designs that enhance safety and fuel efficiency.
Based on total vehicle curb mass, steel used in a vehicle is distributed as follows:
Why are railway tracks made using steel coils?
Steel coils used in railroad making is hard wearing and resistant to cracking.
Steel has played a critical role in the development of railway tracks. These tracks were first made of wood and then iron but were soon replaced by steel. Hot rolled steel coils with a grade of 1084 or higher are used to make most modern railway tracks. This is a medium carbon steel created by rolling rail steel with natural iron ore. This creates a mix of steel that can handle more abuse than rolled steel alone.
Railroad tracks that carry additional weight or travel at faster speeds like goods carrier rail line will need a stronger steel rail. To these rail lines alloys such as titanium, chromium, tin, and vanadium are added to make it harder and stronger.
Why is the food industry using steel coils?
The corrosion resistance of steel helps food industry equipment to be cleaned and sterilised without deterioration.
Steel coil used in different industries are of various types. The food industry depends on stainless steel coils to make its machinery and is one of the most important steel coil uses. . It is also used to make ice makers, mixers, hot and cold storage, cookware, etc. Food industry prefers stainless steel to make their equipment because it does not react with food and stay strong and durable for a lifetime.
Austenitic grade of stainless steel is used to manufacture cutlery, hollowware, kitchen utensils, brewing vessels and milk tankers. High alloy austenitic grades are used for storage and transportation of corrosive food and beverage products. Stainless steel grades containing Molybdenum are resistant to salt containing food.
The use of steel coil in construction industry is vast. It is used to construct buildings and bridges. Construction industry accounts for more than 50% of world steel demand. Uses of steel coil in building construction include manufacturing products like structural sections, reinforcing bars and sheet steel coil products . Structural sections provide stiff frames to the buildings and make up 25% of the steel used in buildings. Sheet products are made into roofs, purlins, internal walls, ceilings, cladding, and insulating panels for exterior walls.
Steel binds well to concrete, is strong and relatively cost-effective.
Steel bridges are widely used around the world in different structural formats such as highway bridges, railway bridges, and footbridges. The construction industry prefers steel coils over other construction materials because of its strength, ductility, easy fabrication, and rapid construction ability. It features relatively good strength to cost ratio and stiffness to weight ratio making it a better material for construction in terms of quality and profitability.
Why are steel coils used in making pipelines?
Steel pipes withstand high pressures and feature durability and long operating life cycle.
Steel pipelines have become a popular choice for oil and gas transmission over the last 50 years. Steel coils are used to make pipes that are normally used for pipelines operating at a pressure of 100 psig or more. Steel coils are used to make high-pressure pipelines because steel allows thinner wall pipes. This significantly reduces pipe costs as well as construction costs. The welding time and material shipping/handling costs are also reduced.
Why is defence industry using steel coils?
Military-grade steel shows incredible resilience against weaponry like bullets and even blasts. Due to its corrosion resistance it is also used to transport military equipment.
All the military forces use military-grade steel in one form or the other. It is used both as a protective material and to manufacture combat products like submarines, aircraft, tanks, armour, and artillery. Not only is it high quality, but it is often a more economical choice. The two most important factors regarding military steel are its strength and ballistic limit.
Why is the aviation industry using steel coils?
The corrosion resistance and higher temperature tolerance of aerospace components made from stainless steel coils can lead to longer life and performance.
Stainless steel coils are widely used in the manufacture of aircraft. The material can handle heavy loads and allow cleaning and finishing. This helps aerospace companies save time and money on their manufacturing processes. These coils also allow precision manufacturing which is critical for the aerospace industry.
Engine and exhaust components, landing gear components and key superstructure joints is where steel is used in aircraft. The high tensile strength of stainless steel helps the aircraft absorb impact stresses. Stainless steel coils improve durability and reduce the risk of failure during flight.
Steel used in different industries are manufactured in different grades by the steel coil production industry. Therefore, if steel is an important raw material for your production process procuring the correct steel grade with the best quality is vital. Steel coils can now be easily procured online with the added benefits of price comparison, faster delivery and quality. Buy steel from Tata nexarc to procure steel at reasonable prices.
Also Read: Aluminium Coil, Hot rolled steel coil, Colour coated steel coil, Stainless steel coil.
Steel coils refer to a finished steel product that’s manufactured out of slabs. Slabs are considered semi-finished steel materials made from ingots. Producing steel coils out of slabs can be done in different ways — hot rolling, cold rolling, or electrolytic tinplate (EPT). Once all of the major production processes have been completed, the resulting rolled material can now be used in various industries for assembly or further fabrication. Knowing this, steel coil uses can vary depending on the industry, but some of its most popular and widely-known applications include pipe-manufacturing, structural steel members, electronic components, consumer goods, automotive parts, and many more.
As mentioned before, steel coil manufacturing involves taking a slab and then placing them into a continuously rolling machine that reduces its thickness. The result is durable, high-grade, ductile, and high-strength steel sheets that are wound into coils. Read on to learn more about its uses.
The most common use for steel coils can be found in pipe manufacturing. Pipes such as ERW (Electronic Resistance Welding) and seamless pipes begin with an uncoiled sheet of metal that passes through a continuously rolling machine. The aim of this method is to fuse the two joints of the rolling process through ERW without using any welding filler compound. As ERW pipes do not depend on heat furnaces or high-temperature, it’s classified under cold-forming pipe manufacturing which reduces internal stresses of the pipe, whether during storage or in use.
An alternative pipe-making technique is used for spiral pipes, however, it still begins with a sheet of metal that is wound at an angle. This will allow the weld to run around the outer surface of the pipe in order to form a helix-like structure with the joints all welded together.
In applications wherein high tolerances are not necessarily required, steel coils are preferred. This is due to the high weld-ability, ductility, and machinability of the steel sheets when they’re unwound. Using any type of metal fabrication machine, press breaks, or stamping machine, steel coils can be transformed into exceptional structural steel members, such as I-beams, H-beams, angle bars, wide flange beams, and more.
Structural steel members are found in almost every type of building. For example, they provide framework support for a structure’s walls or enclosures. Steel beams are sturdy enough to support different building materials and they can also be joined using different types of couplings or steel connections. These beams can also be found in a building’s ceiling structure — steel trusses and rafters provide ample support to resist wind loads and keep the ceiling structure intact.
Steel has a high melting point, making sheet metals suitable for use in electronic goods. Some examples would be CPU housings, mobile phone cases, heat sinks, iron cores, circuit boards, and the like. As these components require electrical energy to function, they may end up producing high heat levels that can affect the other parts.
Fortunately, the high melting point of steel coils allows all of these parts to work together without the anger of high temperatures that may destroy the parts. Steel coils also make a good choice because they are easy to fashion and require very little maintenance. Any electronic device that you have at home, made out of steel is a cost-effective purchase due to the material’s properties.
Automotive parts manufactured from steel coils can be found almost anywhere in a vehicle — from the chassis framework, car doors, exhaust, dashboard system, wheels, rims, engine, suspension, and the like. The high strength-to-weight ratio, durability, heat resistance, and non-combustibility of steel coils make them ideal due to the heat produced in a vehicle’s combustion engine. Like electronic consumer goods, vehicle parts will remain intact when steel coils are used.
Aside from these already-existing automobile parts. Products made out of steel coils have also been the go-to material for car manufacturers. Steel coils can be recycled endlessly and indefinitely without losing their most crucial properties. Any scrap steel coil can be refined and milled again to become new vehicle parts. Moreover, car components and vehicle manufacturers are constantly experimenting with steel to come up with innovative solutions to improve vehicle safety and user experience.
Finally, on a broader application, steel coils are widely used in different metal stamping processes like shearing, notching, flanging, or cutting. Once again, steel coils are extremely malleable, whether for hot-forming or cold-forming stamping. They can easily be shaped in any kind of form and can be used for achieving high tolerances.
Metal-stamped steel coils have benefitted all industries — from automotive, industrial, petrochemical, logistics, construction, food & beverage, and many more. In fact, almost all steel products that you’ll find around you are made out of stamped steel coils, making them a versatile material.
As discussed in this article, steel coil uses can be classified into the following: pipe-making, steel beams/members, automotive components, metal-stamped parts, and electronic devices. Although steel coil manufacturing seems simple — i.e. by beginning with a semi-finished steel slab — it has been essential in delivering different types of finished steel parts and goods to be used in different ways.
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