As the rise of technology has taken society by storm, so too has it led to great innovative strides in the steel industry. In fact, around 75% of modern steel products were developed in only the past few decades. Here are 4 innovations and technologies having an impact on Australia’s steel industry.
High-strength steel
Steel in itself has always been a strong material however, recent experimentation has seen the advent of a class of superior high-strength steels. Those with a yield stress of up to 690MPa are readily available in Australia. The benefits to using a high-strength steel are saving on weight, transport costs and labour. It is estimated that by swapping to an innovative high-strength steel, building foundations can save up to 28-38% in weight. More recent high-strength steels are low-medium alloys using nickel, manganese, chromium, copper or molybdenum in varied quantities.
3D printing
This new technology is fast-becoming the one to watch in more than one industry. In the steel industry, 3D printing is allowing for rapid prototyping of new designs and increased capacity for specialist parts. It’s still an emerging tech for steel, but so far many are excited by its potential.
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
The fast computers become, the better manufacturing processes we are able to provide. Automating the manufacturing for steel products helps to speed up the process and reduce costs for the end-user. In particular, this is having an impact on the availability of modular construction with steel.
Modular construction
While steel is a highly popular product, it has always required specialised labour to take it from merely a sheet, bar, tube or rod into its desired use. With modular construction, the manufacturing process will take more of the labour and pump out a piece of steel ready to be fitted as part of a set. Build times are estimated to be reduced by up to 50-60% by using modular construction. For industries such as aviation and motorsports where the end-product is built on repeat, this could lead to greater faster build times and greater cost-efficiency.
Source your steel from the best with Airport Metals
As the steel industry grows and changes, you want to know your steel is sourced from the best. Airport Metals have over 50 years of history distributing steel products throughout Australia. Partnering with some of the largest industries from military to aviation and motorsports, we are a company Australians trust to source their steel. For more information about our products or to place an order, call (03) 9310 5566 or make an enquiry via our online form.