A spool of steel coil is an impressive sight: thousands of pounds of material, having been forced through immense pressure to form smooth, thin, gleaming metal. But this is the end product ready for sale, after the finishing process. Upon being freshly rolled, you may be surprised to find the steel’s appearance to be much … Continue reading What is Metal Pickling and Oiling?
How to Prevent Rust
We’ve all seen rust, whether it’s the dirty-orange flaking off a fence or swing set and marking up your children’s clothes, to the brownish water flowing in houses with old plumbing. But rust isn’t just an annoyance with its unsightly appearance and tendency to stain. For iron equipment and structures, rust can become a real … Continue reading How to Prevent Rust
What is a Ferrous Metal?
When classifying metals, focusing on a particular property is most often used as a way to divide them into two groups. Is this metal ductile or non-ductile? Is it magnetic or not? When it comes to ferrous metals, one basic quality determines the groups: whether the metal contains iron. If iron makes up a large … Continue reading What is a Ferrous Metal?
Metal Aging through Precipitation Hardening
When it comes to metal aging, the simplest way to understand the process is in terms of heat. In general, if a metal has the ability to withstand high temperatures during heat treatment, then it can be aged. For alloys containing aluminum, copper, magnesium or nickel, aging is the principal method of strengthening the finished … Continue reading Metal Aging through Precipitation Hardening
The Aluminum Extrusion Process
What is extrusion? Extrusion is the process of shaping material during manufacture. Generally, this is done by forcing a block of metal, called a billet, through a shaped die. Think of it like a frosting tip: whatever is squeezed out appears with the specific design you selected. How is aluminum extruded? For aluminum, the two … Continue reading The Aluminum Extrusion Process
What is the Difference between Annealing and Tempering?
At first glance, it might be difficult to distinguish annealing from tempering. Both are heat treatments designed to alter the physical and mechanical properties of a metal, and both involve heating that metal and gradually cooling it. So what makes the annealing steel different, and what are the advantages of this process? When it comes … Continue reading What is the Difference between Annealing and Tempering?
What is the Tempering Process?
Steel is a term we consider synonymous with strength. Having a steely glare, being tough as steel: both expressions used to describe someone who is hard, strong, and determined. So then, it may surprise you to learn that untempered steel can be nearly as fragile as glass! Without the tempering process, any steel produced will … Continue reading What is the Tempering Process?
What is Metal Aging?
Aging [verb]: the process of growing older. While that definition does apply, in the metals industry “aging” is specific jargon referring to treatments which speed up that process. But why would you choose to age your new metal products? It helps if you remember not to view aging as a negative. In fact, much like … Continue reading What is Metal Aging?
Decoding Steel by its Numbers
Like any other field of expertise, the steel industry has its own jargon – one that may be confusing upon first encounter. Why are they assigned four-digit codes? What’s the difference between Alloy 4130 and 4140? Steel is sorted into four main categories as set by the AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute): Being steel, … Continue reading Decoding Steel by its Numbers
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Launches FastMetals E-Commerce Platform
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE: RS) today announced the launch of its new e-commerce business, FastMetals, Inc. (www.fastmetals.com), which offers a catalogue pricing model for a diverse selection of metal products including carbon, stainless, aluminum and specialty alloy steels. Located in Massillon, Ohio, FastMetals ships nationwide and … Continue reading Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Launches FastMetals E-Commerce Platform