Impossible Things without Steel

       Steel with its durable yet flexible nature has effortlessly blended itself in the modern society as a dependable raw material for projects across various industries. 

      Steel has shaped and acted as a catalyst in the modern society with its implications for complex projects.

      VKICL has listed down a few things, which would be impossible to imagine without our beloved steel. 

     1.  Razor Blade – Ask any modern day man, how a clean shave boosts his confidence at workplace and how important it is to find a comfortable razor for the same. The blades in razor blades are made up of stainless steel and provide a sharp edge for a clean shave, and its anti-rust property makes its safe for cosmetic use. 

     2.  Steel Chains - A simple design break through make steel chains more durable and strong rather than regular ropes. The moulds on the each bracket increase the overall breaking threshold of the rope or chain making it ideal for high strength projects. 

   

     3.  Steel Ropes in Bridges – Traditional lever bridges have high tensile steel used in them for support. This steel provided the much required strength it requires from the steel cables. 

     4.   Steel Beams in Construction – Modern day sky scrapers and buildings use steel rods for construction which gives them the required strength to hold on for decades. 

     5.  Brake Discs – The brake discs in almost all modes of transport have steel plates as brakes. Owing to the high melting point, it acts as a great friction surface for vehicles to get their speed lower. 

     6.  Storage Cells / Containers –  Most mega F&B factories which use liquid for storage or raw material use huge stainless steel containers for the purpose. Since its not reactive with most of the liquids and food products, it doesn’t chemically react with the product stored. Milk in dairy factories is stored in such cells. 

     7.  Safety Pin – A small yet old invention which has helped the mankind since ages, safety pin, is made up of stainless steel. It makes it flexible, strong and long lasting. Even in small sizes the steel used retains its properties. 

     8.  Steel Wheels – Modern day train wheels are made up of steel which makes them durable for long journeys with heavy loads. 

     9.  Steel Safes – A durable companion for keeping your valuables safe. Since over a century now, steel safes are still famous and trust worthy to keep precious belongings safe. 

 10.  Arresting Cables - Arresting cables on modern day aircraft carriers enable fighter aircrafts land in an extremely short landing distance surface. A hook from the aircraft is lowered just before the landing which gets caught in one of the arresting cables lying on the ground. The ropes or cables have to bear with tremendous pressure, landing after landing. 

Steel and its Modern Implications

       Steel has changed and shaped the world we live in like no other material. It has pre dominantly made its mark and established its vital importance in our lives.  Steel in this modern world is the work horse of the long race. From shipping containers, to cranes, from shipping vessels, to skeletons of sky scrappers, our mighty old steel has guided us towards development like no other material.'

      And with technological advancements steel too has moulded itself to fill in the modern day requirements.  It has successfully proved as an efficient raw material in many complex projects of the 21^st century. Listed below are few complex implications of steel where it has proved its ground and industries where steel acted as a catalyst to fasten up the project and propelled mankind towards success. 

 1.    Medicine – Many cutting edge surgical equipments, which need to be sturdy and precise, are now made up of steel for its fine quality of being steady, flexible, sharp and long lasting at the same time. Also, steel equipments can be easily sterilized.

             

              

      

         2. Nano Technology -  New age nano technology uses steel material as it retains its properties of being flexible even at micro measurements which is a pre requisite in the industry. It helps achieve complex goals with an ease of use.

   

         

       3. Robotics – The future of technology, robotics, relies heavily on modern steel for its functionality and usage. The intricate mother boards, wiring, majority of hardware, and parts are made up of steel as its light yet durable for such projects.

       

  

       4. Space Technology – Through the decades, steel and aluminium have been dominating the field, but with advancements and our space exploration expanding its boundaries, scientist have been relying on steel as an efficient material for building space rockets. It provides as a durable companion in building multi-stage aircrafts carrying heavy payloads and satellites which orbit our planet.  With space exploration reaching new heights, steel remains a dependable companion in the journey for man.

       5. Transport – Majority of transport vehicles, ships, trains, cars, bikes, use steel as a primary raw material in them since ages. But even the new and modern transport system have successfully incorporated steel in them. The bullet train and maglev (magnetic train) use steel  in tracks for its properties of being durable and magnetic. The new age EV’s or Electric Vehicles use steel in their body, guiding systems and mapping mechanisms.

       
      6. Construction – Sky scrappers and buildings for residential and commercial complexes are now using steel as their primary structural material for building as its durable and long lasting. Also, the recyclable properties of steel make it the choice of the future generation as well.

        

      
      7.Communication – Many electronic gadgets and electronics use steel in them. Modern mobile phones and laptops have alloys of steel in them, which are easily retracted from them during recycling and can be used over again.

   Scientist are now looking forward to harness more potential and power from steel trying to make it more durable and long lasting. At VK Steel its our primary objective to keep the vision of the future in mind and provide to our customers the best in the world market. 

Benefits of structural steel

Structural steel has become the first choice in construction. The framing system out of steel has its own unique specialty. Let’s go through 5 benefits of structural steel:

1)    Creative freedom:

Today, we witness complex steel materials stand with an aura of class & beauty. The structural steel has allowed using innovative blending technology & creating wonderful shapes out of it. From simple structures to complex but beautiful designs created by architectures, structure steel executes it very well & exact.

  

2)    Modifiable:

It is always possible to modify steel structures as per the changing requirements such as vertical expansions, new applications, loading conditions, etc. The existing steel building can be modified with changing needs & that too with little disruption to the framing system.

3)    Efficiency:

A steel column occupies 75% less floor space than a concrete column. Also, structural steel allows longer span that eliminates the intermediate columns. This increases the efficiency of office buildings & helps them get a perfect office layout.

4)    Aesthetic sense:

Colour coatings, freedom to explore creative strengths of architectures & natural lighting expose the elegance in the simplicity of buildings. It is possible to bend steel sections & rolled to create non-linear elements that enhance the look of the structure.

5)    Construction pace:

3 D interoperability and Building Information Modelling are the two advanced technologies which help designers & steel specialty contractors to interact & co-operate well. Thus, it saves a lot of times & speeds up the construction using structural steel.

These are some of the plus points & reasons why is structural steel, a most preferred material in construction. Along with these, low cost, easy availability, high strength, etc also makes structural steel the perfect material for the ever changing world. Steel Industry is now majorly known for its flexible structure materials & readiness to mould steel into any shape or design.

  

Next Big Change: Steel Buildings over Concrete

             Steel structures, steel manufactured buildings & other steel products have a great contribution reducing carbon from the environment. Along with this, steel constructions are even prepared to fight with any natural disaster. Thus, its qualities, protect nature & also shelter us & minimizes the impact disasters. It is the major component which indirectly plays a significant role in balancing cycle of the environment.

           Rapid industrialization, population growth & increased standard of living is costing an imbalance in the ecosystem.  The waste material created out of millions of houses & industries is hazardous for health & also, very poisonous of all living creatures other than human beings. Steel is quite helpful in this case. Scraps steel or waste steel can be recycled & reused. Also, there is no any harm caused to nature in this process. In fact, the by-products and waste of recycling are a valuable source of energy.

          Steel infrastructures have led in reducing the greenhouse gas effect to a larger extent. Thus, there must be efforts in finding out sustainable ways to use steel globally. With the use of advanced technology, it has reduced effects of carbon footprints & greenhouse gasses to a commendable proportion. This component should be used in a maximum way to benefit environment & balance ecosystem. 

       Moreover, steel buildings increase space available by almost 10%, increasing the profit of the builders!

            It is said that steel has reduced energy consumption by 60 % per tonne in last 50 years. It is huge & this makes it a worthy material to have sustainable future plans globally. Observing the present scenario, carbon capture, utilization & storage technologies are yet not fully developed. These technologies need to be developed so that sustainability of steel could be maintained & thus, the environment will be benefited.

        

   The steel industry has put maximum efforts to protect the environment & climatic conditions. The World should note its benefits & develop innovative ideas to sustain it. 

Five Fun Facts about Steel

Steel is the most commonly used & promising element across the world. Let’s go through some very interesting steel facts.

1.    Single recycled steel saves enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb.

Isn’t it interesting? This is why we need to work on the sustainable development of steel industry to lighten up the world & conserve energy at the same time.

2.    One household contains 65% of steel materials.

It means that a maximum number of things that you are surrounded is made up of steel. Steel is everywhere; in fact, steel has its presence in almost every material that we use.

3.    A computer is made up of about 25% of steel.

The tech savvy & computerized world that we all live in has its 25% of a base made out of steel. Yes! Steel is even a part of all the tech equipment. When computer become scrap material after a few years the 25 % amount steel can be recycled & used again. That’s one of the benefits of using steel components.

4.    Steel was first used as a major component in railroad tracks

Steel Industry offer a huge variety and endless applications of steel. But, initially, it was used in the construction of rail tracks. Thus, it also plays a crucial part in connecting the world together by rail routes.

                                                                                                                            

5.Steel when recycled never loses its quality.

This is one of a most amazing feature of steel. Even after recycling, steel can still be mould into different shapes & sizes without losing its original shine. Not only small things but steel waste out of huge structures, bridges & buildings can be recycled easily without causing harm to nature.

These are some interesting facts about steel. Steel is everywhere and making efforts to build up the society. Few smart & intelligent innovations in steel industry can invent a lot more environment-friendly applications & uses.

Recycling of Steel

Steel like most other metals is recyclable. From time immemorial people have recycled Steel. In a world that is becoming increasingly  aware to environment protection; recycling of steel saves the entire range of raw materials that goes into production of steel; like 1.5 tons of iron ore, 0.6 tonnes of coal, 0.5 ton of lime stones and 250 liters of oil to name a few. This apart it also saves CO2 emission.

At this time, when steel prices are going through squeezing margins, scrap prices that influence the steel markets is an important factor to be consider.  Scrap represents 70% of production costs in steel manufactured through EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) route. This process is used to manufacture 26% of global steel output. Even in the normal blast furnace based production process, scrap constitutes as an important additive. 60% of USA production is based on scrap. USA is a major exporter of scrap while Turkey is a major importer of scrap with approximately 20 million tonnes. HMS #1 & 2 are the grades of scrap that is frequently traded and is appropriate for steel production. Its specification is defined by Institute of Steel Recycling Industries. (ISRI)

During a recent conference on metal recycling in India, Steel Secretary announced the Governments resolve to frame a policy on metal recycling. It was announced that there would be a set of policies on end-of-life-cycle of commodities and a new institutional mechanism framed as per the industry's requirements, the best that will suit the country's requirements.

While steel makers are livid with the havoc caused by Chinese exporters, India remains a bright spot, where the consumption is expected to grow at 7-8% yoy, for several years to come! Looking in this context recycled steel holds lot of promise.  Many everyday products, such as cars, cans and washing machines, refrigerators are made of steel. Once these products reach the end of their useful lives, the steel is recycled. Recycling reduces the consumption of raw materials and energy and is therefore is good for the environment. With recycling supplies will remain abundant for generations to come. Recycling reduces waste and produces alternate economics and employment potential. With global recovery rate of more than 70% steel is the most recycled material in the world. What is a railway wagon or container today can be a surgical blade tomorrow!

This also leads to one envisioning a future ready infrastructure which is completely focused on steel with minimal use of concrete, cement, tar and other materials which are non-recyclable. Already, in USA and other developed markets one will see that the ratio of steel to cement has increased as builders have started to use fabricated steel beams and reduced cement usage. This is not only a sustainable practice but also, increases the saleable square feet area. Indeed a perfect example of socially economical business! This is what the world needs to focus on.

MAKING OF STEEL

Steel is the most used metal today, because of its high quality and features such as durability, high strength, corrosion resistance, long lifespan, cost effectiveness and high efficiency. From small scale to large scale production all use steel of different grades in various quantities. Almost, 50% of the world steel production goes into construction. This means we are surrounded by steel. Most of our daily use products such as kitchen ware to transport to machinery everything is made up of steel. Steel has become such an indispensable metal that we just can’t imagine our life without steel. Steel has become synonymous to growth and development.

Yet, have we ever wondered how steel is made? Which processes produces steel with effective features and qualities.

1 . Extraction of Iron Ore
Steel is the most refined metal that is made from iron ore. Iron when mined from the earth is in its raw form. It is heated to remove the impurities to get purified iron ore extract. This process of getting pure iron is known as smelting. Once the impurities are removed, it forms into a stronger metal ready to be used, which can then be formed into steel.

2. Making of Steel
The steel can be obtained, mainly through two processes: Blast furnace/Oxygen furnace and/or Electric arc furnace (EAF)

Blast Furnace/Oxygen Furnace
This process basically uses iron ore, limestone, coke and scrap as its basic raw materials.
Iron ore and coke added to the blast furnace are heated to make pig iron. This pig iron is poured into torpedo car and then unloaded into a ladle. Here the chemical compositions are made suitable for the kind of steel in requirement.

Then, sulfur levels are reduced as it makes the steel brittle and impacts the final strength of the steel. Further, the pig iron is mixed with a lance of oxygen to reduce the carbon content. It is at this point scrap steel is added to the liquid. This results in production of steel which is very close to the chemical qualities of the final grade required. Majority of the steel produced in the world uses oxygen furnace method due to its reliability on the quality of steel produced.

Electric Arc Furnace
This method mainly uses scrap as its raw material. Scrap steel is put into electric arc to re-melt. Fluxes are added to it to get the desired end product of steel. Thus this method is short, easier and faster for making steel. This uses furnaces of around 100 tonnes capacity which can produce steel within 40 to 50 minutes. 

The gases emitted in making of steel by these processes can further be used for generating electricity through the use of reciprocating gas engines.

3. Continuous Casting
After the desired composition of liquid steel is obtained, it is poured into three different huge casters to produce various thickness and form of steel.
One caster creates steel slabs, which are used to produce steel plates and used in hot strip mills and cold roll mills to produce hot rolled coils and cold rolled coils respectively through steel rolling process.
Along with it, steel is poured in continuous billets casters to create billets, through which wire rods and steel wires are produced in wire mills.
Other than this is the bloom caster, which forms thick blooms which are used for making structural shapes and rails (railway tracks).

4. Making Of Plate
The first step includes removing of oxide coating. This requires heating a slab up to 12000C to obtain a top quality steel plate. These slabs are passed continuously through rolling stands to reduce the thickness of the slab to get the suitable thickness for the plates. It is easier to make thin plates compared to thick plates as only the thickness of the slab has to be reduced to an appropriate level.

5. Quality Testing & Delivery
Quality test such as leveling which checks the evenness off the plates, heat treatment, cooling for tempering, and a range of certifications and testings are carried out to match quality standards. After quality check and stamping the steel is cut into various size as per demand and then delivered to the customer.

V.K Industries being a major steel supplier in the market, prefers to deal in the best quality steel at best prices. By leveraging its 30 years of experience in the industry, it imports high quality steel from the best and renowned mills from all over the world. It is known for efficiently delivering any amount of quantity of steel material in short duration. It specializes in wire rods, steel plates and coils.

Feel free to send in your queries or send us your purchasing inquiries here. We would be glad to serve you.

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