76 / 108
Stainless steel production
The AOD and VOD processes developed in the Fifties
and Sixties of the last century prompted striking
advances in stainless steel production by 1970 or so,
and we enjoy the benefits – lower materials costs,
higher productivity, improved quality –
to this day. No less dramatic, if less apparent,
are the refinements since that time, principally as
they relate to environmental concerns.
Having a favourable strength-to-weight ratio compared
to most other metals, stainless steel can be engineered
to lighter gauges, for important raw materials savings.
The comparatively high value of stainless scrap
ensures that detritus is melted down rather than
sent to a landfill. Owing to their stability at ambient
temperatures there is no leaching or run-off with
stainless alloys.
The metal distinguished for its satiny gleam is in fact
a quintessential “green” material. The professionals
whose products and services are reviewed here know
this, and they are committed to showing ecology-
conscious designers, architects and engineers how to
get from stainless steel everything it has in it to give.
Stainless steel
production
Photo: With the aid of the Springmatic measuring system integrated
into the bending tool, tube processing companies can bend, measure
and adjust in a single stage. Schwarze-Robitec GmbH – Germany