Steel is used in a wide variety of ways on a daily basis. It may not be realized by some what life would be like if we did not have it. Steel is a combination of many metals and the process of smelting steel was invented by Henry Bessemer in 1856.
There are 3000 varieties of steels. China is one of the largest steel producers. It is fabricated in two main ways. They are electric arc furnace (EAF) and the more popular integrated route. The integrated route involves recycled steel.
There are 5 primary steps in the steel making process. They respectively are making iron, making steel, casting, rough rolling and product rolling. The first step involves converting ore to liquid iron. The next step is the process of converting iron to steel. In casting, the steel is solidified. In rough rolling, also known as billet rolling, the sizes of the blocks are reduced. Lastly, the blocks are shaped, which is referred to as product rolling.
Steel is a specialized industry and requires specific skills. A local steel fabricator can offer custom projects and have access to the necessary steel supplies to complete the job. Their projects cover a variety of areas for both home and commercial needs. Below are a few of many areas where their services come handy.
Without steel, construction of our everyday buildings and homes would be very different. Steel supplies us with wires, nails and steel pipes.
In our offices, it is the very reason we have rulers, USB drives, paper clips, pens, and pencil sharpeners.
The medical devices that are likely taken for granted would not be possible without the equipment that steel fabrication has allowed us to enjoy. Microscopes to aid in medical and scientific discoveries, various types of needles, and dental equipment would be impossible without steel.
What would kitchens be like without steel? What would eating be like? What would our homes be like? The steel industry provides wire whisks, spoons and forks, and corkscrews just to name a few. Without steel, there would be no irons.
Could you begin to image still having to walk everywhere or having menial transportation? This is where we would be without cars, trains, bridges and planes. The luxury types of transportation we enjoy are in large due to the production of steel.
Of course the Y generation would just pull their hair outs without cell phones and cameras.
Steel has allowed for very different lifestyles than from ancient eras. Its strength, flexibility and great environmental value continues to be an asset in new technology.