Revolutionising Stainless Steel processing: slashing steps, cutting costs and boosting efficiency
In the ever-evolving world of engineering, an innovative project, inspired by the need to optimise the processing of steel used in various applications, recently attracted significant attention. The primary motivation was to reduce the complexity, cost and environmental impact associated with processing mild steel.
Inspiration and objectives
Mild steel is widely used in construction and manufacturing processes. Guardiar’s Paul van Der Berg explains: “Traditionally, steel used in these projects had to undergo five distinct processes: profiling, drilling, hot-dip galvanising, degassing and coating. The rising cost of galvanising – driven by increasing prices of raw materials and energy – necessitated a more efficient approach.”
By opting for stainless steel instead of mild steel, the Guardiar team aimed to reduce the number of required processes from five to three: profiling, drilling and coating. Eliminating galvanising and degassing primarily saves costs and improves efficiency of steel processing without compromising the quality or durability of the final product.
Unique features and benefits
Unlike mild steel, which requires additional galvanising to prevent corrosion, stainless steel inherently resists corrosion. This property allowed the team to remove two of the most resource-intensive and costly processes. An additional benefit of eliminating galvanising is reduced environmental impact. Furthermore, reducing processing steps enhances efficiency on the production line, which contributes to faster turnaround.
Overcoming challenges through collaboration
One of the significant challenges in this project was rolling the stainless steel, which has high-tensile strength relative to its thickness. The solution required meticulous finetuning of the mills to accommodate the unique properties of stainless steel. This was achieved through close collaboration
among team members who shared their combined expertise.
“This innovative project not only demonstrated the potential to reduce processing steps and costs but also highlighted the importance of material selection and teamwork in overcoming engineering challenges,” Van der Berg adds. “The success of this project is inspiring efforts to innovate and optimise traditional manufacturing processes.”