Specialty Steels
Specialty Steels are a type of steel alloy that has been specifically manufactured for a particular use, either in consumer or industrial products. They are typically made from carbon or alloy steels blended with other metals such as chrome, molybdenum, vanadium or nickel, and then cooled and hardened to reach the desired level of hardness. Specialty steels are used in a wide range of applications, including automotive components, construction materials and industrial machinery.
Specialty steel alloys tend to be more expensive than standard steel, as they require greater processing, including forging and heat treating, to obtain the desired end result. This additional manufacturing cost makes them ideal for applications where the environment demands something tougher. Some common uses for specialty steel include offshore construction, aerospace engineering, and medical equipment.
Specific types of specialty steel vary depending on the industry in which they are used and their desired properties. Some examples include stainless steel, tool steel and spring steel.
Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant and is well-suited to medical applications and food processing plants. Tool steel is incredibly strong and is often found in tools, dies and industrial equipment. Spring steel is very durable and is used in a wide variety of car parts and construction materials.
The majority of specialty steels are designed for industrial or commercial purposes, although some are designed for consumer products such as outdoor furniture, kitchen knives and vehicle body parts. Specialty steels may be available from a manufacturer as blank plates or bars, which can be machined or cut to suit a particular application. Different types of specialty steel may require different levels of heat treating and hardening processes in order to obtain the desired properties.
The main advantages of specialty steels are their strength, durability and corrosion-resistance. In addition, as specialty steels are designed for specific purposes, they can be tailored to offer specific levels of performance that a mass-produced product cannot provide.
Investment in research and development of new steel alloys is ongoing, allowing designers to use specialty steels in ways that were previously impossible. For example, gun barrels have been traditionally made from monolithic pieces of steel, but they can now be made from stacked layers of steel alloys of different qualities, such as hardness and wear resistance.
Although specialty steels do add cost to a project, they are often worth the additional expense when used in critical applications, such as those which require high levels of performance or corrosion-resistance. It is up to the designer or product manager to decide whether the cost of a specialty steel is worth the expense, taking into account the desired performance and environmental conditions.
