Hot Off the Press

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Zig-Zag Servo Feed Saving Material at InSInkErator

The press shop at the Racine, WI manufacturing facility of InSinkErator has added a zig-zag press-feeding system supplied by CWP and Formtek Maine, Clinton, ME. The servo-feed system, rated for stock 18 in. wide by 0.030 in. thick, features a stock reel, straightener and threading tables. A variable-tension brake automatically adjusts brake tension as the coil depletes. Matte-chrome pinch rolls and smooth-chrome straightening rolls on the stock straightener help to shed particles and process critical-finish material used to manufacture parts for the firm’s waste-disposal units. Zig-zag feeds, when used for stamping circular blanks, can result in a 22-percent scrap reduction compared to conventional feeds, say CWP officials; www.cwpcoil.com/. Here’s a short 1-min. video of the system at work.

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Webinar Instructs on Manufacturing HVAC Coils with Copper Tubes

Tune in March 27, at 1:00 p.m. ET for a free webinar on manufacturing air-conditioning and refrigeration coils with small-diameter copper tubes. Presenters from Burr Oak Tool, Sturgis, MI, will review basic coil-manufacturing practices and discuss the performance-related drivers behind the trend toward smaller-diameter micro-groove tubes. Learn more and register to attend at www.microgroove.net/webinars.

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Finished-Steel Imports Rose in January; Import Market Share Increased to 23 Percent

Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reports that the United States imported a total of 2.55 million net tons (NT) of steel in January 2012, including 2.1 million NT of finished steel--up 23 and 31 percent, respectively, from December 2011. Finished-steel import market share in January was an estimated 23 percent, up one percentage point from full-year 2011 and up four percentage points from December.

Key finished-steel products with significant import increases in January 2012, compared to December, include cold-rolled sheets (up 59 percent) and cut-to-length plates (up 42 percent).

In January vs. the month before, the largest volumes of finished-steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (up 55 percent), Turkey (up 71 percent), Japan (up 0.2 percent), Germany (up 25 percent) and China (up 15 percent). 

 

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