On Thursday, Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based flat rolled steel processor High Steel Service Center LLC introduced HIGHSL, sheet and plate that is panel-flat and stress-free for laser processing. Produced on a new leveling line, the material will not warp or buckle during fabrication by sensitive equipment because all the internal stresses have been removed from the metal. The line is the first of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region.
High Steel Service Center takes coil steel from mills and processes it for use by original equipment manufacturers, laser processors, sheet metal fabricators, and others who make a wide range of steel parts. In a multi-year market survey, the company demonstrated that flatness is a top issue in its markets, where internal stresses could cause material to warp during fabrication, reducing customer efficiencies and increasing costs. "This is a significant problem for fabricators running high-speed equipment such as laser, plasma, and waterjet cutters," says Jim Cunningham, vice president, sales and marketing, in a press release. "It slows down their operations and can damage the equipment."
The company addressed the market issue by investing $10 million in a Red Bud Industries stretcher leveler and two Bradbury roller levelers, one with eDrive technology, to produce HIGHSL. A unique combination of leveler machines, the state-of-the-art line stretches 100 percent of the material beyond its yield point to completely relieve internal stresses.
"This capability offers a unique competitive advantage to our customers by eliminating their number one challenge: problems relating to flatness and stress removal," says Rick Bennett, High Steel Service Center president. "At the same time, we improve our customers' product quality, increasing their manufacturing throughput and helping to reduce their operating costs."