Category Archive: Steel blanking

What the Steel Tariffs Mean for American Manufacturing

The current state of steel is on the minds of many people around the world. With the recent introduction of tariffs on international steel and aluminum shipments, American manufacturers are scrambling to make sure they have an adequate supply.

The uncertainty has driven up the price of these metals substantially over the past few weeks. With a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum, this is a significant supply barrier to overcome. And even with American metal suppliers available, prices are rising steadily along with demand. Just last month, the price of hot-rolled coiled steel was upwards of $800 per ton, which was already 32% higher than 5 months before in October. It’s a significant increase over a relatively short span of time.

The rising cost of raw materials has caused many manufacturers to raise the cost of their products. This trend is already impacting numerous seemingly unrelated industries, including farming. Farmers rely on metal-based products for their daily operations. Everything from heavy equipment such as tractors, to the massive grain storage bins that are vital for their operations rely on metals such as steel and aluminum. As the price of the material rises, producers of these items are raising prices in response, making equipment upgrades difficult or impractical for many end users.

And for projects that involve construction and infrastructure, the budgeting process is even more difficult. With material prices fluctuating so much, it’s hard for even the suppliers to gauge how much a final job will cost. A customer that ordered a particular product just a few months ago may find the price considerably higher if they need to re-order anytime soon. And for ongoing projects, the costs are continuing to climb – a problem especially felt in the public sector where budgets are relatively inflexible.

At Ohio Valley Manufacturing, our pricing is relatively stable thanks to a reliable supply. We are fielding many questions regarding lead times, however. Currently, we’ve been able to keep up with demand and don’t anticipate any major impacts within our own business. We continue to monitor the situation, however, and understand the volatility of the market.

If you need a dependable heavy gauge stamping provider, give us a call to see how we can help. You can reach us at 419-522-5818 or by emailing sales@ohiovalleymfg.com.

Welding: MIG Versus TIG

Welding is a core component of metal fabrication. It is the process of joining metals using a fusion process where the base metals are melted together using a filler material to form them joint. This is a high-temperature process and can be performed by hand or through robotic welders.

Two commonly used welding methods are known as TIG and MIG. The final outcome for both joins metals together but the processes and material are different and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. In this post we will look at each method’s pros and cons.

TIG welding or Tungsten inert gas process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to make the weld. TIG comes from Tungsten, Inert Gas and the weld area is shielded from atmospheric contamination by a gas such as argon or helium. TIG welding requires the welding rod to be slowly fed into the weld puddle.

MIG welding or metal inert gas uses a gun to continuously feed the welding wire into the joint to burn, melt, and fuse the pieces together. Atmospheric contamination is prevented by flowing an argon-based shielding gas or an argon-carbon dioxide mix over the weld puddle.

Let’s compare the two methods:

TIG MIG
Cleaner, less fumes and sparks More sparks and fumes
Less contamination, higher precision
Good for thin material, can be used with no filler Welds a wide range of material
Longer setup, not user-friendly Less setup, easier and more forgiving welds
Welds cost more and take longer More accessible equipment reduced costs
More complex and requires more skill Easier to learn and makes quicker welds
Can weld many different types of metals Most often used with carbon steel, stainless, aum

At Ohio Valley we provide in-house welding services that cover all projects from design and building to checking fixtures and production. Using material handling robots enables us to offer a cost effective solution and we are equipped to handle high-volume automation.

Contact us today to learn about Ohio Valley’s robotic welding service and TIG vs MIG welding operations.

Precision Blanking for Winter Outdoor Power Equipment

While we may be right in the middle of summer, many manufacturers are already starting to think about snow blowers and other outdoor power equipment for the approaching winter months. Now is the time for power equipment companies to begin designing and fabricating their new lines of snow blowers, de-icers, snow plows, and more.

New Holland has already announced its new High/Standard Flow Snow Blowers, from FCC, which has been designed to move large volumes of snow. The snow blower attachment is offered in 60-,72-,84-, and 96-inch widths that can be used on several different models of New Holland skid-steer loaders and compact truck loaders.

We expect to see more announcements over the coming months as companies unveil their newest winter power equipment products. At Ohio Valley Manufacturing we have extensive experience working with outdoor power equipment companies to provide precision blanking services. We have over eight blanking production methods, which allow us to handle a variety of different blanking needs.

To learn more about our precision blanking services and how we can meet your unique requirements, contact us directly. We also post more industry news and company updates on our Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

Steel Blanks from Ohio Valley Manufacturing

At Ohio Valley Manufacturing steel blanking is at the core of our business. We have established ourselves to our customers with our key components and equipment that allow us to handle both heavy and light weight gage steel. Steel blanks have a variety of applications and can be used across many different industries, including automotive, appliances, heavy truck manufacturing, trailer manufacturing, material handling equipment, lawn and garden equipment, and construction.

At Ohio Valley Manufacturing we have the capabilities to accommodate material ranging from .020” to 5/8” in thickness and up to 72” wide, with an advance of 100” in length. We primarily manufacture first operation blanks, which means there will generally be subsequent operations after we blank it such as forming, coating or holes added, but our facility can also handle bulk, imported, and intricate orders.

We can also fabricate a configured shape such as a circle and we can run tooling that requires cut through, compound blanks, and more. In addition to our carbon and stainless steel blanks we also have experience working with aluminum.

To learn more about steel blanks and how we can help you with your low or large volume run, visit our website. We also post more company news on our Twitter and LinkedIn pages.