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Innovations In Metal Bar Design

You need only look at the world around you to see how wide-ranging and versatile metal is when it comes to construction and fabrication applications. However, look a little closer, and you might be surprised at the many ways innovations in metal bar design are used in industrial and everyday products and settings. You can order industrial metal bars from Steel Plate & Sections or keep reading to learn more about these lengths of metal and how they’re used in design.

You need only look at the world around you to see how wide-ranging and versatile metal is when it comes to construction and fabrication applications. However, look a little closer, and you might be surprised at the many ways innovations in metal bar design are used in industrial and everyday products and settings. You can order industrial metal bars from Steel Plate & Sections or keep reading to learn more about these lengths of metal and how they’re used in design.


What is a metal bar?

Before exploring the most common steel bar shapes, let’s get to grips with the basics and find out more about metal bars. The basic definition of one of these products is that it’s steel or another metal that has been cast in a rectangular block shape for easier handling.

Industrial metal bars are a pure form of metal produced after raw ore has been smelted. These bars are available in several different shapes and sizes suitable for a plethora of industrial and everyday applications.

To produce these products, coke, iron ore, limestone, dolomite, or other raw materials are placed in a blast furnace where the iron is melted and converted into steel. The steel is heated up to 1,250°C to be formed into shape before being rolled in a rolling mill, which reshapes the steel into the desired metal bar design.

The bars are then quenched (cooled rapidly) to prevent the metal from gaining undesirable properties such as crystallisation. The bars are left to cool further for self-tempering before being placed on cooling beds at normal temperatures. Once the bars reach normal temperature through this final atmospheric cooling stage, the core of the bar forms a ferrite-pearlite structure and becomes ductile while the whole bar becomes more weldable

What are the different shapes of metal bars?

There are four basic steel bar shapes available. These are:

  • Rectangular bar: The length and width dimensions of these bars are different.
  • Square bar: These industrial metal bars have equal length and width dimensions.
  • Round bar: Also known as a metal rod, this metal bar design has a round cross-section and istypically measured by its diameter.
  • Hexagonal bar: These bars have a six-sided cross-section. Also known as hex bars, their unit ofmeasurement is often referred to as AC (Across Flats), as the diameter is measured across two flatfaces opposite one another.

What are the different ways metal bars can be utilised in design?

Recent innovations in technology have taken steel bar design to new heights. Industrial metal bars are being put to more creative uses than ever. Discover some of the exciting ways in which these products are being used:

  1. Renewable energy: More than being recyclable and having the already-explored potential for greener production methods, steel is playing a role in the renewable energy industry. Concrete-reinforcing industrial metal bars are the foundation for generators, turbines, and water gates within turbines and other structures
  2. Ornamental items: Steel bar shapes are seeing increasing use in art and design. The bars’ workable form and malleability make them an excellent choice for art and décor pieces such as original sculptures to trendy fixtures and fittings such as shelving units with industrial chic.
  3. Frame construction: Steel bars play a significant role in building frames, which are mostly constructed from mild steel. Bars are cut, drilled, and welded when used in these frames. This can happen relatively quickly and easily, as the parts can be prefabricated or purchased as sections such as angles and plate girders.
  4. Home appliances: Flat metal bar designs are more commonly used in home appliances than many people might think. Bars are the foundation for an array of everyday items, such as chest freezers, extractor hoods, heaters, latches, microwave ovens, overhead doors, refrigerators, and washing machines.

Best quality industrial metal bars in the UK

It’s almost strange to think that industrial metal bars in four basic shapes make their way into almostevery aspect of our lives. Thanks to innovations in metal bar design, these products are even moreuseful. Order high quality steel bars online from Steel Plate & Sections. Choose from a selection ofpopular sizes or enquire about bespoke orders.

Posted by Killian Ward
22nd January 2024

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