Industrial Metal Types, Applications & How to Source Them

Metal is used all over the world, in almost every industry. It allows the creation of everything from simple, strong bridges to complex computing and tech advancements.

When buying metal for an industrial application, it’s important to select the exact type, grade, and shape, as these can greatly affect the performance, safety, and longevity of your final component. In this article, we’ll talk about how to select and source industrial metals.

What Are Industrial Metals?

Industrial metals are any metallic materials used in industry, be that aluminium for casting engine blocks, mild steel for fabricating bridges, or copper for manufacturing electrical conductors and components.

In general, industrial metals are bought in one of several standard shapes and sizes, such as round tubes, beams and bars. These are made to various standards to ensure repeatability and efficiency in manufacturing.

Material grades of industrial metals are also tightly monitored, with quality standards being used to ensure the correct composition is maintained. This is needed to maintain manufacturing, performance and strength characteristics.

Most Common Types Of Industrial Metals

Whilst all metals are likely to be used in industry when considering specialised applications, there are a few common types that you will find in almost all machine or welding shops:

• Mild Steel – the most commonly used material in the world, after concrete, as it is cheap, strong and easy to manufacture
• Stainless Steel – a common metal used in hygienic or harsh environments, thanks to its resistance to corrosion
• Aluminium – lightweight but strong, commonly used for high-performance parts in industries such as automotive and aerospace
• Copper – An excellent conductor of heat and electricity, copper is also extremely easy to machine and form, making it great for electrical contacts
• Brass – easy to cast and machine, offering high corrosion resistance and relatively low cost, makes brass a great material for valves and similar parts

How To Choose the Right Type Of Metal for Your Project

Selecting the right metal is crucial and should ideally be completed at the design stage, because each metal has its own limitations in manufacturability. The following considerations should give a good starting point:

Cost

Almost all industrial and engineering projects are governed by cost, which may immediately rule out exotic materials such as titanium or expensive ones such as stainless steel

Manufacturing Processes

Every material has its own limitations and benefits when manufacturing. For instance, steel, stainless steel and aluminium are easy to weld and fabricate, but brass, on the other hand, is very difficult to weld.

Conversely, copper is easy to cast, whereas stainless steel is more challenging.

Corrosion Resistance

Mild steel corrodes, especially in damp or marine environments. Coatings such as galvanising and painting can help, but for the ultimate protection, selecting a corrosion-resistant material such as stainless steel is best.

Strength and other physical properties

If your project involves high loads or safety-critical parts, high strength is vital. Not only is a part being strong necessary, but other properties, such as ductility, are also important.

Certain materials, such as cast aluminium, are quite strong but are not ductile, meaning when they are overloaded, they snap rather than bend. In some situations, this can be very dangerous.

Where To Source Industrial Metals

Supply chains for most industrial metals are long-established, meaning that a reliable, cost-effective source is usually possible for most metal products.

If you’re sourcing machined, cast or welded parts, it’s usually best to go directly to a local, reputable subcontractor and allow them to source the raw material. That way, any complex technical queries can be solved easily.

However, if you’re looking for raw materials, such as tubes, bars, round stock or sheets, a supplier such as Metals Supermarkets is perfect. Not only do they stock a wide range of shapes and sizes, but nationwide delivery and a cutting service are also available.

Industrial Metal Lead Times And Cost Considerations

Lead times can vary greatly in the industrial metal supply sphere, from a matter of hours for commonly used stock sizes to weeks or months if trade quotas, low demand or speciality sizes affect proceedings.

It’s best to consider the lead times of any size, grade, or type of metal before committing to a design, as choosing to use a more commonly available stock is often a simple change to make that has a massive impact on lead times and supply chain issues.