Nearly 99% iron, steel is alloyed with carbon to create one of the strongest solids in the world. This strong material is then used in a variety of everyday products:
- silverware
- cooking pans
- sign posts
- vehicles
- screws and bolts
- custom fasteners
- railroad tracks
- cell tower poles
- razor blades
From the smallest every day items to the largest industrial products, steel is a basic building material used throughout America and the rest of the world. The steel industry itself, in fact, directly keeps employed anywhere from two to three million people in the world. Another six million people are employed in roles that support the steel industry. And while much of the focus of steel production may be for the largest items made of steel, minute products made from steel are in many ways just as important as the largest production pieces.
Consider, for example, the tiny screws and other custom fasteners that are used in the assembly of many of today’s smallest technology pieces. Cell phones, tablets, and laptops are in many cases held together by custom set screws and specifically designed micro screws.
The combination of these smallest fasteners and the largest machines means that steel is a major part of America’s export trade. In fact, in the year 2010, the U.S. exported industrial machines made in part or in whole from steel that was valued at $42.7 billion. And in addition to the industrial exports, machinery manufacturing shipments totaled $407.4 billion in the year 2012. This number represented mire than 7% of all 2012 shipments.
Another advantage to steel production, whether the end result is a set of custom shoulder bolts or a large transformer pole, with 90% recycled content steel is one of the most recycled materials on the planet.
An examination of America’s steel production tells the story of this country’s history. From the manufacturing boom of the Industrial Revolution to today’s technological revolution, steel has been an important part and a driving force in America’s economy and its lifestyle. From the smallest fasteners that are integral to the development of the newest products from Silicon Valley to the largest steel towers that provide cell phone reception, steel plays an important part. Good references.
