Australian Stainless Blog

Stainless technology to remember war heroes

Stainless technology to remember war heroes

The Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park Corner, London stands as a symbol of freedom and an enduring spirit of strength.

To commemorate the men and women who fought and died for Australia alongside Britons in the two World Wars, Australian architectural firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and artist Janet Laurence designed the Memorial to reflect the sweep of the Australian landscape.

The result was a highly durable structure featuring a long, curved wave wall constructed out of West Australian green granite and supported by grade 316L stainless steel.

ASSDA Major Sponsor, Atlas Specialty Metals, and ASSDA members, M & S

Cleaning of exterior stainless steel

Cleaning of exterior stainless steel

The visual performance of outdoor stainless steel depends on five interrelated factors:

• Surface finish - smooth and clean and free of crevices.
• Grade selection - appropriate for environment.
• Good design - rain washing and uniform draining.
• Maintenance program - regular cleaning.
• End user expectations.

This technical article provides suggestions on a maintenance program for cleaning of exterior stainless steel, together with some recommendations for remedial action if stains occur beyond regular maintenance or where such maintenance has not been performed.

Maintenance: routine removal of grime

Stainless steel holds its appearance best if it is washed

Stainless delivers savings for Sydney Water

Stainless delivers savings for Sydney Water

Cleaner beaches and major water savings will be the chief benefits of the largest Sydney Water construction project ever undertaken on the New South Wales south coast.

ASSDA Member, Roladuct Spiral Tubing, supplied approximately 60 tonnes of grade 316 and 316L stainless steel tubing and associated fittings for the Wollongong Sewage Treatment Plant.The $197 million Illawarra Wastewater Strategy will see an overhaul of the 40-year-old Wollongong sewage treatment plant (STP) including the construction of a major new water recycling plant, high level (tertiary) treatment processes and ultraviolet disinfection systems.

ASSDA member, Roladuct Spiral Tubing, supplied approximately 60 tonnes of grade 316 and 316L stainless spiral tubing and associated fittings in 2mm to 5mm thicknesses for the project.

These materials were provided to Total Process

Grade 2205 for High Corrosion Resistance and High Strength

Grade 2205 for High Corrosion Resistance and High Strength

Combining many of the beneficial properties of both ferritic and austenitic steels, 2205 is the most widely used duplex stainless steel grade. Its high chromium and molybdenum content gives the stainless steel excellent corrosion resistance. The microstructure provides resistance to stress corrosion cracking and ensures high strength.

The grade is generally not suitable for use at temperatures above 300oC or below -50oC because of reduced toughness outside this range.

You are most likely to encounter 2205 stainless steel being used in industrial environments such as petrochemical, chemical, oil, gas and paper plants.

Alternative Grades
2205 has

Specifying Stainless Steel Pressure Piping for High Rise Buildings

Specifying Stainless Steel Pressure Piping for High Rise Buildings

Brisbane's tallest residential tower, The Aurora will stand 69 levels and will set an important precedent in the use of stainless steel pressure piping in high rise buildings when the Bovis Lend Lease project is completed in January 2006

 

Situated on the corner of Queen, Eagle and Wharf Streets in the Brisbane CBD, The Aurora utilises stainless steel pressure piping instead of conventional copper piping to ensure adequate water pressure for each of the 478 two and three bedroom apartments in the $250 million development.

ASSDA member, Blucher Australia, supplied approximately 250m x 108mm OD x 2mm Mapress tube

Animal or alien? Stainless steel sculptures come alive


Posted 1 July 2005

These extraordinary sculptures shine with life when fashioned from stainless steel, demonstrating the diversity and beauty of the material.

Stainless Steel Lacewing - Brisbane, Australia Stainless Steel Brolga - Sydney, Australia

Main image:
Stainless Steel Snake 'Soho" - Artist: Damien Elderfield
Fabricated by Damien Elderfield, Melbourne

Left:
Stainless Steel Lacewing - Artist: John Coleman
Queensland Cultural Centre Busway, Brisbane

Right:
Stainless Steel Brolga - Artist: Allen Minogue
Fabricated by Townsend Group, Sydney

These images were featured in Australian Stainless Issue 32, Winter 2005.

Strata: A Majestic Streetscape in Stainless Steel

Strata: A Majestic Streetscape in Stainless Steel

When South Australian developer, John Culshaw of Pentroth Pty Ltd proposed the design for the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel in Adelaide, the original proposal was for plain vertical bars for the car park grille of the Bent Street facade

Instead of surrendering to drab, pre-fab vertical bar grille designs, the developer actively sought a stylish alternative to the car park status quo. He commissioned artists Sue Rodwell and Trevor Rodwell to create ‘Strata’, a stainless steel grille design that aesthetically showcases the hotel building and provides a ‘majestic streetscape’ experience for Bent Street pedestrians.

The artists’ intention was to excise

Low nickel austenitic stainless steels

Low nickel austenitic stainless steels

The most common grades of stainless steel are 304 and 316, which are particularly popular because their austenitic microstructure results in an excellent combination of corrosion resistance, mechanical and physical properties and ease of fabrication.

The austenitic structure is the result of the addition of approximately 8-10% nickel. Nickel is not alone in being an austenite former; other elements that are used in this way are manganese, nitrogen, carbon and copper.

The Cost of Nickel and Its Addition to Stainless Steel

The cost of the common stainless steels is substantially determined by the cost of ingredients. The cost of the

Turning industrial systems into architectural features

Turning industrial systems into architectural features

A Queensland stainless steel fabrication company has successfully turned a product usually found in industrial environments into an architectural design feature that is gaining popularity on Australia’s east coast.

Stainless steel screens and grates have traditionally been used for filtering and cleaning in the mining, petrochemical, food processing and water treatment industries — applications where water transfer is required.

ASSDA member, Paige Stainless Fabrications has taken the grating concept further, beyond a simple drainage system, by using the product in architectural applications such as stair treads,  walkways and entry mats.

Paige Stainless Fabrications designs and manufactures ‘heel proof’ stainless steel

Reducing risk with stainless flameproof technology

Reducing risk with stainless flameproof technology

Where flammable or combustible materials are stored or handled, there can be a severe risk of an explosion or fire if handling equipment such as forklift trucks are not flameproofed.

A Combilift with stainless steel exhaust conditioner from Chess FlameproofFlameproofing of material handling equipment is the science of reducing the risk of an explosion or fire by means of specialised principles and technologies.

Three components are needed in order to generate an explosion or fire.

  1. A flammable or combustible material eg. liquid, gas or dust.
  2. Oxygen eg. air.
  3. Ignition source eg. electrical sparks,  mechanical sparks, hot surface and static discharges.

Sources of ignition include flames and sparks from exhaust

Stainless Steel Bulk Solvent Storage Facility Completed

Stainless Steel Bulk Solvent Storage Facility Completed

When coatings manufacturer, PPG Industries’ original bulk solvent storage facility had come to the end of its economic life, the company elected to install a new $8m facility that is both efficient and fully compliant with numerous safety, environmental and good design principles on its Clayton, Victoria site

 

Established in the 1950s, the bulk solvent storage facility receives a diverse range of bulk solvents and monomers, sourced from petrochemical producers in particular and delivered to the site by bulk road tanker.

PPG Industries Project Manager, Tom Van Loon, said he went in search of a stainless steel fabrication contractor

Cooking with Gas

New 9kg Stainless Steel Gas Bottles


Posted 31 October 2005

Strong demand from prestige boating and yachting manufacturers has prompted the production and release of new stainless steel nine kilogram LPG gas bottles.

Melbourne-based fabricator and ASSDA member, Stainless Tanks and Pressure Vessels (STPV) produce grade 316L stainless steel gas bottles that offer significant resistance to corrosion, making the product ideal for cooking in marine and boating applications.

The new gas bottles will also complement the increased production of barbecues now manufactured in stainless steel and are supplied with standard gas fittings.

The refillable gas bottles have a ten year

Recycling of Stainless Steel Scrap

Recycling of Stainless Steel Scrap

Today, environmental factors are at the forefront of material selection for specifiers. Stainless steel’s long service life, 100 percent recyclability and its valuable raw materials make it an excellent environmental performer.

 

 Stainless steel objects rarely become waste at the end of their useful life. Recycled stainless objects are systematically separated and recovered to go back into the production process through recycling.

As well as iron, stainless steel contains valuable raw materials like chromium and nickel which makes recycling stainless steel economically viable.

Stainless steel is actively recycled on a large scale around the world by recyclers who collect and

Specifying Stainless Steel for Luxury Beachside Homes

Specifying Stainless Steel for Luxury Beachside Homes

Stainless steel enjoys a strong and enduring reputation for visual appeal and structural integrity in a wide range of applications. This broad appeal has made stainless steel an ideal choice for value-adding luxury homes on Sydney’s northshore.

 

Spiral Staircase - Collaroy
One particular luxury home overlooking the beach at Collaroy was owned by former rugby league test captain Brad Fittler at the time. The home featured an external steel spiral staircase. However, its close proximity to the surf had caused the painted staircase to corrode in less than 12 months of installation.

Salt deposits had accumulated on the structure,

Stainless Metal Craft

Stainless Metal Craft

Artisans of Fabrication

Traditionally artisans of yesteryears searched for the right stone or timber and personally hand carved their works of art. However, modern artists and sculptors now work collaboratively to create sculptures using a wider range of materials including stainless steel

Installation artist, Marion Borgelt is a modern artist who in early 2005 completed the most significant work in her 25 year career. However, this is no public installation.

Located high on the 32nd floor of the JP Morgan Chase building overlooking Circular Quay, 'Time and Tide (wait for no man)' features 16 stainless steel spheres resting on an

Alloy C-276: A Super Alloy for Processing Plants

Alloy C-276: A Super Alloy for Processing Plants

OMG Cawse Pty Ltd is the owner and operator of a nickel and cobalt mining operation and processing plant that is located 55 kilometres north east of Kalgoorlie.

Extracting nickel involves acid leaching using sulfuric acid in a high temperature and pressure autoclave to dissolve the nickel and cobalt from the oxide ore.

The wastes from this process are very acidic and require a highly corrosion resistant material for the lining of the sump tank.

When various concrete coatings for the sump tank were trialed and failed, OMG Cawse opted to install Alloy C-276 to engineer out the continuous maintenance

Preventing Coastal Corrosion (Tea Staining)

Preventing Coastal Corrosion (Tea Staining)

When used properly, stainless steel enjoys a strong and enduring reputation for visual appeal and structural integrity in a wide range of applications and environments.

But, like all materials, stainless steel may become stained or discoloured over time, impairing the overall look. This brown discolouration - tea staining - has been identified in coastal applications in Australia and overseas.

Factors affecting tea staining have been researched by ASSDA and the information gathered has been supported by experiences from around the world.

This article provides information on tea staining and what fabricators, specifiers and end users should do to help avoid

Stainless Steel Fabrication

Common Traps to Avoid


Posted 1 April 2006

Errors in stainless steel fabrication can be expensive and difficult to resolve. So a 'Get it right the first time' approach to stainless fabrication is necessary to gain the best result. Check the ASSDA website regularly for a local Stainless Steel Specialist.

ASSDA Accredited Fabricators - Ensuring the Best Result
ASSDA Accredited Fabricators
are companies and individuals that have a common understanding of successful technical practices for fabricating stainless steel.

To ensure the highest standard in quality, Accredited Fabricators belong to the ASSDA Accreditation Scheme, an ASSDA initiative that is intended

Training your stainless steel specialists with ASSDA

Training your stainless steel specialists with ASSDA

Transforming apprentices into stainless steel specialists can be a challenging but rewarding experience for employers seeking to improve quality, retain staff and increase profitability.

Underpinning theory and practical training in stainless steel represents only a small part of TAFE fabrication education in Australia. Understanding of standard industry terms such as pickling and passivation, crevice corrosion and knowledge of all the stainless steel grades by students even after completion is minimal.

In response to this problem, ASSDA developed the Stainless Steel Specialist Course, a 16 module training course that provides the industry with the underpinning knowledge required to meet the quality

Australian Stainless Products

Australian Stainless Products

Built on Reputation

Alistair Patterson has a flair for the food and beverage industry that borders on obsession. As the sole proprietor for ASSDA Accredited Fabricator, Australian Stainless Products, Patterson's reputation within the industry means when projects are on, he is onto it!

Australian Stainless Products are custom manufacturers of quality stainless steel food, beverage and pharmaceutical process products and equipment.

Established more than 20 years ago, Australian Stainless Products started out building basic dairy machinery, primarily small repairs and maintenance of equipment for a few of the local food processing equipment plants.

“Back then the business was basically building

ASSDA - Supporting You

ASSDA’s activities focus on networking, promotion, education, accreditation, standards development and problem-solving. View the Association's history of achievements and milestones in supporting the Australian stainless steel industry here.

160+

Member Organisations

100+

Publications

8,775+

Stainless Steel Specialist
Course enrolments

Check out our services

 

Stainless Steel Specialist Course

An online educational tool designed to improve your knowledge of stainless steel, its properties, performance and uses. Consisting of 17 challenging and rewarding modules, the course delivers a standard level of knowledge and qualification across the industry.

Learn more
 

ASSDA webinars

ASSDA's webinar program was introduced in late 2014, providing educational presentations on various stainless steel topics for Members, the specifying community and the stainless steel industry as a whole.

Learn more
 

Technical inquiries

ASSDA's Technical Support Service represents a significant asset to the local stainless steel industry, providing excellent and timely advice for the successful use of the product.

Learn more
 

ASSDA resources

ASSDA delivers a strong publications and training program with a range of titles available to participants in the stainless steel industry.

Learn more

Stainless Steel Industry Directory

As the go-to resource for the stainless steel industry in Australia, this directory is designed to showcase the capabilities of ASSDA Members and Accredited Fabricators while also serving as a platform to connect businesses with potential work opportunities.
Whether you’re a professional within the industry or a client seeking a specific stainless steel service, the Stainless Steel Industry Directory is here to facilitate connections and collaborations. Browse ASSDA’s Directory now to discover the businesses and services that can meet your stainless steel needs effectively and efficiently.

ASSDA Young Professionals Network

Empowering the next generation of stainless steel professionals and leaders.