When ASSDA Accredited Fabricator Nepean Engineering was awarded the tender for the manufacture of the stirring mechanisms for 10 thickeners for the Goro Nickel Mine in New Caledonia, they had no idea of the enormity of the venture. But having now completed the two-year undertaking they reflect on what has been their biggest stainless steel project to date.

Although the nickel mine was a massive development, Nepean Group Owner and Managing Director David Fuller admits the initial stages of commencement were a little “stop-start”.

“We won the tender 2 years before from GLV Australia Pty Ltd (Dorr-Oliver Elmco)

Specifying for industrial-size cooking kettles requires close attention to heating processes, product carried and operating temperature.

ASSDA Accredited Inox Fabrications Australia design and manufacture steam jacketed cooking kettles from 250L to 2000L capacity.

The kettles’ heat-up time is effective through design of the lower hemispherical shell which is constructed from SAF2205 providing increased longevity for use with steam and is designed in accordance
with the Pressure Vessel Code AS1210.

All food contact surfaces are grade 316 and are smooth and crevice free to avoid corrosion. Non-product contact surfaces are grade 304.

A grade 316 horizontal scraped surface agitator ensures even

Longevity won’t be an issue with the latest version of this sculpture. Cherry Blossom first appeared as an ice sculpture - complete with spinning cogs - in the 2008 Russian Ice Cup.

After winning the Mayor’s prize its creator, Melbourne-based artist Benjamin Gilbert, constructed a stainless steel version for Bondi’s “Sculpture by the Sea” exhibition.

ASSDA Member Atlas Steels sponsored the project, providing 316 stainless to suit the coastal environment.

Mr Gilbert specified stainless steel for its neutral colour, polishing the surface with stainless wire brushes to allow salts to build up. 

“I don’t really like shiny stainless finishes. A

The grand scale of Rings of Saturn at Melbourne’s Heide Museum of Modern Art takes on even more significance when you learn about the artist.

Renowned Australian sculptor Inge King AM was born in Germany in 1918, moving to Australia in 1951 and forging her career despite a culturally conservative landscape at the time.

The 89-year-old artist created the 400cm x 600cm x 500cm Rings of Saturn in 2005-2006 as part of her Celestial Series, using stainless steel to create the sense of floating, lightness and reflection that prevails in outerspace.

“Stainless steel is not suitable for every work, but

Posted 30th November 1994

In late 1989 my partner Eric Kuhne was asked by Stuart Homery of Lend Lease to come out to Australia to work on the ground plane and lobby of a 28 storey office building about to start construction in Sydney. This building is the first of three towers and some foreshore development on the edge of the city centre at Darling Harbour. Our involvement in phase one led to the replanning of ground plane, lobbies, forecourt area, and addition of a large garden between the three towers, and a complete rework of the fore-shore

Posted 1 July 2007

Choosing the correct grade of stainless steel for a tank, pipe or process vessel requires (at the very least) information about the temperature, pH and chemical composition of the contents.  One of the most important items of the chemical composition is how much chloride (salt) is present.  Analysis reports often give the concentration as milligrams per litre (mg/L) or sometimes as parts per million (ppm) of Cl.  However, Cl is also the symbol used for the element chlorine.

So what is the difference?

Chlorine is a poisonous, yellowish green gas which readily dissolves in water to

Safe, Hygienic and of Little Concern to People with Nickel Sensitivity

Posted 31st July 1993

Over the past few years stainless steel cookware has undergone scrutiny to determine its safety as a product for use by people with nickel contact dermatitis and it has been shown to have no ill effect.

Early in 1993 Mr G. Norman Flint visited Australia and described current thinking in Europe concerning the use of stainless steel cookware by nickel sensitised people. Mr Flint is a consultant to the Nickel Development Institute based in the United Kingdom and is responsible for presenting nickel's case in

Posted 31st July 1993

Stainless steel plates are the core component of a revolutionary brazed plate heat exchanger manufactured by Melbourne firm Multistack International Limited.

The heat exchangers are designed to replace conventional gasketted-plate and shell-and-tube designs. After pioneering work was conducted in Europe in the late 1970's Multistack have achieved higher efficiencies and longer operational life after an Australian development program of several years and "many millions of dollars".

Type 316 stainless steel plates stacked on top of each other form the basis of the heat exchanger's design. Each plate is embossed with a channel formed under high pressure,

Posted 31 July 1993

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) has long been used in planning for reliability and maintenance for complex engineering systems in defence, airline, railway, offshore platform, power station, and other applications.

A basic attribute of stainless steel is the ability to provide long-term perfor-mance with a minimum of downtime and cost associated with maintenance. As a result LCC is of particular importance to the stainless industry.

Whilst the mathematics of LCC can be quite complex the International Chromium Development Association (ICDA) has developed an IBM or compati-ble PC program on floppy disk which can be easily applied to

This article is the first of a two-part series outlining new and emerging stainless steel grades which may be considered as alternatives to the more traditional and widely known varieties. Read Part 2.

The growing demand from China and the rest of the developing world has driven up the price of alloying elements added to stainless steels.  Over the last five years nickel prices have risen to ten times what they were.

Chromium and molybdenum have also risen strongly, and the price of stainless steel scrap – which steelmakers use extensively – has soared.  Inevitably, stainless steels have also

A revamp of Kings Beach in Caloundra, QLD, has had a gleaming response, with stainless steel a major contributor to the brand new look.

Initial stages included new seats, hand railing and some draining, but the most recent instalment  focussed on the beach-side swimming pool and recreational area with balustrades all around. Although 2 or 3 different builders have been used during the project to date,

ASSDA Accredited Fabricator Paige Stainless was involved with all stages. Kilometres of stainless steel tube was used to fence the 98 metre pool circumference with top and bottom rails and railings.

“There was also

Posted 1 July 2007

An exhibition showcasing the use of stainless steel in an artistic sense will, for the first time ever, coincide with ASSDA’s annual conference in October.

Sponsored by ASSDA member ELG and presented in partnership with Cooks Hill Galleries, the exhibition entitled Stainless Evolution, will be on display in the main auditorium at the PacRim 2007 Conference in Newcastle this October.  The pieces created will use various types of stainless steel, for the exclusive viewing of PacRim delegates.

Warrick Timmins of Newcastle is one such artist who has used stainless steel in his pieces to depict his

Posted 1 July 2007

The work of Anna Eggert is not new to ASSDA, or to those familiar with the 2005 Reference Manual where her pieces entitled “Belinda’s dress” featured on the cover.

Two years on, Anna’s love of stainless steel continues, as she begins work on a new project which has seen her nominated for the 2007 McClelland Award.

The work, which will be put forward for a chance at the $100,000 prize money, is similar to that shown, and again uses stainless steel mesh.

“Mesmerized” is an eight piece artwork  continuing an investigation into the female identity.  In

Form and function have long been the essence of good design, which is why the transformation of this Canberra building is such a success.

ASSDA member and Accredited Fabricator Interspace Manufacturing Pty Ltd was commissioned to design and fabricate screens to update the building aesthetically, as well as provide the workers inside the building with protection from the sun.

Interspace Managing Director Jorgen Hansen said the unique design of the mesh transformed the facade of an ordinary building into an interesting piece of architecture.

“Not only is the design aesthetic, but the screen helps reflect a percentage of the sun’s

Bruce Harding is not the first person to be frustrated by rusty cast iron hotplates and grills on his barbecue – the difference is that he did something about it.

Drawing on more than 25 years experience in the stainless steel industry, Mr Harding and his team at Equipment Tech Pty Ltd have developed a range of stainless steel hotplates, grills and baking dishes (sold under the name of Topnotch) that can be retro-fitted to almost any barbecue.

The company uses austenitic T304 and ferritic stainless steels, which are mostly supplied by ASSDA members Sandvik and Atlas Specialty Metals.

Mr

ASSDA member and Accredited Fabricator Stainless Metal Craft has recently completed work on the design and fabrication of stainless steel equipment for Inghams Enterprises’ processing plant at Edinburgh Park, north of Adelaide, and hatchery at Monarto, south of Adelaide.

The projects incorporate numerous custom-designed installations, including a series of 300mm wide channelled drainage at the processing plant in runs of 60m that will withstand

This article is the second of a two-part series outlining new and emerging stainless steel grades which may be considered as alternatives to the more traditional and widely known varieties. Read Part 1.

The growing demand from China and the rest of the developing world has driven up the price of alloying elements added to stainless steels.  Over the last five years nickel prices have risen to ten times what they were.

Chromium and molybdenum have also risen strongly, and the price of stainless steel scrap – which steelmakers use extensively – has soared.  Inevitably, stainless steels have also

Never has there been a time in Australia when water preservation was so critical.  As populations rise and dam levels fall, the importance of treating and reusing water has become not a question of “if” but a question of “when”.

The construction of Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant (BAWTP) west of Brisbane is aimed at alleviating pressure on South East Queensland’s existing dams and waterways by providing an alternate water supply for end users in the region, initially Swanbank power station.  

The project has had great flow on benefits for the Australian stainless steel industry as infrastructure requirements point

The thought of public rubbish bins usually attracts images of black smelly wheelie bins with broken lids and flies.  However, if you walked through the University of Queensland in Brisbane’s St Lucia, you would be greeted, instead, with clean stainless steel and lovely bright colours.

The installation of between 30-50 new double-bin enclosures has added splashes of colour and flair to the university grounds.  Designers Street and Garden Furniture Co enlisted the services of long time contractors and ASSDA Accredited Fabricators Rocklea Pressed Metal to manufacture the pieces.

Featuring laser cut patterns, bright colour spray painting (to distinguish general rubbish

Raw material price fluctuations and increasing demand for stainless steels have driven demand for lower cost alloys as alternatives to the traditional “300” series steels. This has been met through a range of existing and new, innovative steels with different properties, performance and availability broadening the range of alloys that might be found in the market. But as with the traditional stainless steels you can’t tell what they are by looking at them.

This article describes most of the range of test methods available for grade confirmation. The method used depends on the budget, size of job and the potential