Proposal for responding to rising resource prices Sustainable and flexible ultra-lightweight design stainless steel

Resources are soaring in price worldwide.
It is necessary to sustainably circulate limited resources with recyclable materials.
In addition, the use of materials can be reduced by using the minimum amount of materials for necessary parts.

In this issue, we will introduce resource-saving, ultra-lightweight design stainless steel.

What are the constituents of stainless steel?

>> See the column below for an overview of stainless steel.

I know it’s a little late for that! What is stainless steel?

Stainless steel is steel.
Using iron as the main component, various rare metals are added to produce stainless steels that have excellent corrosion resistance, withstand high temperatures, and are easy to process.
The following is a list of the constituent elements of typical types of tapes.

(1) Composition of SUS304 (main components)
Iron + Chromium + Nickel

Composition of SUS430 (main components)
Iron + Chromium

Rare metals such as chromium and nickel are used to increase corrosion resistance and processing performance.

Why Stainless Steel Prices Fluctuate

Stainless steel is a steel composed of a mixture of various components.

However, the price of its component, a rare metal, rises and falls with the balance of global supply and demand.
In other words, the price of stainless steel fluctuates with global conditions.

There are many such global conditions that cause prices to fluctuate, such as aluminum, petroleum, and many others.

If the estimated and implementation dates are far apart, the price difference can be unusual depending on the world situation.

To reduce the volatility of stainless steel prices

Steel materials such as stainless steel are priced by weight.
The weight is calculated by multiplying the volume by the specific gravity.
The amount is calculated by multiplying the weight by the market value of the steel material per weight.

> Please refer to the following column for more information on stainless steel weight calculation.
【Stainless Steel Weight】 Specific Gravity Calculation for Stainless Steel

In other words, if the weight is simply lighter, the weight of the rare metal in it will also be reduced, which will help control fluctuations and reduce unit costs.
By optimizing the plate thickness according to the environment in which it is used and its intended use, it is possible to save resources and manufacture products that can cope even during periods of global price hikes.

It is also important to select a grade that contains as few rare metals as possible.
In particular, since [nickel] soars in price, it is possible to reduce the range of price fluctuation by adopting ferritic stainless steel that does not contain nickel.
We recommend [white stainless steel], which has a beautiful silvery-white shine in the interior.

> Please refer to the following column for more information on white stainless steel.

[How to use + α] Good points of white stainless steel

What is white stainless steel anyway?”

Weight and effectiveness of flexible stainless steel for resource conservation

By reducing the weight of stainless steel, we can save resources and respond to global resource price fluctuations as well as conserve resources.

Let’s take a look at the weight ratio of flexible stainless steel to other stainless steel sheet thicknesses.

While flexible stainless steel has the advantage of being thin and light, its size is 300mm x 1000mm.

The following is a weight comparison of the 300mmx1000mm size.

As can be seen from this comparison chart, the weight ratio is nearly 10 times higher in the interior.
Of course, extras are generated because of the roll margin depending on the board thickness, so it is not the same weight unit price, but it is still a significant advantage in terms of money.
Resource saving It also has a good effect in terms of sustainable and effective use of resources from the perspective of SDGs.

However, the thinner plate thickness is a disadvantage in terms of strength.
Although it is limited to places where strength is not required, the effect will be enhanced if it is used in more places, even if only a little.

Appearance of flexible design stainless steel

See the appearance of flexible stainless steel.

This time, see the appearance of two types of flexible stainless steel: silver, which is the original hue of flexible stainless steel, and golden vapor-deposited.

Flexible stainless steel is 0.1 mm and is warped on its own.
Therefore, it needs to be reinforced on the back with various materials.

In this case, since the product was designed to be attached to a wall, the back is reinforced with strong double-sided tape (acrylic foam).

It is bent, but unless it is bent at an extremely sharp angle, it will not develop a bending pattern.

It is where it bends under its own weight, like a natural undulation.

It can be easily rounded by hand in this way.

It is possible to follow and paste even complex curved shapes.

Curves freely.

It is also possible to create an undulating shape on the back and follow it.

Deployment of flexible design stainless steel in ceilings

Flexible stainless steel is not only environmentally friendly through resource conservation, but its greatest merit is its ultra-lightweight characteristics.

Although there is a combination with the back reinforcement, it is considerably lighter, which is advantageous in terms of hanging strength and screw fastening strength.

It can also bend freely, making it useful in the production of undulating ceilings.

Taken from an angle looking up from below

下から見あげたアングルで撮影

下から見あげたアングルで撮影

フレキシブルステンレスについてのまとめ

Flexible stainless steel was exhibited at the exhibition at Jingu Gaien in Tokyo in 2014, where we displayed the object version of 3D water-surfaced stainless steel panels. Some people said, “Metal is difficult to use because it cannot be cut on-site,” “Metal is difficult to work with because it is troublesome,” and “Metal is heavy, so it is troublesome.

We have introduced flexible stainless steel in the hope that it will help people create spaces that no one has ever seen before with more freedom in modeling and in the wake of the recent sharp rise in the price of resources.

We hope you will consider our products.

> Contact us for consultation and inquiry.