Professional Precision Repairs & Fabrication
Tri-State MetalTech Expo featured small metalworking businesses from the area. We ran into some old friends and made a few new ones. It was a great way to do some networking. The event was presented by Marshall University’s Advanced Manufacturing Center, Advantage Valley and the WV Development Office. Though it was the first year of the event and we weren’t sure what the turn out would be, we were glad we attended.
The Advanced Manufacturing Center (previously called the Robert C. Byrd Institute) also had their students make their rounds and meet some prospective employers (and we were happy to meet them). These new machinists and machine operators are the life blood of our business and the future of the industry.
We hope to meet with a few of them again as they get closer to the end of their studies.
We brought a few sample items along to show off what we do and enjoyed talking up our capabilities to the visitors.
We look forward to more events like this.
Nucor, who is building a 3.1 billion dollar sheet steel mill in Mason county, WV, was the special guest and had a discussion about doing business with them.
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
We recently got to work with a local steel company to help create samples for the tensile testing of their rolled products. I wanted to look at what the samples were going to be used for once they left the shop.
Tensile Testing measures tensile strength, breaking strength, maximum elongation and reduction in area. There are several variations of these tests, including how the loads are applied across the materials. Below is an example testing unit. The prepared bars are held in the arms and pulled apart.
These tests are performed after rolling to ensure uniformity and consistency in the product line.
Other reasons for performing these tests are:
– to find out how well a product will perform
– to see if it meets the client’s standards
– to test a new design
To perform the tests properly, the samples must be prepared for the testing device (tensometer). The ends are wider to be easily held by the device, while the center is cut thinner to allow the deformation and fracture to occur at this point. To help repeatability of testing, the samples must be as similar as possible.
The tester will apply an even and consistent force across the sample until it fractures. The elongation that occurs, as well as the amount of force that was necessary to create it, is used in the final calculations.
These calculations will help with the following tests:
Yield Strength – The point at which deformation in the part occurs.
Ductility – Percentage of elongation.
Strain Hardening – How much the part hardens with plastic deformation (plastic deformation – a yield point, once passed, is some fraction of the deformation that will be permanent and non-reversible)
Modulus of Elasticity – The point where the material will no longer return to its original length and permanent deformation occurs.
Ultimate Tensile Strength – The maximum stress that the material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking.
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
The cost of steel has tripled! This has been a blessing for the mills in the U.S. that had just recently been suffering. Some have been hiring and even running additional shifts to keep up with the growing demands.
Profits are up as the price and demand for the products continue to grow – but there is a downside to all of this …
New fabrication and repair costs have skyrocketed. Metal quotes that our vendors once held valid for up to 30 days, are now only good until the end of the day! This makes submitting a large quote that will have to go for budgeting and long-term planning difficult for many companies.
Jobs that we had routinely run for clients, have to be re-quoted and adjusted – upward. Some clients are putting off the work while others are trying to find inventive ways to keep the costs down. At times running equipment that should have been repaired or replaced.
The analysts see this current price jump as a bubble and believe it will continue for a short time and then drop drastically. How it will affect the mills who have been riding on the higher profits is hard to say. It’s too early to tell.
But fabricators and repair facilities are hoping for a stabilization so we can help our clients get over the sticker shock they are now facing and prepare for these large capitol upgrades, outages and major repairs.
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
We have been recently changing out a lot of pump guards that did not hold up to the harsh factory environments that they were expected handle. These plastic guards are being exchanged for more durable aluminum guards.
Here’s what they found:
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
These temporary cone and basket strainers (the models with the flat bottoms) are impressive. Used during start-ups and repairs, they will protect pumps, piping and other parts of the system from nuts, bolts and other stray debris.
These are made of 304 stainless steel and custom designed. Riggs Machine can provide them in a variety of materials, styles and sizes.
They might seem extreme, but when you realize what they can save, they are worth every dollar!
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!
On March 23 Gov. Andy Beshear ordered all nonessential retail businesses to be closed. Some critical businesses are exempt from these guidelines.
Riggs Machine is considered an Essential Business aligned with the Critical Manufacturing Sector servicing many industries including:
We will be operating and available as you have come to expect.
As always the health and safety of our employees and families remain our number one concern and we will continue to follow all applicable CDC guidelines.
Feel free to contact us at 606-324-009 if you have any questions about our operating hours or new safety protocols during this unprecedented time.
Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!