5 Questions to Ask Your Steel Distributor - SRJ Steel, LLC

Before you select a steel distributor for enameled steel – ask these 5 questions

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When it’s time to find a new steel distributor to obtain your enameled steel for your manufacturing processes, It can be hard to try to determine which steel distributor is going to serve your needs best. Keeping that in mind here are the 5 key questions to ask a potential cold rolled steel distributor before signing the dotted line. Each item will help you to pinpoint which steel distributor is going to be able to serve your needs.

1. What Types of Steel Do You Stock?

One of the first questions you should speak to a prospective distributor about is what types of steel do they carry. Of course, you want to find out if they deal with the enameled steel that you’ll need, but it can be helpful to learn if they deal in other types of steel. You never know when your needs may change, so it’s always a good idea to know if they will be able to keep up your future demands. Find out the steel chemistry specifications, they should be able to provide this type of detailed information. If they can’t you may want to continue your search.

2. Ask: “How Do You Provide Competitive Pricing without Affecting Quality / What’s Your Cost Model?”

The quality of the steel that you’re using to manufacture your goods is going to have a significant impact on the quality of your product. That being said, no one wants to pay more than they have to for good quality steel. Talking with the steel distributor upfront about how they can save you money without cutting corners on quality can give you an idea of what you can expect when you select your supplier. Many distributors (like SRJ) work with long-established relationships, use strategically located providers in various regions and implement JIT (Just in Time) inventory practices to reduce costs.

3. How Many Years Have You Been in the Industry?

Experience always plays a big role when it comes to making partnerships. It’s helpful to have a steel supplier on your side that has been in the industry for enough time to have created their own network. A newer supplier may not have access to relationships that can get you the high-quality steel you want at a price that’s reasonable.

4. What Types of Customers Do You Usually Work With?

This fundamental question can help you to determine if they are familiar with the type of projects you’re currently manufacturing so they can best serve your sourcing needs. If the majority of their customers are in other niches or have lower quantity needs than you, it may mean that this steel distributor might not be the best fit for your company.

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5. What Types of Services Can You Offer?

A steel distributor that offers other services that you can take advantage of is an excellent partner to have. Check to see if your new potential distributor offers steel slitting services, cut to length sheets, and inventory stocking services that allow you to get the steel you need, the way you need it, when you need it.

Wasatch Steel is a top provider of steel services across Utah, and we service numerous different types and classifications of steel. In particular, we provide steel created through both the common temperature-related processes: Hot rolled and cold rolled steel.

Both types of steel have their benefits and drawbacks, and it often depends on which type of project you’re looking to complete. Let’s look at the pros and cons of hot rolled steel, and how it might fit your next project.

What is It?

When steel is rolled out into a coil, it’s done at a varying range of temperatures. Often these are very high temperatures – anything over room temperature technically qualifies as “hot rolled” steel, though most of what you’ll see in this classification refers to steel heated up to at least 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the steel relatively malleable compared with cold rolled steel, and there are several other differences as well.

Pros

There are a couple specific benefits offered by hot rolled steel:

• Price: Cold rolled steel is generally more expensive than hot rolled, mostly due to slightly stronger properties.
• Flexibility: Because of how high the temperatures are, hot rolled steel is more malleable. It can be cut or formed into nearly any shape needed, unlike cold rolled steel.
• Wide use: Because of this, there are tons of common uses for hot rolled steel. It’s most commonly made into sheet metal, and is perfect for projects where a little “give” is needed in metal.
• Time: Because of its ease of manipulation, many projects using hot rolled steel will take much less time than those with cold rolled steel.

Cons

There are also a few drawbacks to some project situations that you’ll want to be aware of with hot rolled steel:

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• Durability: Hot rolled steel is weaker than cold rolled steel. This is due to the heat applied, which weakens the metal before it cools back down.
• Touch: Hot rolled steel is also generally much rougher to the touch. This is because of the cooling process involved, which can cause elements to settle in rougher places rather than a smooth finish.