INDUSTRY NEWS
NLMK coated coil .
Pre-painted steel coil markets
According to a new report ( ResearchAndMarkets . com ), the global prepainted steel coil market size is expected to reach US $ 23.34 billion by 2030 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.9 % from 2022 to 2030 .
“ Growth in e-commerce and retail activity is set to augur growth during this period . Pre-painted steel coils are used for roofing and wall panelling of buildings , and their consumption in metal- and post-frame buildings is on the rise ,” said the report .
“ The metal building segment is anticipated to witness the highest consumption over the forecast period owing to the demand from commercial buildings , industrial buildings and warehouses . Post-frame buildings consumption was driven by the commercial , agriculture and residential segments .”
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in online shopping activity . This has led to the growth in warehousing requirements around the world . E-commerce companies are scaling up operations due to increased online shopping by consumers .
Pre-painted steel coil is manufactured by using a hot-dip galvanized steel coil as a substrate that is coated with layers of organic coating to prevent it from rusting . A special layer of paint is applied to the back and top
of the steel coil . There can either be two or three layers of coating , depending upon the application and customer requirement . This is sold to roofing and wall panelling manufacturers either directly from prepainted steel coil manufacturers , service centres or third-party distributors .
Recent technology innovations such as no-rinse pre-treatment , paint thermal curing techniques using infra-red ( IR ) and near infra-red ( IR ), and new techniques that enable the efficient collection of volatile organic compounds ( VOCs ), have improved product quality and producer cost-competitiveness .
“ To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on operations , many manufacturers have looked at ways to minimise market opportunity losses for growth by investing in R & D , accessing financial and capital markets , and mobilising financial resources internally to achieve cash flow . Players also have their own service centres with slitting , cut-tolength and processing activities to offer customised solutions with lower Minimum Order Quantities ( MOQ ). Industry 4.0 is another trend that is gaining importance during the post-COVID era to curb losses and costs ,” added the report .
In terms of revenue , the metal buildings application segment was projected to register the highest growth rate from 2022 to 2030 . The metal buildings application segment accounted for over 70 % share of the global volume in 2021 and was driven by growth in the commercial and retail segments . Commercial buildings dominated the segment in 2021 and are projected to be driven by the rising demand for warehouses and cold storage
“ Asia Pacific was the largest regional market in 2021 , in terms of both volume and revenue . Investment in pre-engineered buildings ( PEBs ) was the main factor for market growth ,” said the report .
KMF invests over £ 1m in new fibre lasers
UK precision sheet metal firm , KMF , has invested in two new fibre laser profiling machines from TRUMPF which , it told ISMR , will increase cutting speeds , reduce operating costs and allow a greater range of materials to be processed . KMF ordered two TRUMPF TruLaser 3030 machines . The machines have now been installed and join a full range of TRUMPF sheet metal processing equipment at KMF . “ Laser profiling is the first physical stage in the processing of sheet metal-based products and so any gains are felt throughout the manufacturing process ,” said KMF .
The £ 1.2m assets were ordered to replace two existing older machines ; an early technology fibre machine and a traditional CO₂ laser , both of which have been operational in a 24 / 7 capacity at KMF since early 2012 .
KMF ’ s commercial director , Keith Nicholl , explained : “ The new lasers mean that our machines are operating much faster , and we can continue to offer our customers competitive solutions at a time when resource
Two new TRUMPF TruLaser 3030 fibre laser cutting systems for KMF .
costs are rising . We are delighted that the new lasers have been installed . With these now in place , we hope to continue offering our customers competitive solutions regardless of rising resource costs .
“ Not only are the machines now faster , but they are also more accurate and allow us to build on our reputation for producing consistent quality products in large numbers . After an incredibly productive start to the year and in line with our continued growth , the new lasers are certainly helping us to accommodate our customers and their ambitions .’’
The new lasers also have more capacity to cut through heavier gauge and a larger range of sheetbased materials . Both new fibre laser cutting systems can process cutting thicknesses of 25mm mild steel , 20mm stainless steel and 20mm aluminium . They also cut through 8mm copper and brass .
KMF Group is a subcontract manufacturer of precision sheetmetal components , enclosures , machined components and electromechanical assemblies . It delivers precision sheet metal fabrication , CNC machining and value-added services such as value engineering , design and electromechanical integration , to manufacture sheetmetal parts and assemblies for OEMs across the UK and Europe . n
. kmf . co . uk
14 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR June 2022