Steel reinforcement and profile roll-forming specialist Anglo, has launched a new campaign to drive up standards in the supply of galvanised steel.
Galvanising applies a layer of zinc to each face of the steel, which stops rust forming on the surface by creating both a physical barrier from the elements and electrochemical corrosion protection for bare steel exposed by small nicks and scratches.
The thicker the coating of zinc on a steel reinforcement, the longer its service life, a critical element in window and door manufacture.
Available on loan at no charge – regardless of who they buy their steel reinforcement from – the Anglo Galvanised Steel Meter scheme allows fabricators to independently test that zinc coatings are to specification.
David Evans, managing director of Anglo, said it was launching the scheme in response to growing concern among manufacturers that steels were out of specification.
“The number one concern of those people we have spoken to is the zinc coating level on the product they’re ordering, because it has a big bearing on the ultimate quality and durability of that product when it’s installed.
“We’ve decided to offer fabricators in the UK, whether they’re Anglo customers or not, access at no cost to a galv meter so that they can verify in-house the thickness of the galv coating that they believe they’re getting is what they’re getting.”
The electronic meters employ the principle of electromagnetic induction for measuring the thickness of a non-magnetic coating such as zinc on magnetic substrates such as steel, giving a clear digital readout of the galvanised zinc coating thickness.
To take a measurement all fabricators need to do is make sure the surface of the steel is dust- and dirt-free and take measurements at multiple points along the steel, the average of which gives an indication of the coating thickness.
David explained: “The galv meter is very, very simple. It’s a digital meter, [and] needs very little technical training. It’s simply a case of pushing the probe against the material in a range of spots along the metal to get an average reading.
“We’re also supplying a conversion chart. So, you can convert from that measurement given by the meter in microns which will translate directly then into the equivalent Z-coating of the galv.”
Anglo supplies galvanised window and door steel reinforcement in full bar length or cut-to-size Investment and the evolution of its offer now means that orders are delivered in three days, with many of its customers receiving twice weekly drops.
“We have full traceability through the entire production process”, David continued. “This includes certification from the UK steel mills we source product materials from as well as certifying the product all the way through the production cycle.
“Our customers need the assurance that the quality of the reinforcement they’re getting is what they’re in turn certifying to their customer”, David said.
“And what customers of Anglo can be certain of is they are getting that quality.”
Anglo was acquired by the global metals engineering giant, the Amari Metals Engineering Group in 2021, triggering a major investment programme and multi-million-pound restructuring of the business.
This has included its new double-sided roll-forming line, the most advanced roll-forming line in the UK. It features 24 forming stations, allowing Anglo to roll complex sections – in gauges ranging from about 0.8 mm, and everything in between up to 2mm.
The line also rolls directly from the coil, punching and cutting ‘on-the-fly’ as part of a continuous process, delivering significant efficiency gains, while investment in dedicated toolsets for each product brings increased precision to manufacture.
