BlueScope Steel Reveals Patented Technology Behind Next Generation Zincalume Steel
01/28/2013 - A video explanation of the patented technology behind a breakthrough innovation in the Australian steel industry is now available to view online, BlueScope Steel announced.
A video explanation of the patented technology behind a breakthrough innovation in the Australian steel industry is now available to view online.
The newly uploaded video describes the self-sealing Activate™ coating technology intrinsic to BlueScope Steel's next generation ZINCALUME® steel.
The detailed explanation at www.nextgenzincalume.com.au shows how the addition of magnesium to the aluminium, zinc and silicon coating - combined with new manufacturing processes and technologies - gives next generation ZINCALUME® steel a unique protection barrier.
Activate™ technology self-seals exposed surfaces to make the product more resilient when drilled, cut or scratched during construction.
The innovative coating better protects the base metal layer, ensuring next generation ZINCALUME® steel has greater resistance to corrosion and weathering, and is more durable in a wider range of environments.
"Next generation ZINCALUME® steel will provide multiple benefits for architects, builders, project managers and end-users, and the website video will assist them in understanding how those benefits are derived," said BlueScope Steel market manager — commercial and industrial, Manu Siitonen.
BlueScope Steel has invested more than US$100 million to develop the manufacturing technology for its next-generation steel coating.
A second nextgenzincalume.com.au video demonstrates how the product was developed over almost 20 years and contains examples of its rigorous testing in both accelerated laboratory and real world environments.
In another video, leading Australian architects explain why innovation in building materials is becoming increasingly important, particularly in response to growing environmental concerns.
"As a profession we are thinking more and more about how responsible we need to be in making buildings," says prominent architect Ken Maher of Hassell Studio in the video.
"That pressure is changing our way of thinking but also changing the way materials are made and thought of."
The website also contains information about the smaller environmental footprint of next generation ZINCALUME® steel (AM125)* compared with its predecessor.
Details of product distribution, availability and performance against relevant Australian Standards as referenced by the Building Code of Australia (BCA) are also provided on the website.
Manufactured under a range of Australian and international patents, next generation ZINCALUME® steel featuring Activate™ technology will be available nationally beginning in August 2013.
