Steel of West Virginia Awarded Specialty Manufacturing Certification
04/08/2016 - Maritime standards maker Lloyds Register has certified Steel of West Virginia Inc. as a producer of steel “bulb flats,” a specialty product used in shipbuilding, the company has announced.
The certification means that Steel of West Virginia’s bulb flats meet certain chemical and mechanical standards and qualifies the product to be used in a broader range of vessels.
“We are exceptionally proud to achieve this certification,” said Steel of West Virginia CEO Timothy Duke in a statement. “With the Lloyd’s certification, coupled with our ISO and ABS certifications, we are now poised to supply superior bulb flat products to an even greater range of customers in the maritime industry.”
Bulb flats, so named for the bulbous edge that runs the length of the flat, are a special shape widely considered to be the superior plate stiffener in shipbuilding, primarily because of their strength-to-weight ratio and because their shape doesn’t allow for the buildup of corrosive debris.
According to Steel of West Virginia, bulb flats haven’t been made in the United States since the 1960s, and that has left domestic shipbuilders with two options: use a less desirable stiffener or buy the product from foreign producers.
“The market for domestically produced bulb flats has great potential, as evidenced by the overwhelming interest and encouragement we have received from these industry professionals,” Duke said.
The company makes bulb flats in thicknesses ranging from 120 to 260 mm. It has been producing them since the fourth quarter of 2014. Steel of West Virginia is a subsidiary of Steel Dynamics Inc.
“We are exceptionally proud to achieve this certification,” said Steel of West Virginia CEO Timothy Duke in a statement. “With the Lloyd’s certification, coupled with our ISO and ABS certifications, we are now poised to supply superior bulb flat products to an even greater range of customers in the maritime industry.”
Bulb flats, so named for the bulbous edge that runs the length of the flat, are a special shape widely considered to be the superior plate stiffener in shipbuilding, primarily because of their strength-to-weight ratio and because their shape doesn’t allow for the buildup of corrosive debris.
According to Steel of West Virginia, bulb flats haven’t been made in the United States since the 1960s, and that has left domestic shipbuilders with two options: use a less desirable stiffener or buy the product from foreign producers.
“The market for domestically produced bulb flats has great potential, as evidenced by the overwhelming interest and encouragement we have received from these industry professionals,” Duke said.
The company makes bulb flats in thicknesses ranging from 120 to 260 mm. It has been producing them since the fourth quarter of 2014. Steel of West Virginia is a subsidiary of Steel Dynamics Inc.
