STRENX® Performance Steel is a stronger, lighter alternative to the more commonly used structural steel such as A36 and Grade 50. STRENX® Performance Steel features a minimum yield strength of 100 ksi, making it up to twice as strong as A36. This durable material allows fabricators to reduce part thickness without sacrificing performance in heavy equipment, heavy transportation, production systems, and more.
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) approached G.E. Mathis Company about developing more robust components for their assembly production system. Our experience with STRENX® Performance Steel made us an ideal provider for this project.
The Challenge
This OEM customer was in the midst of a full redesign on one of their production assemblies. As they began to explore material options for this new system design, they realized that changing some of the key components from standard structural steel to high-strength STRENX® Performance Steel would make the overall assembly lighter and stronger. STRENX® Performance Steel parts resist wear and offer better performance, ultimately improving system service life, reducing weight and increasing ROI for the assembly.
As G.E. Mathis Company and our OEM customer worked together on the redesign, we identified the following goals for the new production system:
- Stronger parts. Improving part strength would provide superior performance with less wear, and facilitate the use of fewer supports.
- Lighter materials by reducing part thickness. Using a stronger material to fabricate components with thinner profiles allowed for lighter part weights in key areas to create a lighter total assembly.
- Improved performance. New components and structural elements were needed to offer superior performance over previous iterations in the old system.
- Longer service life. We needed to enhance wear resistance on the new components to extend the service life of the overall assembly. Creating parts with better wear resistance would also reduce scheduled and unscheduled downtime over the life of the production unit due to part replacements or malfunctions.
The Solution
Once G.E. Mathis Company began work on the project, our team immediately focused on reviewing the preliminary designs provided by the OEM and optimizing them to take advantage of STRENX® Performance Steel’s unique properties. Our team provided feedback about certain design features to increase their ease of manufacturability, such as designing flanges large enough to fit over conventional bottom tooling during the forming process. This eliminated the need for extra forming stock and removed the need for secondary trimming operation. 
We provided all test materials for a prototype of this new design, and used a large-format laser to fabricate STRENX® Performance Steel components. Our laser can work with materials up to 14 feet wide and 100 feet long. We also utilized press brakes that can form material up to 48 feet long in a single continuous bend.
Once the OEM completed testing of this new prototype unit, we quoted and won the full production order using the latest material pricing and provided the best possible lead times. Our sales engineers worked closely with the OEM on each order, providing regular updates from initial quote through final shipment.
The Final Results
We delivered the parts and services our OEM customer needed to build a more robust, high-performance assembly production assembly. Our team is experienced in finding and working with the right high-performance steels for superior production and assembly processes. We work with companies in a wide variety of industries to create solutions that improve production performance and boost their competitive edge.
Our extensive experience working with many types of high-performance, high-strength steels allows G.E. Mathis Company to provide innovative solutions for customers across numerous demanding industries. Contact us to learn more about our capabilities, or request a quote for your next project.
