The TMW Team has compiled the SCS FAQs - most Frequently Asked Questions about SCS - and the answers to those questions. Click on the question below to go straight to the answer or scroll the entire list. If you don’t find your questions answered here or elsewhere on the site, give us a call.
QUESTIONS ON SCS MATERIAL PROPERTIES
What is the most attractive feature of SCS ?
What keeps SCS from rusting since there’s no oil ?
How does pre-existing rust affect finished SCS product ?
What’s the shelf life of SCS ?
How can I get SCS samples ?
What type(s) of material is required to use the SCS process?
What material types and processes have you replaced with SCS ?
What sorts of applications are you providing SCS for ?
What kind of paint prep do you recommend for SCS material ?
What about coil breaks?
How does SCS compare to temper pass material ?
Just how flat can you get material using stretcher-leveling ?
QUESTIONS ON SCS OPERATIONS & ECONOMICS
How fast does the brushing process run ?
How can I offer SCS processing to my customers ?
Q1. What is the most attractive feature of SCS ?
A. Overwhelmingly, the most excitement generated by the SCS process is the absence of oil. We find out each day how much manufacturers despise oil. Beyond all of the extra chemicals and preparation stages required to paint oiled material - or needed even to wipe down material before paint prep - there are problems such as parts sticking together,skin irritation, dirt attracted to parts, plant cleanliness, safety issues, gumming up grinding pads, and welding complications.
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Q2. What keeps SCS from rusting since there's no oil ?
A. The SCS brushing process removes the topmost layers of scale, leaving only a thin (about 7 microns) brushed layer of wustite scale. Wustite's chemistry is different than the top layers of scale - it has fewer oxygen atoms in a molecule (the chemical formula is FeO). This makes it much less susceptible to rust. For more details on the brushing process, see the The Process page.
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Q3. How does pre-existing rust affect the finished SCS product ?
A. Normal hot roll rust will have little or no affect at all. Heavier rust is easily removed from the surface leaving only a shadow, or light stain behind. So SCS will remove the rust and remove the need to apply rust inhibitive oil since the material will stay rust free. And any discoloration that was left after the rust was removed has been shown to present no paint coverage issues, based on the results of a detailed paint test used by a major appliance manufacturer. Go to the SCS Library page and click on "SCS Fabrication Guides" button to download or order copies of the SCS "Metallurgical Tests" Report that documents this test and the other paint adherence testing that has been performed on SCS.
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Q4. What's the shelf life of SCS ?
A. We still do not know. The earliest SCS samples were produced in 2002 and today still show no signs of rust. SCS exposed to water or a moist environment will rust., but if it is maintained in a non-condensing indoor environment, it should have a very long shelf life.
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Q5. How can I get SCS samples ?
a. Send hot roll black coils to us so we can stretcher-level, cut-to-length and brush them on the SCS Sheet Line, or process them as coils on the SCS Coil Line.
b. We'll search our inventory to see if your company already has hot roll located at our facility.
c. If we currently stretcher-level your hot roll, simply ask us to run a sample sheet or stack through the SCS Sheet Line.
d. For details, contact Bob Hoffman at (618) 282-4200 xt. 113 or by email BobH@thematwks.com
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Q6. What type(s) of material is required to use the SCS process?
A. SCS results have been very consistent regardless of the material we have used. Material from various mini-mills, integrated mills, foreign mills (such as South Africa and Turkey) have produced the same excellent results again and again.
The SCS process can even be used successfully on some pretty unattractive material. Defects such as heavy scale, poor shape, rusty material, etc. have been no problem. Pits can often be brushed somewhat smooth, but consult your metallurgist before releasing brushed, pitted material to your customer.
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Q7. What material types and processes have you replaced with SCS ?
A. Temper pass, P&O, pickle dry, temper pass P&O, temper pass pickle dry, cold roll, shot blast, hot roll black.
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Q8. What sorts of applications are you providing SCS for ?
A. SCS is being used in a wide variety of roles. Manufacturers have been successfully welding, laser and plasma cutting, stamping, roll forming, punching, brake pressing, shearing, bonding, and painting SCS. For a complete list of SCS applications, and advantages in these applications, visit the Applications page.
It is important to note that there are certain applications where SCS is not a good fit. These are deep draw forming, electrolytic plating, continuous in-line galvanizing, pre-painting and porcelain enamel coating.
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Q9. What kind of paint prep do you recommend for SCS material ?
A. While every application is different, we have experienced excellent results using a very lean two-stage paint prep system that includes a simple phosphate treatment and rinse. Following this with even an inexpensive powder coating paint application produces an end product that has tested successfully without blisters or adhesion loss for 1,000 hours in a salt spray test. Go to the SCS Library page and click on "SCS Fabrication Guides" button to order copies of reports on the paint adherence testing that has been performed on SCS.
Dirt smudges, fingerprints, etc. obviously require some level of paint preparation, but you should be able to lean out your existing paint prep system when you switch to SCS. Testing for your individual process and paint system should be done to determine exactly what is necessary for your application.
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Q10. What about coil breaks ?
A. Stretching and SCS brushing of sheets do not induce or prevent any more or fewer coil breaks than conventional roller leveling. However, SCS processing of coils has been observed to dramatically reduce coil breaks in all but about the first 70 feet of a coil. The SCS Coil Line's roller leveler, acting in conjunction with the tension in the coil created by the pull of the recoiler, flattens material, knocks down edge wave and removes coil breaks.
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Q11. How does SCS compare to temper pass material ?
A. Stretcher-leveled SCS is flatter than temper passed material. Stretcher-leveling is the only shape correcting process that actually removes all residual stress and "shape memory" so that when sheets are lasered, punched or sheared they do not spring back.
SCS Coils undergo considerable shape correction that knocks down edge wave and reduces bow and coil breaks. The SCS Coil line roller leveler flattens material , then the tremendous pulling force between the roller leveler and the recoiler acts as a tension leveler to induce permanent shape correction. While residual stress is not completely removed, it is greatly reduced, allowing coils with pretty awful incoming shape to emerge as the equal of temper pass material.
Finally, you can get temper pass CTL sheets that have undergone SCS Brushing. The temper pass (skin pass) produces a very nice looking surface and the SCS process further beautifes this surface while imparting the SCS advantages of cleanliness and rust resistance to temper pass sheets.
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Q12. Just how flat can you get material using stretcher-leveling ?
A. As a toll processor, TMW receives mostly primary coils, but also lots of secondary coils, sometimes with edge waves approaching 10 inches. Except on rare occasions, stretcher-leveling will produce "panel-flat" material virtually independent of the incoming shape. Come and see it for yourself. You literally cannot squeeze a credit card under stretched sheets while they are being inspected on the flatness table. For a complete explanation of the stretcher-leveling process and capabilities, go to The Process page and click on the SCS for Flat Sheet button.
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Q13. How fast does the brushing process run ?
A. The SCS Sheet Line is capable of running up to 100 feet per minute for thinner material. As material thickness increases, the depth of the mill scale increases also, so brushing is slowed somewhat to achieve the same good results. Placing two brush machines in series allows you to increase speed and effective output of an SCS Sheet Line by 80%
For the SCS Coil Line, a speed of 150 fpm is possible on 10 gauge material.
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Q14. How can I offer SCS processing to my customers ?
A. SCS is a TMW patented process that we would love to license to you to produce in either sheet or coil form. Please contact Kevin Voges through the Contact page and he will provide you the details of an SCS license package.
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