HORIZON Issue 26 November/December/January 14-15 Page 5
BRILLIANT NEW The new COLORBOND® Metallic steel range introduces six new colours to COLORBOND® steel – a pearl white, three variants of grey ranging from light to dark, a rich copper and a deep black – and all with an innovative paint technology that boosts its signature lustre effect.
“It delivers a very refined finish that has traditionally been the preserve of architectural panel systems. Building professionals looking for an economical trade-off from, say, painted aluminium, can now meet clients’ expectations for a premium finish with a custom solution from our customer network and affiliated steel fabricators.”
The new paint type and production method strategically places particles in the paint system to optimise light penetration and colour reflectivity to increase brilliance and producing a new lustre and sheen.
COLORBOND® Metallic steel has been tried and tested in Australia. “It’s ideal for cost-efficient facades, design features and interior portioning,” continues Julia. “And improved production and service methods have allowed for more flexible delivery of products bearing the new range of colours, which translates to an improved service offering that will benefit the entire supply chain.
“The pronounced metallic lustre of new COLORBOND® Metallic steel colours will greatly appeal to new and retro-fitted commercial and industrial market segments,” says Julia Ross, Product Manager – Marketing & Market Development, BANZ.
“We’ve significantly reduced the minimum order quantities to give more design and specification flexibility for smaller projects such as residential housing, and where the product is used as an aesthetic feature of larger-scale commercial buildings.
INNOVATION BREAKTHROUGH With the North American economic recovery well underway and synergies from the integration of Butler Manufacturing and VP Buildings largely achieved, late in 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America (BBNA) identified that a new long spanning secondary structural member would be a strategic product development initiative. BBNA’s Innovation Group had a number of criteria in mind: • Could we eliminate welding and use coated G30 steel made by North Star BlueScope Steel in Ohio? • Could we support significant loads, yet span almost twice as far as traditional Z-shape members? • Could the new product be produced in several locations to keep freight costs down?
Following more than a year of primary research into the performance of various fastening technologies, the Innovation team settled on an initial concept which could meet the requirements and offer a number of additional differentiating features to builders and building owners compared to competing commodity products.
“We see the value proposition being especially attractive to architects, designers and builders engaged in commercial projects featuring exterior and interior walling, and industrial projects such as the growing warehouse and distribution centre segment. It is well suited to everything from institutional projects through to mixed use retail and even residential.” Go to www.steel.com.au for more information about the new COLORBOND® Metallic steel colour range.
The first pilot projects were erected in the winter of 2014 as our design and production teams witnessed the installation on-site. The erector for one of the first jobs commented “This is a super product. I think it is going to be a big seller and I would not change a thing!” BBNA has been successful introducing this project to its distribution networks, marketed as Truss Purlinxt™ in Butler Manufacturing, and WideBay Trussed Purlin in VP Buildings. New capacity at the Laurinburg, North Carolina facility is up and running to meet the production requirements as the product gains further momentum in the marketplace.
Dan Kumm, President BBNA, then assembled a team of operating managers and functional leaders to design and build the first manufacturing line for the new product at the St. Joseph, Missouri facility. The concept required new technology for the management of bolt tightening and assurance of proper bolt tension. The production of web and chord members to tolerances (1/32”) – much tighter than industry standard – led the team to new, automated solutions for part production. Simultaneously additional testing of virtually all permutations and combinations of load/span conditions was conducted in Grandview, Missouri and in St. Joseph, Missouri during cold weather conditions.
Cliff Robinson, Lacey Murphy, Spencer Parr and Ralph Gaitley in front of the Grandview Test fixture.