Why we use, sell and recommend Australian Made Steel.

We find Australian Made Steel thicker, sturdier and stronger than competing products. We want end-users of our products to know that when they purchase a "Scott Metals Product" they are buying steel manufactured by Australians for Australian conditions. Buying Australian Made is good for all of us. It creates jobs, boosts the economy and improves our standard of living.

There has been an influx of imported steel entering the Australian market. A disturbing proportion of this material is manufactured to standards other than the Australian Standard. Tests have shown that an alarming percentage of this imported steel is inferior in its major dimensions and properties, such as: depth, flange width, base metal thickness, yield strength and the protective coating mass of various steel sections.

There are significant differences in metallurgical and physical properties of some imported steel compared to Australian Made Steel. Most Australian Made Steels are controlled within acceptable limits in respect to their CE (carbon equivalent) and their silicon and phosphorus levels.

Higher CE level imported steels are usually less weldable and/or require preheating and use of special electrodes. Re-bend tests of imported steels have shown they are more susceptible to strain hardening and embrittlement. Many construction methods, in the reinforcing industry, rely on the ability to safely re-bend steel and as such the superior re-bend requirement of Australian steel is greatly relied upon.

As more and more requests for fabricated steel items to be Hot Dip Galvanised occur, using the right steel for the task is critical. Most Australian Made steels are "galvaniser" friendly in respect to the silicon and phosphorus levels being controlled within acceptable limits. The variation in steel chemistry of imported steels makes control of dull grey coatings during Hot Dip Galvanising a difficult issue. When the expectation of the client is for the galvanised steel to be shiny silver, the dull grey coatings, caused by some imported steels, can be a cause of contention between steel fabricators/suppliers and their customers.

We believe the quality of Australian Made Steel is far superior to that of imported steel because it can withstand our, and numerous other company's fabrication processes. When you purchase products from Scott Metals you benefit from our 50 plus years of industry experience, in addition to the backing and assurance of genuine quality Australian Made Steel from world class steel manufacturers:-Infrabuild, Bluescope Steel and Australian Tube Mills.

The cost of producing in Australia is a lot higher than employing cheap labour and cheap materials offshore, and some manufacturers choose this path to gain a bigger profit margin or to undercut those who truly supply Australian products. However we are confident the quality of our products speaks for itself and we are determined to continue supporting the local businesses that help us produce a world-class product. By purchasing a "Scott Metals Product" you not only acquire steel from some of the world's leading steel producing companies, you can also rest assured the money you spend will help support Australia's future.

Due to certain steel products not being manufactured in Australia, or a supply shortage, there may be times when the use of imported steel is necessitated.